Better Than Life: A Red Dwarf Podcast

Our tribute to Rob Grant, co-creator of Red Dwarf, who passed away on 25 February 2026. We talk about the impact of his work, the very prescient themes of his writing, and the time we met him to chat about this podcast. We also look forward to his forthcoming novel, Red Dwarf: Titan, which is available for pre-order now from all the places books are sold.  SO WHAT IS IT? Better Than Life is t...

The final batch of listener emails in this series cover more great character moments and recasting suggestions/heresies. An important question about Starbug is answered. An important question about polymorphs and holograms is also answered. And an important question about space weevils is raised.  Another listener plays detective over that Simpsons comic featuring Rimmer. And we hear lots of...

Back to our bulging email inbox for more brilliant listener emails. Starting with a big challenge: what are the best bits of acting by each of the Boys From The Dwarf, across the whole series?  This week, our listeners have been doing some impressive detective work – from tracking down the pilot of an American sci fi sitcom set on a familiar “rock collecting spaceship”, through to finding pic...

We open a fresh batch of your emails and dig into everything from cat paws, to the iconic design of Starbug, to fancying Lister. We get into a spirited defence of being a nerd, a mini rant about a Late Late Show host who hasn’t been on Red Dwarf, and a little look ahead to series 7 and 8. Plus: a beautiful account of four decades of Red Dwarf fandom, a great question about a Red Dwarf movie, and t...

2026 can’t properly begin until we’ve answered emails from listeners old and new. Here’s the first of a few bonus eps from our inbox. Topics this time include cardio maths, sanity and socialising, ageing punks, the art of the bleep, and Frankenstein. Of course, we also discuss a whole bunch of Red Dwarf episodes…happy new year! SO WHAT IS IT? Better Than Life is the pod where comedians talk Red Dw...

Tuck into a delicious special all about food in Red Dwarf, featuring food journalist and author Andrew Webb. As both a big fan of the show and an expert on cuisine, Andrew is the perfect guest to guide us through the Dwarf’s gastronomic delights. It’s all here: vending machines, dog food, curry, triple fried egg chill chutney sandwiches and a glass of chilled Sancerre. We explore the British food...

Singer-songwriter Jamie Lenman is a hero to noughties alt-rock kids for fronting the band Reuben, and a hero to sci-fi fans for his Doctor Who Magazine illustrations. As a big Dwarf fan, he’s the ideal guest for this special ep about the musical magic of our favourite sci-fi sitcom.  We ask why there’s such a crossover between fans of Red Dwarf, Doctor Who and rock music (especially Queen). W...

More smegstra content from series 6. Gemma Arrowsmith and Guy Kelly have more to say about Rimmerworld, Out Of Time and series 6 in general – from Rimmer’s concubines, to the tragedy of Grant-Naylor’s split.  Plus: how come Cat never gets his own episode? And when the chat is done, we reveal next week’s exciting bonus episode, guesting a cult hero of the UK music scene!  SO WHAT IS IT? B...

Smegstra content from three of our amazing series 6 guests. These clips might be offcuts from the episodes we released – but don’t think they don’t taste great. They’re delicious.  First, enjoy a banquet of extra Ellis! Taskmaster star Phil talks product non-placement, Red Dwarf series 7, and those salads you get with a curry.  Next, we present more Jessica Knappett to feast your ears on...

It’s time to put a bow on the first six series of Red Dwarf. So we sit down with Gemma Arrowsmith to discuss our favourite episodes from across the classic Grant-Naylor era. It’s a great big celebration of just how brilliant the show and its people are.  Then Fergus pits John against Tom Neenan and Guy Kelly in a Red Dwarf quiz that’s alright for you listening, you’ll probably think it was ea...

To close out the Grant-Naylor era of Red Dwarf, the genius Gemma Arrowsmith returns. We explore why these glory days came to an end, and ponder if the show’s creators could ever return. Gemma will be back in a near-future episode to give an overview of the first six series of Britain’s best loved sci-fi sitcom – because this week, we’ve got more than enough to explore! It turns out we can fill a w...

Raise a glass of chilled Sancerre for the return of Guy Kelly! We discuss catchphrases, competence and the swagger of series 6 – what does success mean for an underdog show? Obviously there’s some book chat. And Guy shares his brilliant theory about the one change that would have made Lister and Rimmer grow into completely different, happier adults.  Then we raise our many collective eyebrows...

From hosting OutsideXbox and the Mom Can’t Cook! podcast, to winning awards for his horror writing, Andy Farrant is a renaissance man of geekery. He tells tales of how his parents used to bribe him with Red Dwarf videos, and the lines of Dwarf dialogue that live in his head. We also chat about how the show has aged, and explore the idea of series 1 and 2 as prequel.  Then it’s time to discuss...

