Doug Naylor: How Red Dwarf Made TV Better Than Life🎙️ Episode Overview

Get ready for a sci-fi-soaked comedy ride as Steve Otis Gunn chats with writer and co-creator of Red Dwarf, Doug Naylor. From the early days of radio comedy and Spitting Image to building one of Britain’s most enduring cult TV shows, Doug brings thoughtful, funny stories from a lifetime in entertainment. They explore Doug’s path through sketch shows, number one singles, and the moment Red Dwarf finally became the show he’d imagined. Doug spills the beans on why the American remake went sideways, and how he'll never get used to the strange feeling of meeting fans who say the show helped them through tough times.

They also touch on the big one: the ambitious new Red Dwarf project that was suddenly cancelled — and what Doug plans to do with it next.

🌟 Episode Highlights

• Writing The Chicken Song and deliberately topping the charts
• How Red Dwarf survived rejections, strikes, rewrites, and producing issues
• How Craig Charles pestered his way into Lister, and Danny John-Jules turned up as the perfect Cat.
• The bizarre financing story behind the unmade Red Dwarf movie

This episode is perfect for anyone curious about how Red Dwarf found its staying power — or for those who can still fire off a Kryten line or a Lister rant without missing a beat.

🎭 About Doug Naylor

Doug Naylor is a British writer, producer, and director best known as the co-creator of Red Dwarf, one of the UK’s best-loved comedies. After early work in radio and sketch shows, he wrote for Spitting Image, co-created a chart-topping single, and helped shape modern TV satire. His blend of character comedy and science fiction earned Red Dwarf generations of fans. Beyond TV, Doug has written novels, screenplays, and now children’s fiction.

🔗 Connect with Doug

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Get Sin Bin Island here:

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This podcast is now called All My Clothes Need Burning. We’ve leaned into the chaos.

Host: Steve Otis Gunn

Guests: Doug Naylor - Writer, Author & Co-Creator of Red Dwarf

Duration: 55 minutes

Release Date: December 18, 2025

Season: 4, Episode 31

All music written and performed in this podcast by Steve Otis Gunn

Please buy my book, You Shot My Dog and I Love You, available in all good bookshops and online.

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