Awooga! Red Dwarf is back! Tomorrow the Boys From the Dwarf return to Dave at 21.00! As fresh and exciting as it ever was the Sci Fi comedy explores what would happen if evil was curable. Sadly it soon turns out that the cure might be short-lived as the Boys From the Dwarf find themselves facing their biggest fears.
The original cast (Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules and Robert Llewellyn) as well as guest actor Ryan Gage (The Hobbit, the Musketeers,) are on great form in this fast-paced episode.
Peppered with zinging one-liners and jokes plus one of the most bizarre jam sessions in history the episode is easily a contender for best comedy of the year.
Some of my other pals have turned up. @CCfunkandsoul and @DougRDNaylor pic.twitter.com/JtIpgUYnsv
— Robert Llewellyn (@bobbyllew) September 13, 2017
Here we talk with writer and creator Doug Naylor about Red Dwarf past, present and future, Ace Rimmer, the fans, anniversary plans and what makes the series so irresistible.
How did you and Rob Grant come up with the idea of Red Dwarf?
We wanted to write a character based, characters that were real and people would be able to identify within a science fiction sitcom using sci-fi ideas and tropes as a way of looking into character as we didn’t believe it had ever been done before. Steptoe and son or Porridge in space but with cool SF ideas like Me2.
Why do you think the series has lasted so long?
People keep watching it and we love making it and Dave have been amazingly supportive throughout. It’s a great fun show to be a part of and there’s a great teamwork vibe amongst the cast that’s absolutely key. And all of them are brilliantly funny. Not one or two but all of them. And then we have great guest cast too. What’s not to like?
Which character has changed the most over the years?
Maybe the Cat but he’s not changed so much as his part has just got bigger and bigger because Danny keeps knocking it out of the park.
Why do you think Red Dwarf has such a big LGBT and female following?
Because it’s so damn cool of course.
What do you think of Red Dwarf slash and fanfic in general?
I don’t read any fanfic or any RD scripts that are sent to me for legal reasons.
Was Rimmer intended to come across as asexual or a repressed gay/bi man?
We wrote a character we wanted to have been massively unsuccessful in the sack and now he was dead and he tortured himself by looking back at all his failures.
Will Ace (the swashbuckling superhero version of Arnold Rimmer also played by Chris Barrie) ever return?
The trouble bringing back Ace is lots of people will complain it’s revisiting an old idea and will winge and moan and accuse me of running out of ideas – so to answer your question, yes, almost certainly we’ll bring him back. I haven’t got where I am today by doing what the fans want!!
Will Kochanski (the love of Dave Lister’s life, who left the crew in a rather mysterious way) return?
Maybe.
Will we ever see the botanical gardens (a garden complex set on the ship that has often been mentioned but never seen)?
If we can afford to.
Is there anything you can reveal about series 12?
The 12 stuff is already kind of out there. The last show is one of my faves.
– The last episode; called Skipper, has been much talked about as it sees the return of the original ships computer Holly as played by Norman Lovett and Arnold Rimmer appears to be time travelling to the setting of the first series.-
Will there be more Red Dwarf after this?
Everyone wants to do more and by everyone I don’t mean just me and the cast.
Are there plans for the 30th anniversary next year?
30th – we’re in talks with various people about how best to do what we’d all like to do.
Red Dwarf XII starts on Thursday the 12 of October on Dave!!
 
