New Red Dwarf episodes revealed to have been in the works before co-creator Rob Grant’s death

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After the passing of Red Dwarf co-creator Rob Grant earlier in 2024, his friend and writing partner Andrew Marshall shared that they had been working on plans for new animated episodes of the popular sci-fi comedy.

I was really saddened to hear about Rob Grant’s passing earlier this year. As one of the brilliant minds behind Red Dwarf, alongside Doug Naylor, he left a huge mark on comedy. It’s amazing to know that even before he died, he was still creating – he co-wrote the novel ‘Red Dwarf: Titan’ with Marshall and had even more ideas for the show’s future. It’s a real loss for all of us fans.

In an interview with TopMob before the release of Red Dwarf: Titan’s on July 15th, Marshall revealed they initially explored creating an animated series, working with talented animators in Wales.

We temporarily paused that issue, expecting to finish the book in about six months. However, writing it turned out to be much more complicated than we anticipated, taking nearly two years to properly integrate it into the existing storyline and complete all the details. As a result, that initial issue had to be set aside for quite some time.

We had a really cool idea to create short, animated episodes of Red Dwarf – around fifteen minutes each. Unfortunately, that project was put on hold, and it’s something we might revisit in the future.

Regarding the possibility of bringing back the animated episodes after Grant’s death, Marshall stated it’s possible, but uncertain. He acknowledged that it’s impossible to predict what might happen in the future.

Fans of Red Dwarf are hoping the show will return, but a recent attempt to revive it, led by co-creator Rob Grant’s colleague Doug Naylor, unfortunately didn’t happen.

However, Grant’s last project was a novel called Titan, which he had mentioned he’d like to adapt for television at some point.

He told TopMob, shortly before he died, that the book features Lister and Rimmer on shore leave on Titan, before the accident that strands them in deep space.

This story takes place in a separate universe, allowing us to revisit beloved characters while exploring new storylines. The challenge was creating something original with these characters without contradicting established lore.

He explained that the new story will involve Lister and Rimmer receiving a warning from the distant future: unless they take action, all realities will cease to exist.

Marshall explains that having a longer format allowed for a more complex and cinematic story. He felt it was great to move beyond the typical sitcom structure, as it enabled them to develop the plot and characters in a richer, more detailed way.

You know, Rob and I really wanted to make people laugh with this project. We both have a lot of experience in comedy – over fifty years combined, actually – and we were constantly bouncing ideas off each other, trying to make everything as hilarious as possible.

This is the first time Marshall has written for Red Dwarf, but he’s been a longtime fan of the show.

I didn’t struggle to create the characters of Lister and Rimmer – they already had very clear personalities. It was easy to understand who they were! I thought Cat would be more difficult, but I actually found it surprisingly easy to write him.

Marshall initially hesitated to take on the novel, knowing he couldn’t replicate Doug’s work. However, Grant convinced him they could offer a fresh take on Red Dwarf. While the characters would remain true to themselves, they’d be explored from a new angle.

I wanted to create more complex and fully-developed characters, allowing the audience to understand their inner lives better. Unlike a sitcom, a book format gives you the space to show character growth and let each character evolve over time, which was a really appealing approach.

The new Red Dwarf novel, Titan, will be released in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats on July 16, 2026, and you can pre-order it now. You can also watch Red Dwarf on BBC iPlayer.

Authors

Louise GriffinSci-Fi and Fantasy Editor

Louise Griffin edits the Sci-Fi & Fantasy section at TopMob, where she writes about popular franchises like Doctor Who, Star Wars, Marvel, House of the Dragon, and Good Omens. Before TopMob, she was a Senior Entertainment Reporter at Metro and holds a degree in English Literature.

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2026-06-03 14:36