Charles: 'Being Lister is a great feeling'

Craig Charles has expressed his joy at playing the role of Dave Lister in the one-off Red Dwarf special Back To Earth.

The actor told the BBC that he used the same outfit that he wore when filming the fifth series of the show.

Charles said: "This is the costume from 1992. It still fits, I'm really chuffed. It's a great feeling.

"You put on the boots and the leather trousers - and you start to get the Lister walk. Then the leather jacket and the dreadlocks go on and suddenly you're Dave Lister again."

He added: "The banter's still the same. It's like we never went away. This plot is amazing. It's more of a comedy-drama than a sitcom.

"On Lister's part it's much more emotional. He cries his eyes out in this. I think it's going to surprise a lot of people, the emotional maturity of the piece."

Co-star Chris Barrie has suggested that the Easter special could spark a film or mini-series comeback for the programme.