Rob Grant obit

Rob Grant RIP

 He was not on the list.

We at Ganymede & Titan are heartbroken to pass on a message from Rob Grant’s family.

With much sadness, we have to announce that Rob Grant, co-creator of Red Dwarf, passed away suddenly yesterday afternoon (Wednesday 25th February 2026), a great loss to his family, friends and comedy fans across the world.

We’re in too much shock to add much else right now, other than to pass on our sympathies and love to Rob’s family, friends, colleagues and fans. This is devastating news, and for it to have happened within a week of his first Red Dwarf novel for thirty years being officially announced is just the sort of cruel twist of fate that Rob delighted in inventing. We’ll have more to say over the coming days, weeks and months, to celebrate the life of a man whose imagination, creativity and humour was matched only by his kindness, friendliness and generosity. We will forever be grateful for the impact the world he co-created had on our lives, and honoured to have known him.

He was an English comedy writer, television producer and co-creator of the Red Dwarf comedy franchise. After Red Dwarf, Grant wrote two television series, The Strangerers and Dark Ages, and four solo novels, his last being Fat. During his career Grant was involved in two distinct writing partnerships: the first with Doug Naylor, and the second with Andrew Marshall. He died suddenly on 25 February 2026.

In the mid-1980s, Grant collaborated with co-writer Doug Naylor on radio programmes such as Son Of Cliché, Wrinkles for BBC Radio 4 and television programmes such as Spitting Image, The 10 Percenters, and various projects for Jasper Carrott.

The 'Grant Naylor' collaboration, as it had become known, created the cult science-fiction comedy series, Red Dwarf, which evolved from Dave Hollins: Space Cadet, a recurring sketch within Son Of Cliché. Grant was briefly seen (uncredited) in an episode of Red Dwarf entitled "Backwards" (1989), as a man who 'un-smoked' a cigarette. In the mid-1990s, the 'Grant Naylor' collaboration was ended when Grant left Red Dwarf after the sixth series, citing creative differences ("... it was basically 'musical differences' ...") with Doug Naylor. His main reason however, he said, was that he "wished to have more on his 'tombstone' than Red Dwarf on its own".

In 2018, Grant collaborated with Andrew Marshall to produce, direct and write the BBC Radio 4 Series, "The Quanderhorn Xperimentations" - and also the novel version published by Gollancz Publishers.

In 2021, it was announced that Grant had written a short Red Dwarf script, Into the Gloop, which was performed live via Zoom on 7 February 2021 as part of the Official Red Dwarf Fan Club's Holly Hop convention.

On 19 February 2026, it was announced that Grant had written a Red Dwarf prequel novel, Red Dwarf: Titan, co-authored by Andrew Marshall, which was to be released in July 2026. He died suddenly less than a week later on 25 February 2026, his death being announced the following day.

Writer

Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Ray Fearon, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn, and Norman Lovett in Red Dwarf (1988)

Red Dwarf

8.4

TV Series

created bywritten by

1988–2020

74 episodes

 

Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules, and Robert Llewellyn in Red Dwarf: The Making of 'Back to Earth' (2009)

Red Dwarf: The Making of 'Back to Earth'

6.6

TV Movie

creator: Red Dwarf

2009

 

Chris Barrie and Craig Charles in Red Dwarf: Identity Within (2005)

Red Dwarf: Identity Within

8.3

Video

creator: "Red Dwarf"

2005

 

The Strangerers (2000)

The Strangerers

6.7

TV Series

written by

2000

9 episodes

 

Dark Ages (1999)

Dark Ages

6.7

TV Series

writer

1999

5 episodes

 

Red Dwarf A-Z (1998)

Red Dwarf A-Z

8.4

TV Movie

writer & creator: Red Dwarf

1998

 

Red Dwarf: Smeg Ups (1994)

Red Dwarf: Smeg Ups

8.2

Video

series written by

1994

 

Clive Francis in The 10%ers (1993)

The 10%ers

5.8

TV Series

written bycreated by

1993–1994

8 episodes

 

Comedy Playhouse (1993)

Comedy Playhouse

4.0

TV Series

written by

1993

1 episode

 

Chris Eigeman and Craig Bierko in Red Dwarf (1992)

Red Dwarf

3.9

TV Movie

creator

1992

 

Spitting Image (1984)

Spitting Image

7.4

TV Series

written byscreenplay byadditional material

1985–1990

9 episodes

 

Saturday Live (1985)

Saturday Live

7.3

TV Series

additional material

1988

1 episode

 

Spitting Image: The 1987 Movie Awards (1987)

Spitting Image: The 1987 Movie Awards

7.7

TV Special

written by

1987

 

Fast Forward (1984)

Fast Forward

7.9

TV Series

writer (as Grant & Naylor)

1987

1 episode

 

First Aids

TV Special

Writer

1987

 

Spitting Image: The Ronnie and Nancy Show (1987)

Spitting Image: The Ronnie and Nancy Show

8.0

TV Movie

Writer

1987

 

Spitting Image: Down and Out in the White House (1986)

Spitting Image: Down and Out in the White House

8.6

TV Movie

Writer

1986

 

Comic Relief

7.1

TV Special

Writer

1986

 

Pushing Up Daisies (1984)

Pushing Up Daisies

7.4

TV Series

Writer

1984

 

Bobby Ball and Tommy Cannon in Cannon and Ball (1979)

Cannon and Ball

6.0

TV Series

Writer

1983–1984

7 episodes

 

Carrott's Lib

7.6

TV Series

written by

1982–1983

17 episodes

 

Tracey Ullman, David Copperfield, and Lenny Henry in Three of a Kind (1981)

Three of a Kind

7.0

TV Series

written by

1982–1983

8 episodes

 

Paul Squire Esq. (1983)

Paul Squire Esq.

