Red Dwarf returns to BBC for the first time in 16 years

Cult sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf is now streaming in its entirety on iPlayer, the BBC has announced.

This marks the first time Red Dwarf has been available on the BBC since 2007.

From the minds of Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, the series originally ran for eight seasons on the BBC between 1988 and 1997 before its Dave revival. Three more seasons and a feature-length special titled The Promised Land followed.

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As for what it's all about, Craig Charles stars as Dave Lister, a low-ranked caretaker on board the city-sized mining ship Red Dwarf who finds himself the last remaining human after an accident kills the rest of the crew.

"He wakes after 3 million years in suspended animation, his only companions the hologram of his pernickety and contemptuous bunkmate Rimmer (Chris Barrie), a creature that evolved from his pet cat, named Cat (Danny John-Jules), the vessel's computer Holly (Norman Lovett/Hattie Hayridge), and Kryten (David Ross/Robert Llewellyn) – an android they rescue from a shipwreck.

Dan McGolpin, Director of BBC iPlayer and Channels said in a statement: "The strangest gang in space are back on the BBC - with classic episodes of Red Dwarf right from the very beginning touching down soon. Whatever makes you chuckle, there is a series waiting for you on BBC iPlayer."

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Back in March, actor Charles was hospitalised for ECG and CT scans following a health scare.

At the time, he was hosting a BBC 6 Music radio show when his fingers began tingling.

"My hands couldn't grip the pen and my fingers were tingling," told The Mirror. "I had a pain in the right side of me shoulder going up my neck and into the back of my head."

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