Guests Galore

Rob Grant, Paul Jackson, Ian Boldsworth and Lee Cornes join the lineup for Dimension Jump XXI.

3 September, 2021

With just one week to go until we all gather at the Crowne Plaza Nottingham for Dimension Jump XXI, we know there's only one thing you're craving. More guests! Fortunately, you've come to the right place because this week the Fan Club team have revealed four surprise appearances:

First, we're delighted to announce that Red Dwarf co-creator, author, and self-described love lord, Rob Grant, will be making a special appearance. Those who attended Dimension Jump XX will remember just how special it felt when Rob was joined by Paul Jackson and Ed Bye for their first live commentary of The End. So much fun was had that the trio continued the format with Quarantine Commentaries, the sorely missed weekly series of live Zoom calls that entertained us all during lockdown. Can we expect more of the same this time? You'll have to be there to find out.

Along with Red Dwarf, Rob's other credits include Spitting Image, The Strangerers and Dark Ages, and he is the author of seven novels including Colony, Incompetence and Fat. His Radio 4 series and latest novel, The Quanderhorn Xperimentations, was co-written with Andrew Marshall, and has so far run for two series. Throughout the 1980s he wrote for numerous comedians and entertainers including Jasper Carrot and Tracey Ullman, and in 1986 he co-wrote the novelty single The Chicken Song, which remained at the top of the UK charts for three weeks.

Joining Rob for his own special appearance is none other than legendary producer, Paul Jackson. As one of the key figures in the history of Red Dwarf, Paul was instrumental in not only getting the show to the screen, but in assembling and championing the cast and crew, making it the success it is today. Known in equal measure for his razor-sharp wit and no-nonsense approach, he's a formidable presence within both our fandom, and in the British comedy landscape as a whole.

As well as executive producing Red Dwarf, Paul's other credits include The Young Ones, Filthy Rich and Catflap, Hell's Kitchen and Benidorm. As the Controller of BBC Entertainment, he oversaw the commissioning and development of shows including People Like Us, The Royle Family and The Office, and as ITV's Director of Comedy and Entertainment, he and his team commissioned shows such as Harry Hill's TV Burp, Headcases, Ladies of Letters and Britain's Got Talent. With a career in television production in the UK, Australia and Los Angeles, he is internationally regarded as one of the best in the business.

Next up is the fantastic Ian Boldsworth, who made his Red Dwarf debut in a behind-the-scenes capacity when he took on warm-up duties for Series X. Since then, he's been the go-to comic for the job, reprising the role many times at the studio audience recordings of Series XI, XII and The Promised Land. Following in the footsteps of former warm-up supremo, Tony Hawks, he made his on-screen transition when he appeared as Lister's purchasable friend, Steve in Series XII's M-Corp.

In addition to his Red Dwarf work, Ian is the co-host of the exceptionally funny podcast The Parapod, a comedic investigation into the supernatural which is currently enjoying a limited theatrical run as a movie adaptation. His other credits include Doctor Who, Skins and No Heroics, and if you want to hear more from him in the build-up to the event, then check out his Patreon.

And completing the set is Confidence and Paranoia's eponymous miserabilist, the inimitable Lee Cornes. Playing a manifestation of Lister's unconscious, Lee set the template for the type of character the show would return to again and again; a deadly threat emerging from one of the crew's psyche that is simultaneously an hilarious conceit and an existential nightmare. You never got that in Only Fools and Horses.

As one of the pioneers of alternative comedy, his other credits include Bottom, The Young Ones, and Blackadder, as well as a long-running stint as Mr Hankin in Grange Hill. If you want to see Lee in action ahead of the convention, then you can check him out in the Timeslides Quarantine Commentary.

While we're sorry to learn that Joe Sims has had to cancel, with Rob, Paul, Ian and Lee joining Danny John-Jules, Hattie Hayridge, Norman Lovett and Matthew Clark, live and in person, as well as live video links with Chris Barrie and Robert Llewellyn, this is going to be a stonkingly good weekend.

Dimension Jump XXI takes place next weekend at the Crowne Plaza Nottingham. We can't wait to see you all.