Red Dwarf. Image shows from L to R: Cat (Danny John-Jules), Rimmer (Chris Barrie), Lister (Craig Charles), Kryten (Robert Llewellyn). Copyright: UKTV
Red Dwarf

Red Dwarf

  • TV sitcom
  • Dave / BBC Two
  • 1988 - 2020
  • 74 episodes (12 series)

Science fiction sitcom based in space. The crew aboard the damaged mining spaceship Red Dwarf are doomed to drift in space for the rest of eternity. Stars Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn, Norman Lovett and more.

Episode menu

Series XI, Episode 1 - Twentica

Red Dwarf. Image shows from L to R: Cat (Danny John-Jules), Kryten (Robert Llewellyn), Lister (Craig Charles), Rimmer (Chris Barrie)
The Dwarfers find themselves in an alternative version of America where modern technology is prohibited, making Rimmer and Kryten illegal. The Dwarfers infiltrate the tech savvy underground and try to bring down the authoritarian regime.

Preview clips

Broadcast details

Date
Thursday 22nd September 2016
Time
9pm
Channel
Dave
Length
30 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Friday 23rd September 2016 12:00am Dave
Friday 23rd September 2016 11:30pm Dave
Saturday 24th September 2016 10:00pm Dave
Saturday 29th October 2016 1:00pm Dave
Monday 2nd January 2017 1:10pm Dave
Saturday 21st January 2017 7:00pm Dave
Friday 5th May 2017 11:15pm Dave
Saturday 6th May 2017 7:00pm Dave
Saturday 7th October 2017 5:00pm Dave
Thursday 15th February 2018 10:20pm Dave
Saturday 17th February 2018 7:40pm Dave
Friday 18th May 2018 9:00pm Dave
Saturday 11th August 2018 8:20pm Dave
Sunday 12th August 2018 2:40pm Dave
Thursday 11th October 2018 10:00pm Dave
Friday 12th October 2018 9:00pm Dave
Friday 21st June 2019 10:00pm Dave
Saturday 22nd June 2019 7:40pm Dave
Friday 15th November 2019 1:40am Dave
Friday 15th November 2019 10:00pm Dave
Monday 6th April 2020 2:00am Dave
Thursday 7th May 2020 10:00pm Dave
Friday 24th July 2020 2:50am Dave
Friday 19th March 2021 10:00pm Dave
Saturday 20th March 2021 6:00pm Dave
Monday 22nd May 2023 12:40am Dave
Saturday 2nd September 2023 1:00pm Dave

Cast & crew

Cast
Chris Barrie Rimmer
Craig Charles Lister
Danny John-Jules Cat
Robert Llewellyn Kryten
Guest cast
Kevin Eldon 4 of 27
Lucie Pohl Harmony
David Sterne Einstein Bob
Sam Douglas Bouncer
Rebecca Blackstone Big Bang Beryl
Kyle James Nearly Dead Guy
Suanne Braun Cpt. Dorothy McCutcheon
David Menkin Lt. Clarence O'Neal
Alexis Dubus 3 of 63
Writing team
Doug Naylor Writer
Andrew Ellard Script Editor
Production team
Doug Naylor Director
Richard Naylor Producer
Kerry Waddell Producer
Doug Naylor Executive Producer
Simon Lupton Executive Producer
Henry Normal Executive Producer
Peter Oliver (as Peter H Oliver) Editor
Julian Fullalove Production Designer
Linda Glover Casting Director
Howard Burden Costume Designer
Ed Moore Director of Photography
Vanessa White Make-up Designer
Howard Goodall Composer

Video

Incoming Transmission

The crew get a video message.

Featuring: Chris Barrie (Rimmer), Craig Charles (Lister), Danny John-Jules (Cat), Robert Llewellyn (Kryten) & Kevin Eldon (4 of 27).

