Cast Round-up

Catching up with the latest from Red Dwarf's actors.

5 September, 2003

Well, it's all got a bit mechanical at the moment. It seems the majority of Red Dwarf's cast just can't help getting covered in oil and grease while mucking around with engines, wheels and other, more technical things that news writers don't understand.

First up, Craig Charles has recently completed filming on the latest, seventh series of Robot Wars in Nottingham - but don't think this is business as usual. In a highly-publicised move, Mentorn, the show's production company, have accepted a bid to move to terrestrial channel Five. New rules, new robots (Mr Psycho and Growler, if you're interested), new look... as well as the added possibility of Formula 1-style sponsorship for robots now the show is on a commercial station. The 22-episode series, complete with new presenter Jane Middlemiss, will begin at 8pm on Sunday, November 2nd.

Meanwhile Chris Barrie will be hosting a ten-part series for the Discovery Channel entitled Massive Engines. Produced by Oxford Scientific, "It's a presenting job all about the things that I love - machines," Chris told reddwarf.co.uk. The show forms part of the channel's Autumn/Winter schedule, but no broadcast dates as yet.

Finally, it will come as no surprise that Robert Llewellyn will be seen in Channel 4's brand spanking new juggernaut of a TV show, Scrapheap Challenge. Now in its sixth series, and again featuring new co-host Lisa Rogers, broadcasting begins on Sunday, September 14th at 5.30pm.

Oh, and Danny John-Jules will be appearing as Ed in The Crouches, a new BBC1 Sitcom from Ian Pattison, the writer of Rab C Nesbitt. Set around the lives of a family in south-east London, the first episode kicks off on Tuesday, September 9th at 10.35pm. But it's not like it's about cars or robots, is it?

You can link to the Robot Wars and Scrapheap Challenge websites via Links.