The Defunct Brands of Red Dwarf Features Posted by Ian Symes on 28th June 2025, 14:35 Red Dwarf's attitude towards real world references has fluctuated over the years. In the early days, Rob and Doug were keen to invent their own futuristic pop culture - Mugs Murphy, rastabilly skank, the London Jets - intertwined with more contemporary references to the likes of Kevin Keegan, Felicity Kendal and Ishtar. Generally speaking, the focus then shifted to historical figures, or those whose fame is international and timeless, your Wilma Flintstones, your Jane Austens, and of course, the all time number one. However, when it comes to brands and companies, the writers have never had any qualms with keeping the references relevant to the viewers at home. Other than the likes of the Jupiter Mining Corporation itself, Divadroid, Crapola, Leopard Lager and, much later, M-Corp, you're far more likely to hear about Pot Noodles, Shake 'n' Vac, FIFA, Brylcreem and Chicken (Mc)Nuggets than any invented equivalent. It's much more conducive to good comedy to give the audience a reference they're familiar with, plus Rob and Doug were never averse to leaning back on their observational comedy standards for a quick laugh. But Red Dwarf is thirty seven years old, and the world moves fast. What may have felt like enduring brands in the 80s and 90s - and even the 2010s - aren't necessarily going to have lasted to the modern day. And so we're going to take a look at every product or company name that's mentioned in dialogue throughout the 74 episodes, which has since fallen by the wayside. We'll note all the examples we could find, give a brief history, and outline its demise. Read more →