Red Dwarf: Titan – What Do We Know So Far?

In our Comic Con Prague report, we mentioned that Red Dwarf co-creator Rob Grant visited Prague for the very first time. During his panel, he spoke about many things, including the upcoming prequel project, Red Dwarf: Titan. So what do we know so far?

Hints of a Return

In 2023, the long-running legal dispute between Rob Grant and Doug Naylor was finally resolved. Shortly afterwards, a mysterious post appeared on social media, hinting that Red Dwarf could be making a comeback.

To mark the show’s 35th anniversary, Grant gave an interview to fan site Ganymede.tv, where he expressed openness to the idea of continuing Red Dwarf without the original cast – in the spirit of long-running franchises like Doctor Who. He also responded positively to the suggestion of an animated series.

🎧 Listen to the full interview here:
https://www.ganymede.tv/2023/03/dwarfcast-160-rob-grant-interview/

The Titan Announcement

Later in 2023, Rob Grant appeared alongside the original Red Dwarf director and producer at a special British Film Institute (BFI) event. The programme featured a live commentary screening of the episode Backwards, and concluded with the official announcement of a brand-new project: Red Dwarf: Titan.

So What Is Titan?

Set before the events of the very first episode (The End), Titan is a prequel – but with a twist. As officially stated, it takes place “one universe over.” In this alternate timeline, Lister and Rimmer are already flatmates, and the story finds them on holiday on Titan.

This isn’t a direct adaptation of the novel Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers, but rather a new take on the pre-disaster period – shortly after Lister joins the crew, and before the radiation leak wipes out the rest of the ship.

If Titan is made as a live-action series, a new cast is expected to take the lead roles. However, the original actors may appear in guest roles.

What’s New?

At the Comic Con Prague panel, Grant asked the audience how they’d feel about an animated version of Red Dwarf – and the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. That said, any decision on that front lies with the BBC.

What does seem more certain is a book version of the Titan story. Grant also revealed that, while the plot centres on Lister and Rimmer, we can also expect to see appearances from a young Cat and Kryten.

We spoke with Rob Grant directly, and he hinted that an announcement is coming soon. He assured us that the project has been in development for a while, and there’s plenty to look forward to.

Let’s just hope the wait isn’t another three million years.

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