‘Red Dwarf’ fans hoping for fresh adventures with the Boys from the Dwarf have been dealt a blow, as co-creator Doug Naylor revealed in a weekend Reddit AMA that UKTV has scrapped plans for a new 90-minute special.
Naylor explained:
“Back in January 2023, I went in for a meeting with UKTV who said they wanted to progress a new 90-minute Red Dwarf special. The cast were all on board and I was told to start writing. Several months later, things were progressing and I had got two-thirds of the way through the script, I had just signed my writer’s contract, when I got an e-mail from UKTV who said they had difficult news to share – they were no longer going to commission scripted comedy, including the RD special, which I hadn’t yet sent them.”
The script would have seen Lister travel back in time to help his 23-year-old self escape from stasis. The older and younger Listers would then go on the run, with the older one determined to steer his younger self towards a more meaningful life. Meanwhile, Rimmer would have teamed up with his own younger counterpart to hunt them down on behalf of the JMC.
This revelation backtracks on the news that emerged in May 2024, when Kryten actor Robert Llewellyn mentioned that more ‘Red Dwarf’ was on the way. At that point, filming was said to be planned for September 2024, with release expected in 2025.
Other nuggets from the AMA
Naylor didn’t just break the disappointing update. He also dropped a handful of intriguing titbits for fans.
When asked if he had a preferred ending for the show, he admitted he did but teased that it might come in the form of future Red Dwarf novels rather than onscreen, calling it “bittersweet.” His favourite line from the series? “It does mean changing the bulb.” Favourite prop? “My bazookoid.”
He also expressed interest in a big-screen version of the first novel Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers (“Yes! I would like to see this! Someone get on the phone to Ridley or the Duke of Manchester!”) and confirmed that the long-mooted 90-minute meta-project Out of the Red, where the cast play versions of themselves in a present-day conspiracy thriller, is still on his radar: “Yes. I have a meeting on Tuesday to discuss it!”
And for those craving a live experience, Naylor teased plans for a Red Dwarf 40th birthday event in 2028.
Beyond the Dwarf
Away from smegheads and starbugs, Doug Naylor is also venturing into children’s fiction. His debut middle-grade novel Sin Bin Island is set for release this month. Billed as a mix of humour, adventure and magic, it follows four pupils banished to a mysterious island from Cyril Snigg’s Correctional Orphanage for Wayward Boys and Girls. The book has already picked up glowing praise, including from Craig Charles (Red Dwarf, Coronation Street), who called it:
“Brilliant, totally brilliant. Exciting. Heart-stopping. Hilarious. And touching too. It’s the book I always wanted to read as a kid but could never find.”
‘Sin Bin Island’ publishes Thursday, 11th September 2025 from David Fickling Books.
‘Red Dwarf’ does not yet have a premiere date for any new episodes, and with UKTV stepping away from scripted comedy, the future remains uncertain. If I want to keep track of this or any other shows, I can add them via our Never Miss system, and I’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date. Visit Never Miss.
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