Red Dwarf X

Red Dwarf X, the tenth series of the British sci-fi sitcom, aired on the UK channel Dave from 4 October to 8 November 2012. Its six episodes marked the first full season of the show since 1999. The story follows technician Dave Lister (Craig Charles), the sole human survivor of a spaceship accident and the last person of his species, three million years in the future. He lives alongside a holographic version of his deceased bunkmate and former boss, Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie); a sapient Cat (Danny John-Jules) who evolved from Lister’s pet over millions of years; and the sanitation droid Kryten (Robert Llewellyn).

Plans for a new series emerged in June 2010, when Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, and Hattie Hayridge mentioned possible further episodes, though the official website stressed nothing was confirmed. In January 2011, Robert Llewellyn stated on his site that filming would occur in late 2011 for a 2012 broadcast on Dave, but UKTV initially declined to comment. On 10 April 2011, a six-episode tenth series for autumn 2012 on Dave was officially announced, with Doug Naylor confirming it on Twitter and at Dimension Jump XVI, and Dave publishing the news on its website.

Filming

Filming dates were announced on 11 November 2011, with confirmation that shooting would again take place at Shepperton Studios in front of an audience. Principal photography ran from 16 December 2011 to 27 January 2012, followed by six days of pick-up shots. Howard Goodall, who composed music for the show from its start through series VII, was announced as the composer for Red Dwarf X on 4 May 2012. Post-production wrapped on 19 June 2012, and all six episodes were approved for broadcast that autumn.

Promotion

The first trailer appeared on Dave’s Facebook page on 20 July 2012, with a new teaser released each Friday until the premiere. The series began airing on 4 October 2012 and was promoted via billboards across the UK, often near train stations. The only returning characters were Chris Barrie as Arnold Rimmer, Craig Charles as Dave Lister, Danny John-Jules as the Cat, and Robert Llewellyn as Kryten.

Broadcast

In Australia, Red Dwarf X aired on ABC1 from 7 November 2012. In New Zealand, it broadcast on BBC UKTV from January to February 2013. In the United States, it debuted on PBS station KERA-TV in Dallas, Texas, in July and August 2013, with plans to expand to other public stations in 2014.