‘Red Dwarf’ Is Returning To Screens: The Smegheads Are Back On BBC

Smegheads the world over will be delighted to hear that the BBC hit sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf will be returning to screens over the next couple of years. In a report from the Independent, two new series of the award-winning show will be aired in 2016 and 2017 on channel Dave.

Series XI and XII of Red Dwarf will see a return of the original cast of characters: Dave Lister (Craig Charles), Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie), Kryten (Robert Llewellyn), and Cat (Danny John-Jules). The crew will be reunited for the show, which is expected to begin shooting later on this year. Both series are being written by the show’s creator, Doug Naylor.

According to the BBC website, actor Craig Charles will be leaving his current role as Lloyd on the UK soap drama Coronation Street — where he has spent the last 10 years — to don his infamous dread locks once more to play Lister.

“I have had an absolutely fantastic ten years on Coronation Street and I will be very sad to leave. Lloyd has become a huge part of my life and I have made some amazing friends with whom I will always keep in touch…But I feel I owe it to my colleagues on Red Dwarf to join them in filming the new series and finding out what is in store for Lister and the others. I would love to return to Coronation Street at some point in the future.”

Naylor has said that he originally wanted to do a new series of Red Dwarf back in 2012 and deeply regrets taking so long to bring the idea to fruition.

“Frustratingly it’s taken until now to get our ducks in a row and all the boys available at the same time. Now they are, we’re all absolutely delighted.”

Red Dwarf is one of the BBC’s most beloved sitcoms, which began airing in 1988. The show follows Dave Lister as the last man alive after an explosion on board the mining ship Red Dwarf wiped out the entire crew while Lister was safe in suspended animation.

Revived by the ship’s computer after three million years, Lister is left in the company of his old roommate Arnold Rimmer — who was brought back to life as a hologram to keep Lister sane — as well as the Cat, a hybrid human-feline creature who evolved from the domesticated kitty. In Series 3, the show was joined by the android Kryten, played by Robert Llewellyn.

The show has sold more than 11 million DVDs and videos worldwide and has won several awards, including an International Emmy and a British Comedy Award. So far, nothing has been said about the stories that are being planned, but the return of Red Dwarf will please many fans of the show.

[Image source: concrete-online]