Red Dwarf’s Unfinished Animated Episodes: Plans Paused After Co-Creator’s Death

Rob Grant and Andrew Marshall began work with a Welsh animation studio on a series of 15-minute Red Dwarf episodes. The project was paused when they turned to write the spin-off novel *Red Dwarf: Titan*. After Grant’s death in February, the animated series remains on hold, with revival uncertain.

Radio Times

Rob Grant, co-creator of Red Dwarf with Doug Naylor, died in February. Before his death he co-authored *Red Dwarf: Titan* with Marshall, a novel that follows Lister and Rimmer on a pre-accident shore-leave mission to Titan and introduces a threat to all realities.

Radio Times

• February (year unspecified) – Rob Grant passes away.

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• Early 2024 – Animation work begins in Wales; production paused mid-2024 to write *Titan*.

Radio Times

• 2024-2026 – Novel writing extends to two years, longer than the projected six months.

Radio Times

• 15 July 2026 – Radio Times announces *Titan* publication (source 1).

Radio Times

• 16 July 2026 – *Titan* listed for hardback, ebook and audio (source 2).

Radio Times

The planned episodes were 15 minutes each. Grant and Marshall have over 50 years of comedy experience. *Titan* took two years to write, double the originally expected six months. The novel will be released in hardback, ebook and audio.

Radio Times

Marshall said the animation work was “put aside briefly because we were going to write the book,” noting the novel’s development was “so immensely fiddly, fitting it into the canon.” He added the animated series “could” be revisited, though “who knows what the future will hold.” He also called the novel a “much bigger canvas” that allowed deeper character arcs and a more “filmic” structure.

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• “We did start work with some great animators in Wales to try and begin work on an animated version.” — Andrew Marshall

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• “Perhaps [they] could. I don't know. Who knows what the future will hold.” — Andrew Marshall

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• “ Marshall now says: "I think it was really good to have a much bigger canvas to work on than the usual confined sitcom version of it.” — Andrew Marshall

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• “Gollancz He continues: "Both Rob and I had an immense desire to make you laugh, so we were sort of pooling our combined comedy experience over 50 years to try and make the work as funny as possible.” — Andrew Marshall

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Source 1 lists the novel’s publication as 15 July 2026, while source 2 gives 16 July 2026. The year of Grant’s February death is not specified, leaving the exact timeline ambiguous.

Radio Times

The shelved animation project could shift Red Dwarf from a sitcom format to a broader animated storytelling model, potentially attracting new audiences and allowing narrative elements unavailable in live-action episodes.

Radio Times

The next concrete step is the July 2026 release of *Titan* in hardback, ebook and audio. Marshall leaves open the possibility of reviving the animated series, but no timeline has been set. Fans will monitor future announcements from the franchise’s creators.

Radio Times