Welcome (back) to the Jungle News Posted by Ian Symes on 9th March 2026, 16:30 Now here’s an ITV reality show that we’re certain a Red Dwarf star is taking part in. It’s been officially announced that Craig Charles is one twelve former I’m A Celebrity campmates taking part in the new series of IACGMOOH… South Africa. This is a spin-off of the popular celebrity eats bugs / gets bugs poured on their head / puts their hand in a container of bugs format, but shorter and pre-recorded, meaning that Craig’s second stint in the jungle is already in the can. When he first took part back in 2014, his time on the show was tragically cut short due to the death of his brother after just a few days, so we’re glad he’s got the chance to have another go at it. Among the other returning contestants are Sir Mo Farah, Harry Redknapp, David Haye, Gemma Collins, Sinitta and Beverley Callard, best known for playing Liz McDonald in Coronation Street, where one of her short-term boyfriends was the granny-grabbing, philandering taxi driver Lloyd Mullaney, as played by Craig Charles. The series starts on Monday 6th April on ITV 1 and ITVX.
Rob Grant – the ultimate tribute News Posted by Ian Symes on 6th March 2026, 12:08 Just a very quick one to point you in the direction of this superb piece on TOS, in which dozens of friends, family members and colleagues pay tribute to the great Rob Grant. In the time it took me to read it, I laughed, cried, gasped and even found myself actually applauding. With tributes from all of Rob’s immediate family, university friends, Red Dwarf cast and crew aplenty, and other famous names like Ian Hislop, Sir Lenny Henry, Martin and Shirlie Kemp and Robert Lindsay, this is well worth setting aside a chunk of time for. Kudos to GNP (whatever that is, these days) for marking Rob’s passing and celebrating his life on an official platform, and to Rob’s friend and mine Curtis Threadgold for pulling off this epic undertaking. My heart may still be broken, but this has definitely warmed it up a bit.
Obituary: Rob Grant Features Posted by Ian Symes on 1st March 2026, 16:08 Pioneering comedy writer, best-selling author, and co-creator of Red Dwarf, Rob Grant has died, aged 70. Rob was born in Salford, Greater Manchester in September 1955, and grew up a stone's throw from the original exterior location for Coronation Street, if you want to get a picture of how his upbringing looked. Aged nine, he won a scholarship to Chetham's Hospital School, and on his very first day at the private music school, he met fellow pupil Doug Naylor. It was a chance coming together that had an immeasurable impact on the future of British comedy, not to mention the lives of thousands, if not millions of future fans. Read more →
Above all, Fun Features Posted by Andrew Marshall on 27th February 2026, 10:15 Following yesterday's awful news, Rob's writing partner Andrew Marshall has been in touch to share his tribute. For about the last 15 years my working day has started in the same way: make coffee, sit at desk at 9.30 and await Rob to appear on Zoom. Or Screenhero, Or Skype. Or whatever the gas powered useless app was before that. We shared thoughts, worries, family news, memories, latest movie opinions and most of all cookery tips. Oh, and then eventually wrote something. But most of all we laughed. Working with Rob was always, above all, fun. Read more →
Rob Grant RIP News Posted by Ian Symes on 26th February 2026, 17:02 We at Ganymede & Titan are heartbroken to pass on a message from Rob Grant’s family. With much sadness, we have to announce that Rob Grant, co-creator of Red Dwarf, passed away suddenly yesterday afternoon (Wednesday 25th February 2026), a great loss to his family, friends and comedy fans across the world. We’re in too much shock to add much else right now, other than to pass on our sympathies and love to Rob’s family, friends, colleagues and fans. This is devastating news, and for it to have happened within a week of his first Red Dwarf novel for thirty years being officially announced is just the sort of cruel twist of fate that Rob delighted in inventing. We’ll have more to say over the coming days, weeks and months, to celebrate the life of a man whose imagination, creativity and humour was matched only by his kindness, friendliness and generosity. We will forever be grateful for the impact the world he co-created had on our lives, and honoured to have known him.
