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 III, Episode 1 - Backwards

Rimmer and Kryten crash-land on a planet and are shocked to find it is Earth - but an Earth where time is running in reverse.

Further details

Red Dwarf. Image shows from L to R: Kryten (Robert Llewellyn), Rimmer (Chris Barrie). Copyright: Grant Naylor Productions / BBC

When Kryten gets sucked into a time hole and crashes Starbug 1 onto a planet during the space-ship equivalent of a driver's test, he and Rimmer are shocked to discover that they've landed on Earth.

It's not quite as normal though: time is running backwards. After the Big Bang the universe expanded, but they've gone so far into the future that the Big Crunch has now happened, the universe is contracting, and everything going in reverse accordingly.

When Lister and Cat finally find them, it's 1993 and Rimmer and Kryten are working as a novelty comic act. They're not keen to leave their popularity and success, but Lister's involvement in a brawl would seem to seal their fate in this backwards world.

Broadcast details

Date
Tuesday 14th November 1989
Time
9pm
Channel
BBC Two
Length
30 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Wednesday 18th May 2011 10:00pm Dave
Sunday 14th August 2011 9:40pm Dave
Sunday 2nd October 2011 11:00pm Dave
Saturday 26th November 2011 8:20pm Dave
Monday 7th May 2012 11:20am Dave
Sunday 23rd September 2012 11:00am Dave
Saturday 29th November 2014 3:00pm Dave
Saturday 31st January 2015 3:00pm Dave
Monday 1st June 2015 1:20am Dave
Monday 1st June 2015 10:40pm Dave
Monday 27th July 2015 10:20pm Gold
Tuesday 28th July 2015 1:00pm Gold
Monday 18th July 2016 11:20pm Gold
Tuesday 19th July 2016 2:20am Gold
Thursday 13th October 2016 10:20pm Dave
Friday 14th October 2016 2:25am Dave
Sunday 2nd April 2017 2:00pm Dave
Tuesday 11th July 2017 8:20pm Gold
Sunday 17th September 2017 4:00pm Dave
Thursday 2nd November 2017 10:20pm Dave
Thursday 22nd February 2018 9:00pm Dave
Saturday 2nd February 2019 7:00pm Dave
Friday 1st November 2019 1:55am Dave
Friday 1st November 2019 10:00pm Dave
Friday 28th February 2020 1:40am Dave
Friday 28th February 2020 10:00pm Dave
Saturday 4th April 2020 8:00pm Dave
Tuesday 14th July 2020 1:40am Dave
Tuesday 18th August 2020 3:20am Dave
Sunday 9th October 2022 10:00pm Yesterday
Sunday 30th October 2022 7:00pm Dave
Monday 31st October 2022 2:45am Dave
Monday 6th February 2023 12:00am Dave
Saturday 1st April 2023 2:00pm Dave
Monday 17th July 2023 12:00am Dave
Monday 29th January 2024 1:00am Dave

Cast & crew

Cast
Chris Barrie Rimmer
Craig Charles Lister
Danny John-Jules Cat
Robert Llewellyn Kryten
Hattie Hayridge Holly
Guest cast
Maria Friedman Waitress
Tony Hawks Compere
Anna Palmer Customer In Cafe
Arthur Smith Pub Manager
Writing team
Doug Naylor Writer
Rob Grant Writer
Production team
Ed Bye Director
Ed Bye Producer
Doug Naylor Producer
Rob Grant Producer
Paul Jackson Executive Producer
Ed Wooden Editor
Mel Bibby Production Designer
Howard Goodall Composer

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