Look… let’s be honest: it’s cold outside… there’s no kind of atmosphere…we’re all alone, more or less….
Perhaps the words of the Red Dwarf theme are ringing slightly more true than ever, so there really couldn’t be a better time to pay a return visit to the errant mining ship and catch up with Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, Danny John Jules, Robert Llewllyn and Norman Lovett to see if things are funnier in deep space. The UK’s Dave channel has just released the trailer and air-date for a feature-length edition of the cult sf show, one which sees an upgrade in SFX and budget, but still aims to tickle that cosmic funny-bone.
For those unfamiliar with the concept originally created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor: Lister (Charles) is the last human left alive after spending time in a punitive statis chamber aboard the deep space mining ship Red Dwarf, emerging to find millions of years have gone by. The ship’s computer, Holly (Lovett), informs him that the only other life-form on board is a humanoid feline called ‘Cat’ (John-Jules) who evolved from Lister’s pet, though Lister does manage to reactivate a hologrammatic version of the acerbic and haplessly by-the-book fellow crew-member Arnold Rimmer (Barrie). Joined by a rogue robot named Kryten (Llewellyn), they wander around the universe trying to make sense of life, the universe and everything… and usually failing.
The ninety-minute special, the thirteenth outing in various forms since its launch in 1988, will be broadcast on 9th April. The special will see the posse meet three cat clerics (Tom Bennett, Mandeep Dhillon, Lucy Pearman) who worship Lister as their God. Lister promises to help them as they’re being hunted by Rodon, the ruthless feral cat leader (Ray Fearon) who has vowed to wipe out all cats who worship anyone but him.
