Better Than Life: A Red Dwarf Podcast

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 episode 3, the Emmy Award-winning ...

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 of our recasting game. 

We ...

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 ahead, we go into series 6 episod...

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 insights by Alex Watson. 

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 pod where comedians talk Red ...

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 time. With a fresh guest every ...

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! 

Hosted by Fergus (h...

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 show, A R*ddy Brief History Of Swea...

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, Demons and Angels, we cover all t...

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 into the links between comedy and ...

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 favourite - and a much better person t...

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 on Justice. 

Speaking of jud...

Podcast royalty - and phenomenal comedian, actor and writer - Cariad Lloyd joins us to say some of the geekiest things she’s ever said on a pod. It all begins with the reveal of a teenage Christmas present, which will have you wishing this was a visual medium. Cariad also confesses the enduring influence of Kristine Kochanski in her life. 

Moving on to series 5 episode 4, Holoship, we leave no stone unturned. You’ll wonder ...

Find out which awesome comedians are joining us to talk Red Dwarf Series 5… and when we’re launching! 

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,...

We wrap up series 4 with some great listener emails and reflections on our Red Dwarf journey so far. We also look ahead to series 5...

Plus: will Fergus humble John with his surprise quiz? 

And we give you a special musical treat...

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 com...

Tom Salinsky is our special guest to talk about his two volume book, Red Dwarf: Discovering The TV Series. Packed with history, trivia and insights, it's a comprehensive companion to the show across all media. 

Volume 1 covers the original BBC series and is due to be released on 30th August 2024. Have a listen to this week's ep to find out how much effort Tom has put into this epic work.

SO WHAT IS IT?

Better Than Lif...

Hear more from Andrew O’Neill and Bethany Black. As we drift through deep space towards series five, this is the third in a short series featuring extras from our series four guests.

Andrew O’Neill talks about how much fans will forgive, misquoting music, and metalheads in Red Dwarf.

Bethany Black shares some juicy TV insider knowledge, unexpected biographical details about Pythagoras, and a critique of a famous movie script ...

Exclusive extra content from Tom Neenan and Alice Fraser, to bridge the gap between series four and five. This is the second in a short series featuring more from our series four guests.

Tom Neenan brings his brilliant brain to bear on continuity, the later series, Barbara Bellini, the Justice Field, Nicholas Ball, space mumps, and… just how clever is the Cat?

Alice Fraser’s supermassive intelligence is, frankly, wasted on th...

Before we launch into series five, enjoy some more from Matt Kirshen and Garrett Millerick. This is the first in a short series of specials featuring extra content from our great series four guests.

Matt Kirshen muses on the difference between US and UK comedy – specifically TV scheduling, stand-ups, stunt casting, sitcom scuzziness, and science.

Garrett Millerick ponders why series 7 might not have lived up to fan expectatio...