4.0

TV Series

written by

1983

6 episodes

 

Producer

Chris Barrie, Steve Coogan, Adrian Edmondson, and Jennifer Saunders in More Great Comedy Moments (2003)

More Great Comedy Moments

7.3

Video

producer: "Red Dwarf"

2003

 

The Strangerers (2000)

The Strangerers

6.7

TV Series

executive producer

2000

9 episodes

 

Red Dwarf: Smeg Ups (1994)

Red Dwarf: Smeg Ups

8.2

Video

executive producer

1994

 

Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Ray Fearon, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn, and Norman Lovett in Red Dwarf (1988)

Red Dwarf

8.4

TV Series

executive producerproducer

1989–1993

24 episodes

 

Comedy Playhouse (1993)

Comedy Playhouse

4.0

TV Series

producer

1993

1 episode

 

Spitting Image (1984)

Spitting Image

7.4

TV Series

associate producer

1986

6 episodes

 

Script and Continuity Department

Stressed Eric (1998)

Stressed Eric

7.4

TV Series

script editor

1998

5 episodes

 

Spitting Image (1984)

Spitting Image

7.4

TV Series

script executivescript editor

1984–1986

17 episodes

 

Soundtrack

Gods of Snooker (2021)

Gods of Snooker

8.0

TV Mini Series

writer: "Good Old British Bloke" (uncredited)

2021

1 episode

 

Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Ray Fearon, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn, and Norman Lovett in Red Dwarf (1988)

Red Dwarf

8.4

TV Series

writer: "Lunar City Seven"writer: "Tongue Tied"

1988–2017

4 episodes

 

Britain's Favourite Christmas Songs (2011)

Britain's Favourite Christmas Songs

5.2

TV Movie

writer: "Santa Claus is on the Dole"

2011

 

Stanley Bates, Geoffrey Hayes, and Roy Skelton in Rainbow (1972)

Rainbow

6.9

TV Series

lyrics: "The Chicken Song" (uncredited)

1988

1 episode

 

Top of the Pops (1964)

Top of the Pops

6.9

TV Series

writer: "The Chicken Song"

1986

1 episode

 

Get Fresh (1986)

Get Fresh

7.2

TV Series

writer: "The Chicken Song"

1986

1 episode

 

Director

Red Dwarf: Smeg Ups (1994)

Red Dwarf: Smeg Ups

8.2

Video

Director

1994

 

Comedy Playhouse (1993)

Comedy Playhouse

4.0

TV Series

Director

1993

1 episode

 

Clive Francis in The 10%ers (1993)

The 10%ers

5.8

TV Series

Director

1993

1 episode

 

Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Ray Fearon, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn, and Norman Lovett in Red Dwarf (1988)

Red Dwarf

8.4

TV Series

Director (as Grant Naylor)

1992

4 episodes

 

Additional Crew

Keelia Flinn in Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol (2007)

Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol

6.7

Video Game

programmer: Blitz Games

2007

 

Chris Eigeman and Craig Bierko in Red Dwarf (1992)

Red Dwarf

3.9

TV Movie

creative consultant

1992

 

Spitting Image (1984)

Spitting Image

7.4

TV Series

script doctor

1985

1 episode

 

Actor

Red Dwarf Commentaries (2020)

Red Dwarf Commentaries

TV Series

2020

 

Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Ray Fearon, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn, and Norman Lovett in Red Dwarf (1988)

Red Dwarf

8.4

TV Series

Cigarette-Smoking Man (uncredited)

1989

1 episode

 

Camera and Electrical Department

Schlangenzauber (1984)

Schlangenzauber

camera operator (as Rob Gnant)

1984

 

Self

Red Dwarf Commentaries (2020)

Red Dwarf Commentaries

TV Series

Self

2020

15 episodes

 

Jeremy Clarkson and Chris Tarrant in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (1998)

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

6.1

TV Series

Self (voice)

2008

1 episode

 

Best Ever Spitting Image

7.4

TV Special

Self

2006

 

Comedy Connections (2003)

Comedy Connections

7.4

TV Series

Self

2004

1 episode

 

Happy Birthday BBC Two (2004)

Happy Birthday BBC Two

6.8

TV Movie

Self

2004

 

Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Tony Kaye, Chris Squire, Peter Banks, and Yes in Top Ten (1995)

Top Ten

6.0

TV Series

Self

2001

1 episode

 

Space Cadets

7.9

TV Series

Self

1997

1 episode

 

The British Comedy Awards 1994

TV Special

Self

1994

 

Bite Back (1991)

Bite Back

TV Series

Self

1993

1 episode

 

The English Programme (1976)

The English Programme

3.1

TV Series

Self

1986

1 episode

 

Archive Footage

Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules, and Robert Llewellyn in Red Dwarf: The First Three Million Years (2020)

Red Dwarf: The First Three Million Years

7.7

TV Mini Series

Self (archive footage)

2020

1 episode

 

Red Dwarf: Back from the Dead - Series VII (2005)

Red Dwarf: Back from the Dead - Series VII

7.9

Video

Self (archive footage)

2005