Doug Naylor

{{Short description|British writer}} {{EngvarB|date=November 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}} {{BLP sources|date=November 2014}} {{Infobox writer  | name = Doug Naylor | image = Doug Naylor.jpg | caption = Naylor at [[Liverpool One]]'s [[Waterstones]], 9 October 2025 | birth_name = Douglas Naylor | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1955|12|31}} | birth_place = [[Manchester]], [[Lancashire]], England | occupation = Director, screenwriter, television producer, novelist | period = 1982–present | genre = Comedy, drama, adventure, science fiction | spouse = Linda Glover | children = 2 | alma_mater = [[University of Liverpool]] | website = }}

'''Douglas Naylor''' (born 31 December 1955) is an English writer, director, [[television producer]] and author, best known as the co-creator of the cult British sci-fi comedy series ''[[Red Dwarf]]''.

==Life and career== Naylor was born in [[Manchester]], Lancashire, England. He met future collaborator [[Rob Grant]] when they were both attending [[Chetham's Hospital School]].<ref name="Tele">{{cite news |title=Rob Grant, scriptwriter and author who was co-creator of the sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2026/02/27/rob-grant-scriptwriter-co-creator-of-red-dwarf/ |access-date=27 February 2026 |publisher=The Telegraph |date=27 February 2026}}</ref> The pair later studied [[Psychology]] at [[Liverpool University]] for two years, before both dropping out to pursue a writing career, while doing shift work.<ref name=guardian>{{Cite news |last=Hayward |first=Anthony |date=4 March 2026 |title=Rob Grant obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/mar/04/rob-grant-obituary |access-date=9 March 2026 |work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref name=ganymede>{{cite news|url=https://www.ganymede.tv/2026/03/obituary-rob-grant/|first=Ian|last=Symes|website=Ganymede & Titan|date=2026-03-01|access-date=2026-04-23|title=Obituary: Rob Grant}}</ref>

After providing a variety of comedy material on a freelance basis, the pair were hired to a staff writer position for [[BBC Radio]], working on programs such as the sketch shows ''[[Cliché (radio series)|Cliché]]'' and ''[[Son of Cliché]]'', the original sitcom ''Wrinkles'', and the topical show ''[[The News Huddlines]]''.<ref name=ganymede />

In 1982 the duo started to also work in television, with a job on ''[[Three of a Kind (1981 TV series)|Three of a Kind]]'', leading to them meeting producer [[Paul Jackson (producer)|Paul Jackson]], and contributing towards ''[[Carrott's Lib]]''. In 1984 they began work on an original television sitcom pilot, based on a sketch from Son of Cliché, ''[[Red Dwarf]]''. The BBC initially declined to commission the show and instead Naylor and Grant took a position as head writers on ''[[Spitting Image]]'', joining midway through the first season. Apart from sketchwriting, Naylor would, with Grant, write the lyrics to Spitting Images's "[[The Chicken Song]]", which topped the [[UK singles chart]] for three weeks in 1986.<ref name=ganymede /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/spitting-image-the-chicken-song/|title=The Chicken Song - Spitting Image|website=Official Charts|access-date=2026-04-23}}</ref>

In 1986, the BBC would eventually pick up ''Red Dwarf'', with a commission from [[BBC North West]]. A first series, after some production delays, would be broadcast in 1988, and was followed by another later that year. Naylor and Grant became producers of the show from its third series in 1989, and in a short period collaborated on two novelisations of ''Red Dwarf'', travelled for work on an [[Red Dwarf#American version|American spin-off]], and worked on four more British series. They would also work together on a new sitcom set in a theatrical agency called ''[[The 10%ers]]''.<ref name=ganymede />

In 1994, an episode of ''Red Dwarf'' from the sixth series, "[[Gunmen of the Apocalypse]]", won an International Emmy Award in the Popular Arts category, and in the same year the series was also awarded 'Best BBC Comedy Series' at the British Comedy Awards. The series attracted its highest ratings, of over eight million viewers, during the eighth series in 1999.

