Saturday 2 May, 2015

UKTV's leading entertainment channel, Dave, today announced it has greenlit two new series of Emmy Award winning comedy sci-fi classic, Red Dwarf.

Red Dwarf XI and Red Dwarf XII begin production in the autumn before airing on Dave in 2016 and 2017.

Co-Produced by Grant Naylor Productions and Baby Cow Productions. Red Dwarf XI and XII are written and directed by Doug Naylor. The series once more reunites Chris Barrie as Rimmer, Craig Charles as Lister, Danny John-Jules as Cat and Robert Llewellyn as Kryten.

Red Dwarf XI and XII are commissioned by Richard Watsham, Director of Commissioning at UKTV, ordered by Dave General Manager, Steve North and will be overseen and executive produced for UKTV by Simon Lupton, Commissioning Editor at UKTV. The Executive Producer for the production company is Baby Cow's Henry Normal, and the Series Producers are Richard Naylor and Kerry Waddell.

Doug Naylor said,

Steve North and everyone at UKTV have been so supportive of Red Dwarf from the start of their involvement with the show. Steve originally asked for more shows back in 2012 but frustratingly it's taken until now to get our ducks in a row and all the boys available at the same time. Now they are, we're all absolutely delighted.

Simon Lupton, Commissioning Editor, UKTV, said,

Red Dwarf has superb talent attached; writing, directing and acting plus an expert team who absolutely know what they are doing when it comes to delivering a stand-out piece of television. It has a universal appeal that manages to touch long-standing fans and recruit new ones. It is fantastic to be collaborating with them again on the next phase of the Red Dwarf adventure.

Steve North, General Manager, Dave, said,

Red Dwarf is a really important show for us and I'm delighted that we are bringing more new episodes to our viewers. Above all else it's a really funny show and one that is held in great affection by millions of people, including the Dave team. We've built up a great relationship over the years with Doug and the cast and it's a privilege to be working with them again.

To celebrate the announcement UKTV has added a bespoke collection of previous episodes, including the complete Red Dwarf X series, to its on demand service UKTV Play, which is available via the iOS or Android app, Virgin TV, YouView and at uktvplay.co.uk. Red Dwarf X will also be available as a box set on Sky Go and Sky Set-top boxes.

In 2009 Dave made its first move into scripted comedy commissions with Red Dwarf: Back to Earth followed by a six-part series, Red Dwarf X in 2012.

Red Dwarf: Back to Earth was the biggest ever non-terrestrial commission with over 2.6 million viewers tuning in to catch up with the four hapless space explorers as they returned to television for the first time since the BBC series ended a decade earlier. Red Dwarf X topped over 2 million viewers and never dipped below 1.6 million across the series.

Red Dwarf has enjoyed phenomenal success since it first aired in 1988 on BBC2. It brought in more than eight million viewers for series eight, sold over 11.5 million DVD and videos worldwide, broadcast in some 25 territories worldwide and won International Emmy and British Comedy Awards.

ENDS

For more information please contact:

Justine Bower, Group Publicity Manager, UKTV

About Dave HD

Sky 111/232, Virgin 128, HD: 129, Freeview 12

Dave proudly presents a plethora of original commissions; Crackanory, Ross Noble Freewheeling, Dave Gorman's Modern Life is Goodish, and Dara O Briain: School of Hard Sums, all laden with the biggest names in British comedy. Not to mention a brand spanking new series with QI favourite Alan Davies in Alan Davies As Yet Untitled. If that wasn't enough to whet your appetite we also have a stack of national treasures like QI, Red Dwarf X, Mock the Week and Have I Got News For You, plus the Red Bull trilogy of Cliff Diving, X-Fighters and the Soap Box races. And of course, we still have Top Gear. Obviously we have to add, Dave is the UK's most watched non-PSB channel broadcasting to over 27 million people per month, featuring hit US shows including the sharp-witted and sharp-suited Suits, the ludicrously addictive Lizard Lick Towing and the wonder that is Storage Hunters, the gift that keeps on giving.

www.joindave.co.uk / @join_dave

About UKTV Play

UKTV Play is the on demand TV service that lets you watch shows from Dave, Yesterday and Really whether you're on the bus, at work (we won't tell) or on the sofa. Among the gems on offer are Storage Hunters, Crackanory, Dave Gorman Modern Life is Goodish, Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled, Ghost Adventures, Most Haunted and Forbidden History, so it's never been easier to fill your boots with great stuff from UKTV. You can get UKTV Play on PC and Mac, and there's an app for iPhone and iPad. Or you can put your feet up and watch on the telly, thanks to Virgin TV and YouView. If you're an M+ subscriber on Virgin Media, shows from other great UKTV channels - Gold, Watch, Alibi, Drama, Good Food, Home and Eden - are on the menu as well.

uktvplay.co.uk / Get the iOS app on iTunes

About UKTV

UKTV is the multi-award winning media company that reaches over 42 million viewers every month.

UKTV's eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, Watch, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food - include the most popular non-PSB channel in the UK and account for 9% of the British commercial TV market. The company's most recent financial results showed record-breaking year-end revenue of £278m, and EBITDA of £67.4m. It invested a record £125m in programming and related launches last year, and is becoming an increasingly significant investor in UK creativity.

UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC, alongside programmes originally shown on ITV and Channel 4. The network embraces technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView and UKTV Play, and distributes its highly valued original programmes to 200 territories.

Now celebrating its 22nd year at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) - is proud to be the only British television broadcaster to be recognised by Best Companies. corporate.uktv.co.uk / pressoffice.uktv.co.uk / @uktv_press