Craig Charles has opened up about the "stunning" unmade episodes of Red Dwarf that the cast, creatives and fans are hoping will eventually be brought to life in a return for the beloved sci-fi comedy.

Advertisement

It was previously reported that three new episodes of the show were set to air this year, but Charles, who plays Dave Lister, shared an update with RadioTimes.com, saying that he fears the episodes will prove too expensive.

The episodes had been mocked up, with Charles raving about the the quality of the script and giving hints about the plot.

He told RadioTimes.com: "It was never done on the cheap, Red Dwarf, [but] now you can make things look so much better for so much cheaper.

"Hopefully the stars will align and we'll get it done because we all want to do it. The script is great.

"I can't really tell you much about the script, but it's very Lister-heavy and it involves a lot of this new AI technology and stuff like that."

Red Dwarf X characters gathered on the spaceship looking at a piece of paper in surprise
Red Dwarf X. BBC

"I really wanted to make it," Charles continued. "It's an absolutely stunning script, and the bits that we've seen in mock-ups that we've we've mocked together, it just looks stunning."

Charles went on to hint that the new episodes could involve Lister coming face-to-face with his younger self, saying: "I don't know if this is giving anything away, but if you think that it's me at the age of 60 acting against me at the age of 23... it looks stunning, you're like, 'F**king hell, how did they do that?!'

"But can we afford to make it? That's the big thing."

Craig Charles as Dave Lister in Red Dwarf
Craig Charles as Dave Lister in Red Dwarf. UKTV/Joel Anderson

Elsewhere, Charles has returned to his comedy roots for his new film Zombie Apache, which follows a greedy real estate developer who desecrates a sacred Viking burial ground and unleashes a nightmare upon the unsuspecting locals.

Charles said of the film: "It's a proper funny script... it's a bit like America's Shaun of the Dead, only it's set in the Appalachian Mountains."

He added: "It was just great working with Jamie Costa. I think he's gonna be a proper Hollywood star, he's a very talented lad. It's done a bit like an '80s buddy movie – like Lethal Weapon with zombies!"

Given the film's title, it of course has a link to Native American culture, with Charles addressing how the film aimed to portray the culture sensitively.

He said: "At the end of the film, you'll definitely be on the Native Americans' side.

"My character is called Liverpool Joe and he's a guy that's gone over to America, fell in love with a Native American girl, married her, and learned their ways, which he then employs to his own life in a way that you think, 'Does he really understand?' So he's quite a conflicted character in that way.

"It's fun, the script is funny, and it's shot beautifully."

Zombie Apache is set for release in summer/autumn 2025. Red Dwarf is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Advertisement

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement