Red Dwarf is a British science fiction sitcom that first aired on BBC Two in 1988, created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor. Kryten, a service mechanoid played by Robert Llewellyn from series three, became one of its most popular characters for his anxious, literal personality. Smeg and smeghead are the show's invented swear words, used throughout the series in place of real profanity. The line has endured in edits and soundboards because Kryten's courteous delivery makes a familiar insult from the series instantly recognisable to fans.