Doctor Who and Red Dwarf are part of the same universe. PROOF!
By @edent
· Doctor Who red dwarf Sci Fi · 12 comments · 350 words · read ~4,904 times.
This is a minor obsession of mine. The crew of JMC Red Dwarf are familiar with 20th Century pop-culture - but they never mention Doctor Who. Why?
In various episodes they talk about The Flintstones, Casablanca, Marilyn Monroe, Laurel & Hardy, and all sorts of TV shows. But Doctor Who is strangely absent.
There can only be one logical explanation. Lister and the gang exist the same universe as The Doctor. He has saved the Earth many times, and has deleted himself from their history.
Now, I know what you're thinking! That's pretty thin proof, right? An absence of mentioning the Doctor - even when they're time travelling - doesn't mean they co-exist. WRONG!
I present to you, two CANONICAL pieces of evidence that the TARDIS has visited Red Dwarf.
Firstly, this still from Season 3 episode "Marooned":
ZOOM! ENHANCE! PAN! ENHANCE! PRINT OFF A COPY!
Images courtesy of Ganymede TV.
According to Mike Tucker - a special effects expert who worked on the show...
There is a TARDIS model in the Blue Midget hanger from series 3 Red Dwarf– fact. (I know’ cos I put it there)
That's pretty one sided though. Just an Easter Egg for eagle-eyed fans. Nothing more to see...
WAIT A MINUTE!
In the "Eleventh Doctor Archives #1" Comic, we find the story "Spam Filtered". The TARDIS is infected with holographic spam because Rory tried to use his phone's data-connection during flight. Fool! After they land on the holospam planet, The Doctor says...
I knew a hard-light hologram once. Bit of a jobsworth.
Can you think of a better description for Rimmer than that?
There you have it - proof from both shows that they exist within the same universe. There's almost certainly a missing episode buried deep in a TOP SECRET BBC BUNKER.
If you have any other evidence, please let me know.
Update! It also appears in S05E05 Demons and Angels. Thanks FakeUnicode! 
Alex Gibson says:
Proof enough for me. This is the sort of high quality investigative journalism I subscribe for. Given the Dwarf crew's propensities for 'cheap and nasty time travel' and Dave Lister being a walking paradox, they certainly ought to be on the Time Lords' watch list...
Simon says:
Now we know what the plot for the feature length episode will be
jade says:
Although the Red Dwarf novel does have Rimmer mention Doctor who. It also mentions that the human race never finds any signs of alien life in the universe. However events in the novels differ from the series anyway.
Lewis says:
Yes, especialy with Rimmer (SPOILER) -----> turning out to be an epic hero and saving humanity.
Thom says:
Proof against: Doctor Who is loaded with aliens. Red Dwarf has a no aliens rule. Their is no intelligent alien life in their universe. Any and all intelligent life ties back to some sort of Earth origin. So the rules of their realities are not compatible.
Phillip Beddoes says:
Bit of a jobs worth reminds me of the captain’s remarks about Rimmer saying If a jobs worth doing is worth doing well, if s jobs not worth doing give it to Rimmer
Alison Morel says:
It's actually in a Conax, in northern NH and is guarded by a Lion and an elite member of the 82nd Airborne.
Haha nice
Yet more proof! In chapter 11 of Red Dwarf novel "Backwards", Lister repairs Kryten using a sonic screwdriver, an iconic tool primarily associated with The Doctor.
Lister's White Hole Trickshot says:
I can't believe no one has mentioned the (in my opinion) smoking gun for this theory. In the Twelfth Doctor episode Husbands of River Song, the TARDIS puts "hologrammatic" Christmas antlers on the Doctor. Not holographic, "hologrammatic." Like Rimmer's cage in Thanks for the Memory. Same universe confirmed.
Richard says:
Nice spot, but what if their universe just coincides with blue police boxes, rather than Dr Who itself?
Series 3 would’ve just coincided with the end of Sylvester McCoy’s run. Would’ve made for a great crossover. That was his darker phase, the last series. Ace and Lister ganging up on Rimmer.