By the time of series one of ''The 10%ers'', Grant had broken up the writing partnership with Naylor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/5313902.well-red-dwarf/|title=Well-Red Dwarf|website=Warrington Guardian|date=1998-04-30|access-date=2026-04-23}}</ref><ref name="Rob Grant on CarPool at 21:07">{{Citation |title=Rob Grant {{!}} Carpool |date=2010-10-04 |time=21:06 |url=http://archive.org/details/youtube-njugoYqKL6o|website=Archive.org |access-date=2025-06-22}}</ref> With this split, it appeared as though ''Red Dwarf'' was finished; other obstacles included the fact that [[Chris Barrie]] was tied up starring in ''[[The Brittas Empire]]'' and the other star of ''Red Dwarf'', [[Craig Charles]], was in prison awaiting trial. However, when Charles was acquitted and Barrie became available for a few episodes, a seventh series finally went ahead. Naylor went on to write the seventh and eighth series of ''Red Dwarf'' mostly on his own (70% of the series, by his own estimate), although some episodes were co-written with [[Paul Alexander (British writer)|Paul Alexander]] and [[Kim Fuller]], and one episode co-written with one of the cast members, [[Robert Llewellyn]].

Naylor is the author of the ''Red Dwarf'' novel ''[[Last Human]]'' (1995). He also wrote ''Primordial Soup'' (1993), ''Son of Soup'' (1996) and ''Red Dwarf VII: The Official Book'' (1999).

In 2007, Naylor and [[Grant Naylor Productions]] were primarily focused on the production of the DVD releases of ''Red Dwarf'' and the postulated [[Red Dwarf#The movie|movie]]. In 2008, it was announced by Grant Naylor Productions that ''Red Dwarf'' would return to television in the form of four half-hour specials for the [[UKTV Network]] channel [[Dave (TV channel)|Dave]]. The episodes were broadcast over the Easter weekend of 2009, and comprising a three-part special (20 minutes each), [[Red Dwarf: Back to Earth|''Back to Earth'']], and a behind-the-scenes making of special. Naylor wrote the scripts for the three new episodes and also directed them. ''Back to Earth'' received record ratings for the Dave channel.

In 2011, Dave commissioned Naylor to write and direct a new six episode series of ''Red Dwarf'', later entitled ''[[Red Dwarf X]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/news/2011/04/15/new-series-of-red-dwarf-confirmed/|title=New Series of Red Dwarf Confirmed|publisher=Reddwarf.co.uk|access-date=4 November 2014}}</ref> The series won the [[Royal Television Society]]'s award for Best Special Effects, presented in 2013.

Naylor formed Three Feet Productions<ref>DN Management</ref> in October 2017 with his son Richard and wrote and directed a one-off comedy for [[BBC One]], entitled ''Over To Bill'', starring Hugh Dennis, Neil Morrissey, Tracy Ann Oberman and Helen George and produced by Richard Naylor.

In 2015{{endash}}2016, Naylor wrote and directed 12 more episodes of ''Red Dwarf'' for Dave. ''[[Red Dwarf XI]]'' was broadcast from September 2016 onwards, and ''[[Red Dwarf XII]]'' from September 2017. Both series were a Baby Cow Productions commission, with Richard Naylor and Kerry Waddell as producers.

In 2020, ''[[Red Dwarf: The Promised Land]]'', a 90 minute TV special, was again written and directed by Naylor for Dave and was a Baby Cow production, with Richard Naylor as producer. Naylor has now written or co-written all 74 episodes of ''Red Dwarf'' and was executive producer on 51 episodes.<ref>DN Management</ref>

