As Red Dwarf celebrates its birthday, RadioTimes.com caught up with creators Doug Naylor and Rob Grant.
“Smoke me a kipper, I’ll be back for breakfast!”
Thirty-six years since its first episode, Red Dwarf is still just as recognisable and beloved as it’s ever been.
Spanning 12 seasons and a feature-length special, the series starred Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, Danny John-Jules and Robert Llewellyn – plus, there are plans for it to return to screens for more, including a prequel series.
As the sci-fi staple celebrates its 36th birthday, RadioTimes.com caught up with creators Doug Naylor and Rob Grant to find out what they would describe as their favourite episodes.
Here’s what they had to say:
Rob Grant’s favourite Red Dwarf episodes
Future Echoes (season 1 episode 2)
Having accelerated constantly for 3,000,000 years, Red Dwarf breaks the light barrier, and Lister bumps into future Rimmer and has a bizarre conversation. Then he meets current Rimmer and has the same conversation, which makes completely different sense.
This was the second episode broadcast, but the fourth show we wrote. We’d been warned that broadcasters were notoriously sci-fi phobic, but we were writing a series set on a space ship in the distant future, and it became increasingly hard (and stupid) to avoid science fiction plots. We took the plunge here, and never looked back.
Back to Reality (season 5 episode 1)
The crew are seemingly killed in an attack from an oceanic leviathan. They awake to discover they’ve actually been participants in a total immersion video game, and are, in fact, completely different people.
When we recorded this scene, it played to absolute silence from the audience. I was gobsmacked – it was a genuinely funny scene with a marvellous performance from guest star Timothy Spall, and featured the introduction of Cat’s alter ego, Duane Dibbley.
Turned out the audience was in shock. We re-ran the scene, and got the laughs we were expecting.
Legion (season 6 episode 2)
The crew face an unknown threat in Starbug. I was taking part in a writers’ weekend alongside my comedy writing hero, Alan Simpson (Hancock’s Half Hour, Steptoe and Son), and he’d never seen Red Dwarf.
I played him this opening scene because I thought it was one of the funniest we’d recorded – it contains the classic:
ALERT SIGN FLASHING BLUE
Rimmer: Step up to Red Alert.
Kryten: Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb.
At the end of the scene, I went to eject the video, and Alan asked to watch the whole show. I almost burst with pride.
Doug Naylor‘s favourite Red Dwarf episodes
Being asked to choose my favourite Red Dwarf episode(s) is like being asked to choose your favourite child. OK, I haven’t had 74 children – but you get the idea.
I usually say, ‘My favourite Red Dwarf Show is hopefully the one I’m writing at the moment,’ but I realise that’s not very helpful.
Anyway, I’ve been asked to name my favourite three shows – I’ll try, but I’ll probably cheat. Here goes.
Of the 36 shows I wrote with Rob, there are so many I love: Kryten, Queeg, Polymorph, Marooned, Time Slides, Last Day, Dimension Jump.
But my favourite three are probably Quarantine, Back to Reality, which we wrote and directed, and Legion, which features my all-time favourite Red Dwarf line where the posse are in Starbug on Blue Alert and Rimmer, pumped with self-importance, demands they go to Red Alert, and Kryten replies, ‘Are you absolutely sure, sir? It does mean changing the bulb.’
Of the shows I wrote on my own, I’m very fond of Twentica, M-Corp and the 90-minute TV Special, Promised Land – which includes my favourite pathos scene in Red Dwarf, beautifully acted by Chris Barrie and Craig Charles, the discussion between Lister and Rimmer about moonlight.
Technically, that’s six favourite shows, but really, I have 74 favourite shows. They’re my children, forgive me!
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