Red Dwarf co-creator reveals fate and plot details of his planned 90-minute special episode

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Last year, Doug Naylor, a co-creator of Red Dwarf, revealed that UKTV decided not to air a fresh installment of the popular science fiction comedy.

According to earlier reports, the series was slated for a comeback on our screens, and production was supposed to start last fall.

In a recent Reddit Q&A session, Naylor, the co-creator of Red Dwarf with Rob Grant, mentioned that UKTV expressed an interest in producing a 90-minute special episode of Red Dwarf during a meeting scheduled for January 2024.

He mentioned: “Everyone from the cast agreed, and they instructed me to begin drafting. After a few months, things moved forward, and I had almost completed about two-thirds of the screenplay.

Moments after putting my pen to the writer’s contract, I received an email from UKTV with tough news: They would no longer be commissioning scripted comedies, including the RD special that I had not yet submitted.

In the script, it is noted that Lister, portrayed by Craig Charles, travels back in time to assist his younger self, who is 23, in escaping from stasis. Meanwhile, Chris Barrie’s character Rimmer partners with his younger counterpart in a pursuit initiated by JMC, with the aim of capturing Lister and his younger self.

I’ve been honored to collaborate with Doug Naylor and the team, starting from the Back to Earth specials that attracted 4 million viewers, and leading to three complete series, a review, and Red Dwarf’s inaugural full-length film, titled “The Promised Land.

He praised Naylor’s script as “spectacular,” and further commented: “I’m not sure if this is a spoiler, but when you see me playing opposite myself at the ages of 60 and 23, it’s simply astounding, leaving you to wonder, ‘Wow, how did they manage that?’

“But can we afford to make it? That’s the big thing.”

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2025-09-08 18:59