Producer on “Back To Earth” clears up some rumours about the next series and the movie…
In an interview with LastBroadvast.co.uk , Ellard responds to the rumours, partly instigated by Craig (Lister) Charles himself, that two new series of the show had been commissioned by Dave. “He didn’t confirm it so much as mention the call he’d had most recently from GNP regarding his availability!” says Ellard. “Latest word is that the deals are being done and – assuming UKTV get it sorted – they’ll be in a position to start prepping before the end of the year. But I think it’s just one series of six episodes... right now.”
Ellard, who has had a long standing connection to the show, having previously produced extras for the DVDs, also had this to say about the long-rumoured Red Dwarf film: “My gut says no. Or, at least, not this ‘generation’. The TV revival on Dave seems to be the new life for the show now. Just observing it, the movie seemed to end up being a case of ‘recast or don’t make it’, and right now those actors are those characters. The film script was great, though, and I really hope it gets released done day. It was a reboot of the series – just as the novels were, a parallel universe - so most of what was great about it wouldn’t adapt easily to the TV series. But it’d make a knockout graphic novel.”
Ellard, speaks loads more about making “Back To Earth” on a shoestring budget in the interview , and also reveals that, as the script editor on the new series of the Caroline Quentin sitcom Life Of Riley , he plans to introduce some spaceships into the show (though he could be joking…)
