New Series of Red Dwarf Confirmed

And it's been numbered, too!

In the last few months you might have heard rumours about a new series of Red Dwarf. If you're on the internet, frankly, you could hardly have missed them.

Well now the rumours are fact. Red Dwarf X is on its way.

Attending Dimension Jump XVI on Sunday, April 10th, Red Dwarf's co-creator, writer, director and executive producer Doug Naylor confirmed to fans that all the hope and possibility of recent times has come good: there will be more new Dwarf.

Thanking Steve North and Jane Rogerson from Dave - the channel behind 2009's Back to Earth as well as these new episodes - the statement came just moments before being released on the Dave website.

The facts are:

The series will feature Rimmer, Lister, Cat and Kryten, once again played by Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules and Robert Llewellyn. (Y'know, unless anyone starts demanding a gold-plated dressing room or something.)

Each episode will be approximately 30 minutes in duration. This is a big difference from the 23 minute episodes of Back to Earth. To compensate for this fuller length and commercial break, the new episodes will be shown in a 40 minute slot, much as current Dwarf repeats are on Dave.

There will be six episodes in the series. The numbering of 'Series X' being both a pretty good promotional title for the channel, and technically correct since Back to Earth was a 'ninth series'.

Shooting will take place this coming November, December and January, with broadcast slated for September 2012. That apparent delay is born of common sense - after its complex post-production, Red Dwarf X would be ready to broadcast in the summer, but that's a time of low audiences. An autumn launch will make the very most of Dave's new commission.

Taking questions from fans during a Q&A session, other - decidedly unconfirmed - possibilities came to light. Doug's focus is on a characterful series, coming back down to the 'intimate SF/sitcom' stylings of earlier series (though anyone who thinks Series III isn't pretty huge-looking needs to rewatch their DVD). There's always a possibility that Holly might return, but how and played by whom is up for grabs. And Talkie Toaster could always make a reappearance, too.

Hopes of new model effects - rather than CGI spaceships - were high, but dependant on budget. Similarly, Doug and the cast hope to shoot the series in front of a live studio audience... they just need to make it feasible, and convince the channel!

Brand new Red Dwarf. Can you believe it?!

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