Red Dwarf comeback “isn’t dead” – creator reveals his plan after new episode’s cancellation

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This past week has been disheartening for fans of Red Dwarf, as it was announced that the network, UKTV, abandoned plans for a fresh installment of the cherished sitcom; yet, there’s still hope in store.

This week, Doug Naylor, co-creator of Red Dwarf with Rob Grant, shared that he was almost done writing a new episode for the show, but then received a call from the broadcaster informing him they would cease producing scripted comedies, including future episodes of Red Dwarf.

Indeed, Naylor has recently stated that it’s quite possible that the episode could be offered to other television networks.

Now that I’ve made the announcement public this week, everyone knows about it. Excited as they are, the cast is eager to explore further opportunities. So, let’s move forward!

I’ve completed about 2/3 of a film titled “Out of the Red,” which features actors portraying fictionalized versions of themselves. There’s also significant interest in this project, not only from potential distributors but also from production companies.

Actually, I discussed that matter this morning, which suggests it might still be an option. In other words, it hasn’t been completely ruled out, understand?

I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Doug Naylor and the cast, starting from the Back to Earth specials that attracted 4 million viewers. Since then, we’ve created three complete series, a retrospective, and Red Dwarf’s debut feature-length film, The Promised Land.

In the latest installment, audiences will witness Craig Charles’s character, Lister, meet a younger version of himself. Naylor points out that the concept is intriguing: “It’s the current Lister traveling back in time to free his youthful self from stasis, with both Listers escaping together due to the older one not wanting the younger one to follow his footsteps. The elder Lister aims to prevent his younger counterpart from living the life he did.

They had an odd resemblance to two runaways, yet the younger Lister showed hesitation and required persuasion that this elderly man possessed more knowledge than him. However, they exhibited a remarkable compatibility.

Later on, there were both an elderly Rimmer (portrayed by Chris Barrie) and a younger version. They stood to be promoted if they succeeded in their task, creating an intriguing situation. Writing about it was quite enjoyable for me, indeed.

1) We also handled some visual effects, specifically generating a digital version of a young Lister that resembled Craig Charles at 23. Fingers crossed that it turns out well. If not, it might turn into an interesting story instead.

We made a computer-generated younger version of Lister to look like the real-life actor, Craig Charles, who was 23 years old. Let’s hope it looks good! In case it doesn’t, it could become an intriguing tale.

Regarding books, Naylor has recently released his first children’s novel titled “Sin Bin Island.” The story revolves around a troubled orphanage for poorly-behaved children, where at the end of the academic year, the four most misbehaving kids are sent to the chilling Sin Bin Island as punishment.

Some claim that the island served as a hub for illegally transporting magical artifacts to the mainland, yet after three centuries, no such magical items were ever discovered – until recently!

“There are real similarities between Sin Bin Island and Red Dwarf,” Naylor explained.

In this scenario, we have two groups, each consisting of four members. I anticipate plenty of humor as we progress. Instead of science fiction, we delve into realistic magic, making it an exhilarating journey filled with unexpected twists and turns.

I didn’t feel confined or unable to write the story; instead, I narrated it to the best of my ability, keeping in mind that all characters were 13 years old.

Sin Bin Island is available to buy now. Red Dwarf is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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2025-09-11 18:57