THE stars of a huge Nineties show are set to reunite at a fan event twenty years after the original series ended.
Comic Con Scotland will get underway in Edinburgh next month with a whole host of stars from film, TV and sport in attendance.
And fans of one classic BBC show in particular will be excited to learn that all the cast will be there.
The stars of Red Dwarf – Craig Charles, Mark Williams, Chris Barrie, Daniel John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn – will meet attendees, almost 40 years after the sci-fi series launched.
Their reunion at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh comes months after it was revealed Red Dwarf is set to make a comeback with new episodes next year.
The cult classic sci-fi series originally created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor first aired on BBC2 in 1988.
It follows the adventures of a group of oddball characters who are stranded on a spaceship three million years in the future.
The show’s main character David Lister, played by Craig Charles, wakes up after three million years in suspended animation to find out the rest of the crew on his spaceship were killed in an accident.
This would have left him alone in outer space – if not for the strange companions he made out of the hologram of his former bunkmate, the ship’s computer, an android he rescues from a shipwreck, and the creature that evolved from what was his pet cat.
It was revealed in May that the gang is getting back together to film a three-part special which will be aired in 2025.
Robert Llewellyn, who played mechanoid Kryten, told the British Comedy Guide: “We knew we were going to do more Red Dwarf and we’re actually now doing it in the middle of October to the middle of November this year.
“A 90-minute special, three half-hours. So yes, we are making more.”
He had previously revealed that all of the original cast members will be returning for this special project.
The actor then joked: “I can’t believe I’ve agreed to do it, I’m insane. I’m much too old.”
Red Dwarf aired on BBC Two across eight series until 1999, before it was revived 10 years later on Dave.
Another four series aired until 2017 as well as a feature-length special – The Promised Land – in 2020.
We look back at some of the best to ever grace the screen.
Fawlty Towers (1975-1979) – Only two series were made of the beloved institution. However, the cultural impact of the series starring John Cleese and Connie Booth spans decades. It follows rude and intolerant Basil Fawlty (Cleese) as he attempts to improve the reputation of his hotel.
Only Fools and Horses (1981-2003) – The show was crowned by some as the best British sitcom of all time by a TV poll in 2004. Seven series were broadcast on BBC until 1991 with additional sporadic Christmas specials airing until 2003. Sir David Jason starred as ambitious market trader Derek “Del Boy” Trotter whilst Nicholas Lyndhurst played his younger half-brother Rodney. Set in working-class Peckham in south-east London, it follows the highs and lows of the lives of the Trotters’, in particular their brazen attempts to get rich.
Blackadder (1983 – 1989) – Four series were made of the iconic show, created by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson. Each series spans a different historical period as anti-hero Edmund Blackadder (Atkinson) tries to better himself in each society. Accompanied by his dogsbody Baldrick (Tony Robinson), trouble always ensues. A TV poll in 2004 found that Blackadder was voted the second-best British sitcom of all time
Absolutely Fabulous (1992 – 2012) – Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley star as failing PR guru Edina ‘Eddie’ Monsoon and alcoholic fashionista Patsy Stone. The pair embark on heavy-drinking sessions and abuse drugs in a desperate attempt to stay ‘hip’. Eddie constantly chases bizarre fads and fails to lose weight whilst her disappointed and neglected daughter Saffy (Julia Sawalha) looks on.
Little Britain (2003 – 2006) – The premise is simple. A sketch show which features different British people from all walks of life that are engaged in all sorts of comical scenarios. Starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams, the pair created iconic pop culture characters. Viewers loved obnoxious council estate teenager Vicky Pollard, morbidly obese scrounger Bubbles Devere, slimming coach Marjorie Dawes, despondent office worker Carol Beer, disgraced politician Sir Norman Fry, of course the iconic Lou and Andy!
The Catherine Tate Show (2004-2015) – A sketch show starring the likes of Catherine Tate. She made iconic characters such as rowdy schoolgirl Lauren Cooper with her line ‘Am I bovvered?’. Other characters featured Bernie the nurse, the aga saga woman, complaining couple Janice and Ray, and of course her infamous ‘Nan’, Joannie Taylor. The last character herself spawned multiple specials and even a movie.
Gavin and Stacey (2007 – Present) The series tells the story of Gavin (Matthew Horne) and Stacey (Joanna Page). The pair embarked on an online and telephone romance for six months. But when they finally decide to be together properly, their friends and family get in the way. Ruth Jones and James Corden created the beloved show, which has been going for over a decade. The 2019 Christmas special was the most-watched comedy in 17 years and the most-viewed non-sporting event in a decade.
Red Dwarf is available on BBC iPlayer.
