Why did the BBC cancel Red Dwarf after the series with the highest ratings?

[besbvesdy]

I mean we all know it wasn’t one of the best but I can’t believe the bigwigs really care about actual content over viewing figures…?

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[Bargain Bin Holly]

From what I heard the BBC was perfectly open to a Series IX but Doug wanted to make the movie, and by the time it was evident that the movie was not getting funded and Doug went back to the BBC, they rejected him cause they weren’t interested anymore.

[Bargain Bin Holly]

Don’t think the BBC care much for quality of content, just look at Matt Smith’s run as the Doctor

[Warbodog]

…

Don’t rise to him.

[Pete Part Three]

I think the BBC would have quite happily had a Season 9 in 2000. Fortunately (because I reckon it would have been awful), Doug faffed around for 7 years on a movie that never happened, I watched the Series VIII DVD documentary the other week, and even then (presumably filmed either late 2005/early 2006), Doug was still hopeful for the movie but coming to the realisation that another series or specials was the way forward.

Between then and 2007ish, he must have approached the BBC and been told they weren’t enthusiastic (although I don’t think we ever quite got to the truth about the infamous quote about the audience).

That’s 8 years since Series VIII, so enough time for a lot of personnel change at the BBC, and different attitudes to commissioning.

[JamesTC]

Was it at the last DJ when Doug went into more detail on this?

From memory, he said it was roundabout 2002 he went to the BBC and pitched a new series but there were two reasons it didn’t happen. One reason was that it needed to be tied into the funding of the film (as the original agreement for funding for the film from the BBC had run out) and the BBC no longer wanted to contribute to the film. The other reason was that Doug felt that any commissioner would not get credit if a new series of Red Dwarf was a success so they preferred to make new shows. I imagine the latter reason was a bit of bitterness from Doug.

[Author]

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