Big screen hope for Red Dwarf

By Darren Waters BBC News Online entertainment staff

A planned film version of BBC sitcom Red Dwarf is hoping to avoid pitfalls suffered by other adaptations of TV comedy and science fiction.

Producer Charles Armitage told BBC News Online that he was optimistic Red Dwarf would get made, despite the fact it has been in the development stage for several years.

Will the cast reach the big screen?

Movies based on the Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Doctor Who have been in the pipeline for at least 10 years but have yet to reach the big screen.

The comedy series has a loyal, cult following with DVD and video sales of the programme topping 400,000 copies.

"We are in that twilight world of pre, pre-production," said Mr Armitage, of Noel Gay films.

Fan base

"We are looking at co-production possibilities and the director will be going out soon to look at locations."

The stars of the original TV series, including Craig Charles and Robert Llewelyn, are expected to return in the film version.

The series has a loyal following

Mr Armitage said there was a big enough fan base for Red Dwarf to support a film version.

"If you put Red Dwarf into Google search engine you will find about 50,000 fan sites.

"Fifty percent of those are in the States, where the PBS channel has done a very good job of promoting the programme."

But he is not put off by problems that hit Doctor Who or Hitch-hikers. Reports of film versions of the two cult classics have been in circulation for many years.

Doctor Who is still a project under consideration for development by BBC Films but the classic series is no closer to being turned into a movie.

Mr Armitage said: "There is quite a big difference between Dr Who and Red Dwarf.

'Getting older'

"Dr Who has a loyal fan base which has been around for a long time.

"The fans of Dr Who, and I might be wrong here, seem to me to be getting older.

"We are bringing a new generation of fans to Red Dwarf."

The film will be written and directed by Doug Naylor, one of the co-creators of the original series.

Mr Armitage said: "Doug Naylor has written it in a way that it is totally accessible to everyone.

"People who have never seen a Red Dwarf episode before will be able to follow it.

"But there will be enough in there to please die-hard fans also."