The much-anticipated return of sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf has been scrapped - despite several episodes having already been reportedly in the works. The programme, which was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, initially launched in 1988 on BBC2 and was set to make a comeback after UKTV bosses greenlit plans for a fresh special.

Nevertheless, writer Doug shared that the sci-fi show was axed several months after receiving the go-ahead. Doug, who claimed to have been "two-thirds" through his screenplay when it got the chop, shared the devastating update in a Reddit Q&A discussion about the beloved programme. He sadly explained: "Back in January 2023, I went in for a meeting with UKTV who said they wanted to progress a new 90-minute Red Dwarf special. The cast were all on board and I was told to start writing. Several months later, things were progressing and I had got two-thirds of the way through the script, I had just signed my writer's contract, when I got an e-mail from UKTV who said they had difficult news to share - they were no longer going to commission scripted comedy, including the RD special, which I hadn't yet sent them."