Red Dwarf cast remember the original Kryten in exclusive clip from new documentary
Robert Llewellyn didn’t always play the sitcom’s “mechanoid” and the cast look back on his joining the series in Red Dwarf: The First Three Million Years.
Iconic sitcom Red Dwarf has gone through a few changes over the years, from its cast (two Hollys!) and line-up to the very channel it airs on.
However, one big change rarely talked about is the fact that a key character in the cast was initially played by a different actor – and that if he hadn’t been too busy, the original Kryten (the “mechanoid” played by Robert Llewellyn for over three decades) might have still been a part of the series to this day.
“The first Kryten, he was very good wasn’t he?” series star Craig Charles says in an exclusive new clip from Dave documentary Red Dwarf: The First Three Million Years, which delves into the long history of the cult sci-fi sitcom.
“Pity he was busy…a proper thespian!”
“There was something Brando about him,” agreed Danny John-Jules, referring to David Ross, who played Kryten during his original one-off appearance in 1988 before being replaced by Llewellyn when the popular character was added as a series regular.
“31 years I’ve been hearing this,” Llewellyn himself laughs in the documentary. “I’m still the new boy, 31 years later.”
Elsewhere in the clip, you can find out about Llewellyn’s inauspicious beginnings in the programme and how an obscure Edinburgh Fringe play, an array of silly walks and accents – as well as RoboCop – led to the familiar version of Kryten fans know and love.
And that was just in 66 seconds! We can only imagine how much more fan-friendly details and behind-the-scenes secrets we’ll all find out in the full, three-part finished documentary. Perhaps even three million year’s worth…
Red Dwarf: The First Three Million Years begins on Dave at 9.00pm on Thursday 6th August – check out what else is on with our TV Guide
Authors
Huw Fullerton is a Commissioning Editor for Radio Times magazine, covering Entertainment, Comedy and Specialist Drama.
