Doug Naylor

A return for the cult sci-fi comedy. This 10th series follows on from the three episodes which went out on Dave in 2009. The original cast of Lister (Craig Charles), Rimmer (Chris Barrie), Cat (Danny John-Jules) and Kryten (Robert Llewellyn) are reunited but sadly the spark has long since gone. This opener to the six-part run, written by original creator Doug Naylor, finds the crew distracted from their usual prattling and squabbling when they encounter an abandoned spaceship and Rimmer's long-forgotten brother, Howard.

Doug Naylor interview

The sci-fi sitcom's showrunner talks to David Brown about series ten, the Dwarf's new young fanbase, and leaving the BBC.

Behind-the-scenes: Red Dwarf X

"We're going back to classic Red Dwarf," says Doug Naylor of what to expect of the new series, while keeping the details a closely guarded secret.

Paul Jackson, great practical grammarian of British television, on how Alan Simpson and Ray Galton's comedy characters, born on a BBC pilot programme in 1962, ruled the airwaves for 13 years after (with native versions in America, Sweden and Holland) and have influenced other British writers over several generations. Simpson and Galton join him, as do Maurice Gran and Laurence Marks of Birds of a Feather, Rob Grant and Doug Naylor of Red Dwarf, as well as Peter Flannery of Our Friends in the North.

Back To Earth (Part 3) Review

Smeg. Doug Naylor scratches a particularly irritating Blade Runner itch (references to which may be lost on younger fans), then restages the twist ending to Series V's "Back To Reality". The clue was there: he only changed one word in the title.

My ambivalence towards the brief return of Red Dwarf for a three-part reunion special has been noted previously, but after seeing the picture of Lister, Rimmer et al wandering down Coronation Street, my heart of ice melted. A little. It looks like a fun catch up with some old friends if truth be told, but I hope that won't stop Doug Naylor writing some lines that are actually funny. Remember, every sitcom needs equal measure of sit and com! But perhaps the world does need the return of Red Dwarf after all. The three-part special continues over the Easter weekend, with various documentaries and clips shows to celebrate being back in the Red one last time.

Eureka!: Red Dwarf: Back to Earth

Advances in digital ushered in a new era for Red Dwarf, says co-creator Doug Naylor.

The 10%ers (Carlton) is a very metropolitan comedy. Table Eleven was about Pretentious Moi, a fashionable restaurant where you are only as good as your last voice-over. God knows what they make of it in Grampian. But anyone who has found a nasty surprise in a trendy sandwich or watched a film about a plasticine man whose head keeps falling off will consider it excellent satire and long overdue.

Few sitcoms sustain their initial wit and sharpness beyond two or three series, but sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf - back on BBC2 for its sixth run - defies the ravages of time with the same non-chalance displayed last night by its chief slob-in-space Lister (Craig Charles).

Now The 10%ers (Carlton), written and produced by the Red Dwarf team of Grant and Naylor for Comedy Playhouse, really intends to be funny and it really is. A whirling farce, turning faster and faster on the beautifully smooth spindle of Clive Francis, it could easily spin off into a series. The only clumsy thing about it seems to be the title.