Ah, it's October. The month where the new Red Dwarf special(s) go into production. After all, it was reported extensively online back in May, and none of the publications that giddily jumped on the bandwagon have since issued any updates or corrections, so we assume it's all going ahead. We should be getting the official announcement any moment. Here it comes. Any moment. Aaaaaany moment. Any moment... NOW.

It hasn't worked. It's almost as if you should take what the cast say about any new projects with a pinch of salt, as even if the details are correct to the best of their knowledge at the time, plans change, and nothing is official until it's announced by the appropriate channels. This is a lesson that desperately needs to be learned by the entire population of comments sections everywhere else that Red Dwarf is discussed online. Nevertheless, the latest unconfirmed whisper is in, and this time it comes from Chris Barrie, via ITV Anglia:

We hope next year to, in 2025, to shoot a special. That's the plan I've heardThe others might throw more light on it, I don't know, but yeah, that's the plan. I think all four of us are up for it, yeah.

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It's funny to think that just over a year ago, we were convinced that Red Dwarf was dead and buried, a victim of an ongoing legal battle with no end in sight. That was until it ended. And since then we've been teased with the prospect of a new spin-off series, whilst also regaining a modicum of hope that the OG Dwarf would return at least once more. While there is still no official news - and as usual we'd like to clarify that nothing is confirmed until it's announced by the production company and/or the broadcaster - we've now entered what we've come to recognise as the preliminary phase that usually indicates that such an announcement may be forthcoming. Yes, the cast have been blabbing again.

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Just three short days ago, we got the first whiff of a potential new Red Dwarf project, and today more details have emerged thanks to Rob granting an exclusive interview to the Radio Times. You can consume it in both written and visual form, but the key points that answer the questions we’ve been puzzling over all week are:

  • Set before the events of The End
  • Being set “one universe to the side” gives them “leeway in how we can handle things”
  • Lister and Rimmer are already bunkmates, and are on shore leave on Titan (so not a direct transposition of the first part of Infinity, rather a point in the timeline between Lister signing up for Red Dwarf and the crew being wiped out)
  • Planned as a novel and a TV show – although whether that will be a live-action or animated TV show is yet to be seen, however…
  • There will be a new cast, which does seem to imply live action, as the existing actors could easily play younger versions in voice-only roles
  • The original cast are up for making guest appearances

The recasting news will probably generate the most discussion, but it’s great to get clarification at this early stage on the exact setting in our characters’ timelines. I can see the “one universe to the side” excuse being wheeled out to cover for any manner of unforeseen inconsistencies, but it’s a great way to approach Red Dwarf: Titan in general – we’re not sure if it’s Red Dwarf as we know it, but it’s going to be a lot of fun finding out.

Doug Naylor has shared the sad news on Twitter that John Pomphrey, Red Dwarf's original lighting director, has passed away.

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Just a quick one to bring you a bit of news that for the majority of the last two decades we’d leave to TOS and/or @RedDwarfHQ to cover, but now that Red Dwarf‘s sole official news outlet is apparently Doug’s Twitter feed, here’s something he’s unlikely to report on. The British Film Institute are having a season on time travel, and they’ve got the old Quarantine Commentaries team of Rob Grant, Paul Jackson and Ed Bye back together for a screening of Backwards followed by a Q&A. Robert Llewellyn is joining the gang too, and it’s a double bill with an episode of Timewasters. The event takes place on Sunday 5th November (so remember remember that date), and tickets go on sale in… ooh, just under an hour and a half.

Hot on the tails of Red Dwarf returning to its mother channel’s bosom via iPlayer, today’s weekly release of the television schedules sees the news that The End is to be repeated on BBC Two at 10pm on Friday 25th August. It’s not yet clear whether this is a one-off, or the start of a full repeat run of at least the first series – BBC Two has been giving classic comedies both of these treatments recently. We’ll find out this time next week whether Future Echoes will follow. Either way, it’s nice to see the show getting this treatment in its 35th anniversary year. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we get a full 1994-style run though, including the Dave era?

Thanks to cwickham for drawing our attention to this. He’s going to have to update his BBC broadcast guide now.

Yesterday, Doug Naylor updated his Twitter to say that an announcement was coming, and sure enough, at one minute past midnight, the BBC published a press release to say that all twelve series of Red Dwarf, plus The Promised Land, are coming to BBC iPlayer. This is great news for the show, with the exposure that comes from having your boxset front and centre on one of the UK's biggest streaming platforms, free to access and free from ads. And it's really significant that the Dave era is included too; it's not entirely unprecedented, and not surprising given the links between UKTV and the BBC, but it's a rare treat to see shows that originated on other channels appearing on iPlayer.

However, now that the episodes have turned up, there's a problem.

Updated with a quote from the BBC below

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Just a few short weeks ago, we had all but given up hope that this day would come. And yet here we are - following the promising yet inconclusive joint anniversary message from Rob and Doug, we have a brand new statement from the pair, and it's exactly what we wanted to hear.

Rob Grant and Doug Naylor are delighted to announce that the ongoing dispute over the Red Dwarf rights has been resolved.

Moving onwards and upwards Rob and Doug hope to launch separate iterations of Red Dwarf across various media, working again with the cast and other valued partners, and wish each other the very best.

Smoke a kipper, Red Dwarf will be back for breakfast!!

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Some breaking news for you – a message has been released by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor. Yes, both of them. Together.

To fans, cast and crew and everything in between, a very smeggy 35th birthday. Fingers crossed for more. Much love Rob and Doug

There is certainly a lot to discuss, so head on over to our Coral Canvass Livestream Spectacular right now, for all the reaction to this and today’s poll results, plus a lovely game of the wholly original Red Dwarf quiz Clochebusters!

I bring very exciting news. You know Wrinkles? The radio sitcom written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, which ran for two series in 1980 and 1981? The one that starred Ballard Berkeley from Fawlty Towers and David Ross from Kryten, White Hole and Mechocracy? The one that is missing from the archives and has never been repeated in the four decades since it was originally broadcast?

Well, it's being repeated on BBC Radio 4 Extra on Thursdays at 10:30pm.

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