Future Echoes

Grant Naylor reveal plans for the next round of DVDs.

31 March, 2006

So you thought the release of Series VIII was the end of the Red Dwarf DVD voyage? Well, to be honest, so did we. How thrilling, then, to have the backing of 2 entertain. The success of the eight series releases, not to mention Just The Shows: Volume 1, has encouraged us to think a little further outside the box(set).

For November 2006 an as-yet-untitled Red Dwarf Interactive Quiz DVD will be made available. It follows in the footsteps of recent DVD games such as Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Guinness World Records, Gary Lineker's Football Challenge and the Now... music quiz. GNP has a killer concept for the format of the game - which will be playable with a friend, in teams, or on your own. We'll be bringing you DVD Details articles soon, so expect a couple of surprises...

Work on the quiz itself will take place over Spring and Summer, and when it's done... well, we'll see what might be next. Will all the online chatter and requests for a bonus-laden remastered release be satisfied? Time will tell...

Finally, and this will come as little surprise, Just The Shows: Volume 2 will be arriving in stores this Autumn, most likely October 2006. As with Volume 1, it's a pack that does exactly what it says on the digipack - an episode-only collection comprising all of Series V to VIII. That's 28 episodes with static menus, subtitles... and that's it!

Menu and box art have already been mocked up (more of that later), so expect to see the final images on reddwarf.co.uk later in the year.

Away from DVD, Red Dwarf is also moving into the UMD arena. This format - which plays on the Sony PSP (PlayStation Portable) - will see the Smeg Ups come out in June 2006 with the Smeg Outs following in time for Christmas. No decision has yet been taken on a follow-up release of the eight series.

So, it's a busy time once again in the GNP offices, even before we start to ponder the thorny question of just how to celebrate the show's 20th anniversary. That's February 2008, in case you were wondering, and just what we'll do to mark the occasion has yet to be decided. Early plans for a cake in the shape of a spanner have been shelved, however.

Discuss the momentous future of Red Dwarf right now on our Webboard.