Why boss of ’80s cult classic Red Dwarf is “really concerned” about sitcoms in the UK

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Doug Naylor, who helped create the sci-fi comedy *Red Dwarf*, has expressed his worries about the current state of British sitcoms.

The popular comedy series first ran for eight seasons from 1988 to 1999. It was then brought back for another four seasons on Dave, airing from 2009 to 2017. Most recently, a special, extended episode titled *The Promised Land* aired in 2020.

For a few years, plans were underway to create a follow-up episode. However, Naylor recently announced on Reddit that UKTV cancelled the project, deciding not to fund its production.

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Naylor expressed worry about the current state of British sitcoms in an interview with RadioTimes.com, though he later mentioned the show might be picked up by a different channel at some point.

I really miss the old days of BBC Two – it used to be *the* place to watch brilliant sitcoms! And Channel 4 was fantastic for ages too, but it feels like those dedicated slots for comedy have just disappeared. We just don’t have those reliable places to find great sitcoms anymore, which is a shame.

It’s really disappointing when popular sitcoms aren’t prioritized, because people genuinely love watching them again and again – the viewing numbers prove it. I believe the BBC has a responsibility to create these comforting, well-loved shows for the country, even if that belief isn’t entirely logical.

Rob Grant and Chris Naylor, the creators of the series, recently shared details about a planned episode that was ultimately cancelled. Naylor explained that the episode would have involved the main characters meeting their younger selves.

He recently finished about two-thirds of a film called *Out of the Red*, where the actors play fictionalized versions of themselves. He mentioned to *RadioTimes.com* last week that both a distributor and a production company have expressed strong interest in the project.

So, I actually just had a meeting about this earlier today, which is promising! It’s definitely not off the table, not by a long shot! Plus, the actors are all super enthusiastic about coming back for more episodes, which is awesome.

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2025-09-16 20:19