==Personal life== Naylor is married with two sons, one of whom (Richard) is a television writer and producer, the other a doctor. Naylor has a [[prosthetic limb|prosthetic leg]] due to a road accident when he was seven years old, hence the naming of his and Richard's production company Three Feet Productions.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/guide/index.cfm?sectionID=behind-the-scenes&seriesID=3&subsectionID=casting |title=Behind the Scenes | Complete Guide |publisher=Red Dwarf |access-date=24 April 2009 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215959/http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/guide/index.cfm?sectionID=behind-the-scenes&seriesID=3&subsectionID=casting |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Writing credits== {| class="wikitable" ! Production ! Notes ! Broadcaster |- |''Carrott's Lib'' | *15 episodes (1982–83) |[[BBC1]] |- |''Pushing Up Daisies'' | *Unknown episodes (1984) |[[Channel 4]] |- |''[[Spitting Image]]'' | *16 episodes (co-written with Rob Grant, 1985–86) |[[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] |- |''[[Comic Relief]]'' | *"Spitting Image's Royal Address" (co-written with Rob Grant, Ian Hislop, Nick Newman and Geoffrey Perkins, 1986) |BBC1 |- |''Spitting Image: Down and Out in the White House'' | *Television film (co-written with Rob Grant, 1986) |ITV |- |''Spitting Image: The Ronnie and Nancy Show'' | *Short film (co-written with Rob Grant, 1987) |ITV |- |''Spitting Image: The 1987 Movie Awards'' | *Television film (co-written with Rob Grant, 1987) |ITV |- |''[[Red Dwarf]]'' | *74 episodes *Series I–VI co-written with Rob Grant, (1988–93) *Series VII & VIII writer or co-writer, (1997–99) *Series IX–XII writer, (2009–17) *Red Dwarf: The Promised Land 90 Minute Special, writer (2020) |[[BBC2]] (1988–99)<br>[[Dave (TV channel)|Dave]] (2009–20) |- |''[[Red Dwarf#U.S. version|Red Dwarf USA]]'' | *Unaired pilot (co-written with Rob Grant, 1992) |[[NBC]] |- |''Carlton Playhouse'' | *"The 10%ers" (Pilot; co-written with Rob Grant, 1993) |ITV |- |''[[The 10 Percenters]]'' | *15 episodes ( written or co-written with [[Paul Alexander (British writer)|Paul Alexander]], 1993–96) |ITV |- |''[[Red Dwarf#Red Dwarf Night|Red Dwarf Night]]'' | *"[[Can't Cook, Won't Cook#Can't Smeg, Won't Smeg|Can't Smeg, Won't Smeg]]" (1998) *''Universe Challenge'' (1998) |BBC2 |- |''[[Comedy Playhouse]]'' | *"[[Comedy Playhouse (series 16)|Over to Bill]]" (2014) |BBC1 |}

==Bibliography== *[[Red Dwarf (book)|''Red Dwarf'']] (1989), a.k.a. ''Red Dwarf: Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers'' or ''Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers''; with Rob Grant as [[Grant Naylor]] *''[[Better Than Life]]'' (1990), with Rob Grant as Grant Naylor * ''Primordial Soup'' (1993), with Grant (collection of scripts from the TV show ''Red Dwarf'')<ref name="soup">{{cite book|title=Primordial Soup: Red Dwarf Scripts|author=Grant Naylor|date=1993|isbn=0-14-017886-4|publisher=Penguins Books}}</ref> * ''Son of Soup'' (1996), with Grant (second volume of ''Red Dwarf'' scripts)<ref name="son_of_soup">{{cite book|title=Son of Soup: A Second Serving of the Least Worst Scripts|author=Grant Naylor|date=1996|isbn=0-14-025363-7|publisher=Penguins Books}}</ref> *''[[Last Human]]'' (1995), a sequel to ''Better Than Life'')<ref name="last_human">{{cite book|title=Last Human|author=Doug Naylor|date=1995|isbn=0-14-014388-2|publisher=Penguins Books}}</ref> *''Sin Bin Island'' (2025), a children's novel

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.ganymede.tv/indepth/g-t-interviews-doug-naylor Interview (December 2007)] * {{isfdb name|id=Doug_Naylor|name=Doug Naylor}} * {{IMDb name|0623273}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Naylor, Doug}} [[Category:1955 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:English comedy writers]] [[Category:English science fiction writers]] [[Category:English television writers]] [[Category:British television show creators]] [[Category:Writers from Manchester]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Liverpool]]