As we once again prepare to stick our fingers in our ears and try not to think about things for the next four years, let's take the opportunity to hark back to a far happier time, ie before many of us were even sodding born. We're heading back to 1983 to take in a crucial component of the Grant Naylor oeuvre. Having pretty much mastered the art of radio comedy with the first series of Son of Cliché, it was time to take on television, and the pair began successfully submitting sketches for the likes of Paul Squire, Cannon & Ball and Three of a Kind. But arguably the most quintessentially Rob-and-Doug feeling project of this era was Carrott's Lib. Starring Jasper Carrott, one of this country's greatest ever stand-ups, this was a pre-Spitting Image topical, satirical comedy, broadcast live on Saturday nights on BBC One.

Paul Jackson produced the first series, but we're going to focus instead on the first episode of series two, for reasons that will become apparent. The first thing to note is the date - the series started just eleven days after the first series of Son of Cliché concluded on Radio 4, and given how last-minute a lot of those scripts were, Rob and Doug presumably had very little time to breathe between projects. This series also established a new supporting cast for Jasper: future Cadbury's Caramel bunny Jan Ravens, alongside the trio of Nick Wilton, Nick Maloney and Chris Barrie. Now where have I seen those guys together before?

Huge thanks to Jonsmad for pointing us in the direction of this YouTube upload:

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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.

BFI Screening Report & Red Dwarf Prequel news! featured image

Brace yourself for a bit of shock. G&T regular evilmorwen went along to the BFI screening of Backwards, complete with commentary and Q&A from Rob Grant, Ed Bye and Paul Jackson. They were kind enough to provide a full report, containing news that blew our minds. Rob Grant has been busy. Read on...

As previously reported, the BFI Southbank saw, on Sunday, as part of a time travel strand, a screening of the episode Backwards, along with the first episode of ITV2’s time travel comedy Timewasters. Your correspondent had not previously seen Timewasters - a sitcom which posits the question “What if Goodnight Sweetheart except Nicholas Lyndhurst was a jazz quartet, and they’d gone back to the 1920s?” The answer is: quite good, and your correspondent will be watching more of it on Prime later.

But I wasn’t there for that, and neither are you. We’re here for Red Dwarf.

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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.

DwarfCast 165 - Father of Dwarf: Son of Cliché at 40 featured image
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"Doctor Fitzwilliam: Village Rectologist"

At 6:30pm on Tuesday 23rd August 1983, unsuspecting Radio 4 listeners were ambushed by the very first episode of a seminal new sketch show. Featuring a hugely talented cast, performing the work of two writers who were on the fast track to greatness, it was notable not only for its inherent quality, but for what it would eventually spawn. The programme was, of course, Son of Cliché, without which this podcast would not exist. So in a break from the usual format, we present our fortieth anniversary tribute in the form of a documentary, showcasing some highlights from the series, analysing what made it so great, and of course focusing on the moments that had the biggest influence on Red Dwarf. Think it was just Dave Hollins: Space Cadet that Rob and Doug drew upon? Think again.

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DwarfCast 160 - Rob Grant Interview featured image
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"I've got a lot of Red Dwarf to give."

Well then, this is a little bit special. Fresh from the fantastic news that the Red Dwarf legal kerfuffle is officially resolved, we speak exclusively to Rob Grant himself - the co-creator of the programme, who's now returning to the franchise after an absence of close to 30 years. We found out exactly what the legal resolution means for the future of the show, got clarification on the new status quo for Rob and Doug, discovered what new projects are being pursued, discussed possible collaborations with established cast and crew, and touched upon merchandise, continuity, technology, Marilyn Monroe, and much much more.

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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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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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Just a quick one to inform you that everyone’s favourite trio of loquacious lockdown live-streamers are back at it tonight. Rob Grant, Paul Jackson and Ed Bye are taking part in a live Red Dwarf themed Q&A and quiz on YouTube at 7pm GMT tonight. Hosted by Kevin Durham, the event is in aid of Richard’s House Children’s Hospice, and donations are being accepted here.

Here’s the link to the YouTube stream, or you can watch it right here, assuming this embed works:

In a blaze of absolutely bugger all publicity, we’re excited to note that the first full series of The Nether Regions starts tonight at 11pm on BBC Radio 4. Written by Rob Grant and Andrew Marshall of Quanderhorn fame (and I believe they may have had some involvement in other sitcoms too), it’s a sketch show in the form of a Twilight Zone spoof, which is not only penned by everyone’s favourite relatively-new-comedy-writing-partnership-comprised-of-people-previously-associated-with-other-writing-partnerships, but stars them too, alongside Helen Cripps, Edward Rowett and Holly Morgan. And as per Quanderhorn, it’s produced by Hudzen 10 himself, the brilliant Gordon Kennedy.

If you missed the pilot way back in 2019, or need a refresher given that it’s been approximately eighteen years since the heady days of 2019, it’s been archived here. And don’t worry if you’re not awake and in the vicinity of a wireless during the prime time transmission slot tonight, as it will be available on BBC Sounds or the show’s BBC programmes page immediately after broadcast. And when you’ve listened, let us know what you reckon on this very thread, which will serve as your Let’s Talk About for the whole four-episode series.