You’ll know comedian, actor and writer Jessica Knappett from her sitcoms Drifters and Avoidance, Taskmaster, and from The Inbetweeners Movie. Red Dwarf is a childhood favourite and her comfort watch to this day. She talks about fancying Lister in her youth, the show’s lack of pretension, and the weird day when she was cast in the revived Red Dwarf on Dave!  We take a steady aim at series 6 ep...

Star of the new Taskmaster series, Phil Ellis shares the jaw-dropping true story of the time he almost got cast in Red Dwarf. It’s one of the most bonkers and traumatic tales we’ve ever heard! A fan from the beginning, you won’t believe which character Phil wanted to be as a child. He also talks about loving the less-loved episodes. And he offers up an excellent selection of options in the return...

Who better to start our voyage into series 6 than returning legend Tom Neenan?! Not only is Tom an incredibly eloquent and insightful comedy writer and performer…but this is also his favourite series of Red Dwarf! Consequently, we spend a lot of time together in Overthinking Corner. And Tom can’t help giving us his own preview of the rest of the series.  But before we get to that juicy look a...

Kippers smoked. We’re back for breakfast. And series 6.  SO WHAT IS IT? Better Than Life is the pod where comedians talk Red Dwarf, the greatest sci-fi sitcom, one episode at a time. With a fresh guest every ep, we’re your perfect podcast companion for a first watch or a rewatch. Be warned: spoilers!  Hosted by Fergus (huge fan) and John (lapsed fan).  Production, artwork and insigh...

Oh wow! More golden nuggets of conversation that were just too tasty to include in our main series 5 episodes. Or which didn’t fit our self-imposed time constraints but are still well worth welcoming into your ears. Or both those things. You decide, as you enjoy extra insights from the marvellous Matthew Highton, Alasdair Beckett-King and Alexis Dubus.  SO WHAT IS IT? Better Than Life is the...

Happy New Year! Why not treat yourself to some deleted scenes: Bits of interviews with our brilliant guests which couldn't quite fit in their episode - but which are a smashing good time anyway. Featuring snippets from the awesome Cariad Lloyd, Tom Salinsky and Travis McElroy! SO WHAT IS IT? Better Than Life is the pod where comedians talk Red Dwarf, the greatest sci-fi sitcom, one episode at a ti...

Merry Christmas! For our festive special, we unwrap some great listener emails and attempt some seasonal chat… but somehow it keeps going a bit weird  SO WHAT IS IT? Better Than Life is the pod where comedians talk Red Dwarf, the greatest sci-fi sitcom, one episode at a time. With a fresh guest every ep, we’re your perfect podcast companion for a first watch or a rewatch. Be warned: spoilers!...

Alexis Dubus tells us what it’s like to be in Red Dwarf! He’s an award winning stand-up and character comic (you may know his alter ego, Marcel Lucont) and his childhood fandom of Red Dwarf was a formative influence on his comedy. So imagine his delight when he was asked to guest star in series 11! It’s very cool to hear his behind-the-scenes stories. What’s more, having performed his own standup...

Acclaimed standup, animator, filmmaker and children’s author Alasdair Beckett-King cannot overstate how much of a Red Dwarf fan he was back in the day. Case in point: he was angered by CGI Starbug in the way only a true fan can be. The show even influenced his taste in food… and his accent! He loved rekindling his youthful obsession for the podcast.  Turning our focus to series 5 episode 5, D...

Filmmaker and comedian Matthew Highton remembers when Red Dwarf set the agenda for all playground conversations. And he certainly brings his A game to this chat, sharing so much of what he loves about the show - from the fantastic model work, to the endlessly entertaining relationship between Lister and Rimmer. What’s more, he gives us not one but three approaches to a fantasy re-cast. His insight...

American podcaster, writer and comedian Travis McElroy has been a fan of Red Dwarf since it started airing on PBS. He has such a unique take on the boys from the Dwarf as a surrogate family, he really made us see the show in a different light. He gently challenges easy assumptions about how the crew relate to each other and why they say the things they do. Travis also reveals why Rimmer is his fav...

Tom Salinsky wrote the book on Red Dwarf. Two books, actually. We tap into his awesome knowledge - from the show’s alternative comedy roots, to a fascinating idea Grant and Naylor had for the pilot episode, which would have been very different… and very legendary. Tom also gives us the last word on continuity (who are we kidding?). We discuss Tom’s five star ratings… and Fergus judges Tom’s take o...