Red Dwarf will blast back for two more series on Dave
New runs of the sci-fi comedy will air in 2016 and 2017, starring original cast Chris Barrie as Rimmer, Craig Charles as Lister, Danny John-Jules as Cat and Robert Llewellyn as Kryten
Lister, Rimmer, Kryten and Cat will be returning in two more series of Red Dwarf, Dave has announced.
Red Dwarf XI and Red Dwarf XII begin production this autumn and are due to air on the channel in 2016 and 2017.
The last time fans were treated to fresh episodes of the cult sci-fi comedy was in 2012 with the six-part Red Dwarf X, a follow-up to 2009's Red Dwarf: Back to Earth, Dave’s first foray into scripted comedy commissions.
Back to Earth saw more than 2.6 million viewers tuning in to catch up with the four hapless space explorers as they returned to the small screen for the first time since the BBC series ended a decade earlier.
Red Dwarf first landed in 1988 on BBC2. It's eighth and final series on the BBC brought in more than eight million viewers, while the show has sold over 11.5 million DVD and videos worldwide, been broadcast in 25 countries and won International Emmy and British Comedy Awards.
Co-Produced by Grant Naylor Productions and Baby Cow Productions, Red Dwarf XI and XII are written and directed by co-creator Doug Naylor. The series once more reunites Chris Barrie as Rimmer, Craig Charles as Lister, Danny John-Jules as Cat and Robert Llewellyn as Kryten.
Doug Naylor said: “Everyone at UKTV have been so supportive of Red Dwarf from the start of their involvement with the show... [they] originally asked for more shows back in 2012 but frustratingly it’s taken until now to get our ducks in a row and all the boys available at the same time. Now they are, we’re all absolutely delighted.”
Simon Lupton, UKTV's commissioning editor, added: “Red Dwarf has superb talent attached; writing, directing and acting plus an expert team who absolutely know what they are doing when it comes to delivering a stand-out piece of television. It has a universal appeal that manages to touch long-standing fans and recruit new ones. It is fantastic to be collaborating with them again on the next phase of the Red Dwarf adventure.”
In order to film the two series, Craig Charles will leave Coronation Street after 10 years playing cabbie Lloyd Mullaney. "I feel I owe it to my colleagues on Red Dwarf to join them in filming the new series and finding out what is in store for Lister and the others," he said in a statement from ITV confirming his departure.
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