Red Dwarf: Titan – Covered News Posted by Ian Symes on 19th February 2026, 09:00 A mere two weeks ago, Red Dwarf: Titan was just a glimmer in Rob Grant's buttski, as far as we were aware. But now details are coming thick and fast. Following the novel first appearing on random booksellers' websites, quickly followed by Rob and Andy supplying a full synopsis, we can now exclusively reveal the book's cover art. Many thanks to The Orion Publishing Group, who seem to have accidentally mistaken us for a legitimate press organisation. Read more →
Red Dwarf: Titan – the full synopsis News Posted by Ian Symes on 10th February 2026, 10:06 Following last week's unheralded appearance of Red Dwarf: Titan on various obscure booksellers' websites, some bloke called Rob has got in touch with us to clarify one or two things. Hi G&Tians A couple of bookshops seem to have misunderstood the publisher’s embargo, and made a premature pre-launch of the new RD novel, Titan. It’s not even been through the final copy edit yet. They also announced a publication date in July, which is the first we’ve heard of it, and over which we have no control. It’s still not confirmed. Likewise, the blurb we’d written for the cover wasn’t shown in full, presumably to accommodate a word count. Now the Cat’s out of the baggy suit, here’s the full version. ROB & ANDY Read more →
Peter Ridsdale-Scott RIP News Posted by Ian Symes on 9th February 2026, 12:10 News has only just reached us, via Paul Muller on our forum, that the great Peter Ridsdale-Scott passed away on Christmas Day 2025, as announced on his website. Peter was a giant of British television, hugely popular and well respected. After starting out as a jobbing actor in his native Blackpool, he worked his way through the ranks behind the scenes at the BBC in London, where he ended up as a writer, director and producer of children’s programmes, including thousands of episodes of the iconic Play School. He then moved to Manchester to take up an executive producer role on programmes such as Cheggers Plays Pop and EBC1: Emu’s Broadcasting Company, before becoming the Commissioning Editor for BBC North West. Having been approached by Paul Jackson, Peter was the first commissioner to see the potential in the Red Dwarf pilot script, which had already been rejected multiple times by his counterparts in London. It was Peter who green lit the series, put his faith in the relatively unproven Rob, Doug and Ed, signed off on the casting, championed the show within the BBC, and fought for it to be remounted after the initial production was halted by a technician’s strike. While actors, writers, directors and producers are the first to be praised for their successes, none of them can do their jobs without a commissioning editor who believes in the project, takes risks, and makes things happen. Quite simply, if it wasn’t for Peter Ridsdale-Scott, there would be no Red Dwarf. None of us would be reading this website today. The friendships, relationships and offspring that have been born from the show over the last 38 years wouldn’t exist. We owe him everything. We celebrate his vision and determination, and we will remember him. His contribution to Launching Red Dwarf, the documentary on the Series 1 DVD, is already legendary, showcasing his enthusiasm and love for the show in the most endearing way. He also took part in The First Three Million Years in 2020, and did a Mr Flibble interview back in 2002. And if you want to see him in his element, he took a starring role in a fascinating BBC training film on videotape editing, in his days as Play School director. Plus of course, he’s immortalised in Red Dwarf itself, as the inspiration behind Chris Barrie’s performance as Brannigan, the ship’s psychiatrist, in Queeg. Peter Ridsdale-Scott may now be late, but he was so good. He was brilliant.
Rob Andy readin’ Titan, yes sir I’ve been around News Posted by Ian Symes on 6th February 2026, 16:20 Well then. Exactly five years to the day that Rob Grant told us that he wanted Red Dwarf flying out of our buttskis, it seems we're a little over six months away from the first scheduled flight. Thanks to our Czech mate barbucha in our forum for spotting that a novel called Red Dwarf: Titan is beginning to turn up in online listings, with a release date of July 16th. An all-new prequel, and the first Red Dwarf novel in thirty years with Red Dwarf creator Rob Grant returning alongside Andy Marshall, creator of sitcom 2point4Children and Quanderhorn! Before the beginning. Before the accident that wipes out the crew, the mining ship Red Dwarf is in orbit around Titan, and the crew is heading down for shore leave, all with different intensions… However, their objectives are scuppered somewhat unexpectedly when they receive a cryptic message. A message from the future. Two feuding crewmen are catapulted into a breakneck race to save not only this but every other Reality. So strap yourself in - the Dwarfers are taking on TITAN. This novel is the perfect reboot for those who have never seen the series but also full of wonderful Easter eggs for the fans. Read more →
DwarfCast 179 – The Smegazine Rack – Volume 2 Issue #1 DwarfCasts Posted by Ian Symes on 5th February 2026, 13:31 Subscribe to DwarfCasts: RSS • iTunes "INT. Chris Barrie's Arse" 8 extra pages! 2 free postcards! Smeggier than ever before, it's the new-look Smegazine Rack! Yes, after a prolonged gap since our last sojourn to the early-to-mid 1990s, we return to discover everything's become glossier, wider and more densely packed, as we finally reach Volume 2 of the Red Dwarf Smegazine. There is much to discuss, not least the most unfortunate cover line of all time, but also a comic strip with remarkable parallels to a much later TV story, the latest news on just how messy the production of Series VI was, the evils of red chairs, the soap opera parody that refuses to die and the crossover event of the century. Plus, we give a very special welcome to a new Smegazine writer, who would go on to have a very, ahem, "interesting" career. Read more →