Press

This week in an autumn full of reunions and remakes we have another returning sitcom which has been running on and off for almost thirty years. I'm talking of course about Red Dwarf which returned to Dave after four years away for its eleventh series. Whilst I can't claim to be the biggest fan of Red Dwarf I did enjoy it in its early years on the BBC and also found the last series on Dave to be a real return to form. Therefore I was rather anticipating the start of series eleven however I have to say I was pretty disappointed by the results. It does appear that this time round the cast and creator Doug Naylor have a lot more money to play with which resulted in plenty of elaborate costumes, sets and special effects. However I found that these elements were exaggerated in favour of any of the wit or simple storytelling that provided the charm in series ten. The basic plot saw the crew of Starbug follow a gang of Simulants to Planet Earth of the 1950s in which all technology had been outlawed. The style of the world in which the quartet found themselves was similar to that of 1920s prohibition America with science and technology being outlawed to underground speakeasy-style clubs. A lot of the humour came with a visit to one of these clubs and a meeting with scientist/hooker Harmony de Gautier whose list of what she'll do for money was a gag-filled piece which didn't raise a chuckle from me at all. In fact I found myself sitting stony-faced throughout the piece which I found to be predictable, rushed and quite anticlimactic as the end came very suddenly. On the plus side I found the chemistry between Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, Robert Llewellyn and Danny John-Jules to be as spot on as ever. In fact I did appreciate the fact that they were on screen together for the majority of the episode and the early scene which reintroduced us to the characters was probably one of this instalment's best. However the opener of Red Dwarf XI couldn't help feeling like a cast reunion party where the actors looked to be having more fun than I did watching it. This is a shame as Red Dwarf can be a tremendously funny programme when it wants to be however judging by this first episode it looks like this new show will be one just for the fans who'll stick with the show regardless. But for casual viewers like myself there was nothing really to grab on to and I'm in two minds whether I'll stick with the rest of series eleven of a show which has lost a lot of what made the 2012 series on Dave so fun to watch.

Matt, The Custard TV, 25th September 2016

Red Dwarf review

Red Dwarf was such a big part of my teenage years and influenced my taste in comedy (alongside Blackadder), so I'll watch every new series that comes along out of brand loyalty and nostalgia. But I've now made peace with the fact Red Dwarf will never be as good it once was, when its two creators worked in unison and the younger cast looked the part.

Dan Owen, Dan's Media Digest, 22nd September 2016

Red Dwarf XI, episode 1: Twentica - review

It has been a strong start to the series and hopefully the rest of Series XI will continue in the same vein.

Ian Wolf, On The Box, 22nd September 2016

Red Dwarf XI Episode 1 review

The boys from the Dwarf are back in this ambitious, enjoyable opener to the long-running sci-fi comedy's eleventh season.

Sophie Davies, Cult Box, 20th September 2016

Red Dwarf XI, episode one review

As always with Dwarf, the jokes are a mix of the smart and the dumb, with quips about quantum mechanics tempered with daft jokes about Kryten's nipple attachments of banter aimed at the uptight Rimmer. Odds are, you already know if you like the Dwarf brand of humour or not, and this is unlikely to change minds either way, but the pace of the narrative keeps things interested.

Steve Bennett, Chortle, 15th September 2016

Review: Red Dwarf XI, Dave, episode one, Twentica

There are lots of things to enjoy here, from the impressive (thought probably v cheap) special effects to Kevin Eldon on superb form as a deadpan alien. The script is peppered with some delicious lines mixing the scientific with the everyday. And you'll never believe where the jump leads have to be attached to kickstart Kryten when his battery flatlines. I wish I could say more but that would spoil the fun. Let's just say it's good to have these intergalactic reprobates back...

Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 15th September 2016

Red Dwarf XI episode 1 review: Twentica

The first episode of Red Dwarf XI is an ideal series opener and available now on UKTV Play.

Pete Dillon-Trenchard, Den Of Geek, 15th September 2016

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