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If I recall correctly, in the early series of Red Dwarf, Dave Lister's ambition was to find a way back to Earth, and go home. But in the Series 7 episode Ouroboros, he uses a time drive to do just that - it teleports him back to Earth in the late 22nd Century, where he leaves his baby self under a pool table in a club in Liverpool. Why didn't he then just time-jump forward a few years and stay on Earth?

Out of universe, that would have meant the end of the series for good, but was there ever an in-universe reason given?

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This is explained in the episode;

LISTER: For a long time, you'll think that you were abandoned, but you weren't, man. You were put here to create a paradox, an unbreakable circle. With us going 'round and 'round in time, the human race can never become extinct. We're like... a kind of 'holding pattern'.

Dave Lister is well aware that he may be the last human in existence. His goal is to get back to Earth in the present and continue the human race, preferably by having lots of babies with Kochanski.

If he stays on Earth in the past then the human race becomes instantly extinct in the future, and worse, he'll have been personally responsible for that happening.

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  • When Lister says "a kind of 'holding pattern'", a holding pattern is "the flight path maintained by an aircraft awaiting permission to land" - what does this metaphor mean?
    – Jimmery
    Commented Oct 25, 2016 at 10:51
  • @Jimmery it means exactly that. If you are in a holding pattern you are waiting for the next event to occur.
    – Burgi
    Commented Oct 25, 2016 at 11:01
  • "If he stays on Earth in the past then the human race becomes instantly extinct in the future" - no, because he wouldn't be replacing his other self. He'd be an additional Lister happy to end his days on Earth in the same way he'd end them on a spaceship. Provided he didn't screw up the timeline butterfly-effect style in some other way, there's no reason he couldn't have remained.
    – moopet
    Commented Oct 25, 2016 at 12:33
  • @moopet The human race would be extinct in the future beyond the point Lister left. From the point of view of a local observer, the last human would have vanished at the point he traveled back in time.
    – IMSoP
    Commented Oct 25, 2016 at 13:28
  • 4
    @moopet - It evidently matters to him
    – Valorum
    Commented Oct 25, 2016 at 15:47

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