A University of Salford lecturer is set to co-author the first academic book into the classic British sci-fi comedy series Red Dwarf.
Robin Brown, a lecturer in journalism, and his brother Noel Brown, an associate professor in film at Liverpool Hope University, have been commissioned by Intellect Books to provide a critical analysis of the BBC (and latterly Dave) sitcom, which aired between 1988 and 2020.
The brothers will seek to put a scholarly lens on one of the UK’s most-loved, but perhaps also most misunderstood, programmes of the last few decades as it straddled the genre line between science fiction and comedy.
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The as-yet-untitled book is due to be published in 2029 and Robin says the book is an opportunity to make the case that the show deserves to receive the same level of academic scrutiny and attention as fellow beloved British sitcoms Blackadder and Dad’s Army.
He said: “We’ve always been big fans of Red Dwarf and we discussed about writing something together when we realised that there had never been a scholarly book about the show.
“It’s one of those programmes that despite receiving a lot of praise during its formative years, including winning an international Emmy, it wasn’t taken as seriously as other popular comedy shows of the time.
“Red Dwarf was a landmark series and had a lot of important things to say, notably in its discussions about class, life and death – and curry.
“Even today it still gets placed in the same category as other science fiction shows such as Doctor Who, Star Trek and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy when it probably has more in common with the likes of Steptoe and Son, Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? and Porridge.”
The book will primarily be a critical analysis of the show across its 32-year history though the duo hope to organise a range of interviews with the programme’s cast and crew to inform the text.
While written primarily for an academic audience, the book will also seek to be of interest to fellow Red Dwarf fans.
Noel said: “We’re writing from the perspective of scholars first, and fans second. Although it’ll be obvious to readers that we have a lot of affection for the series, we’ll be looking at where it sits in the wider history of the British sitcom and Britain culture and society more broadly, as well as how it engages with philosophical ideas.
“We’re also going to look at how fans have engaged with the show and made it a key part of their identities. As the old saying goes, comedy is a serious business.”
Robin added: “There’s a clear academic argument to make here that the show deserves to be taken seriously and written about.
“Any programme that has science fiction trappings or is set in space, tends to get looked down on a little bit by the academic community and maybe that’s why it hasn’t interested the sort of people that might have a scholarly interest in it.
“But I think there’s a misunderstanding about the show and the role it’s played in shaping commentary from this era. There’s a real chameleonic quality to the show that invites academic scrutiny.”
