The many changes that were made to the series' cast, setting, creative teams and even production values from series to series have meant that opinions differ greatly between fans as to the quality of certain series. Series VI was based around the supply ship Starbug. In the opening show of the series, 'Psirens', the reason given by Rimmer was that Red Dwarf was stolen after Lister had forgotten which planetoid he had parked it on. However there was a real reason for the change — too much of the Red Dwarf set did actually go missing. Series VI is often regarded as a highlight for lovers of one-line jokes but some saw it as a continuation of the 'Monster of the week' philosophy of Series V, which was nevertheless visually impressive. In Series VII and VIII there was a discernible shift away from both 'Monster of the week' and the stereotypical antagonism between Lister and Rimmer.
Series VII was seen by many as a disappointment: while much slicker and higher-budget in appearance, the shift away from outright sitcom and into something approaching comedy drama did not impress a significant number of long-standing fans. Furthermore, the attempt to then shift back into traditional sitcom format for series VIII was greeted with a response that was similarly lukewarm — and at times downright hostile — by many fans who felt that the level of humour in that series was far below that which they had come to expect from the show. There was also a significant amount of criticism aimed at the decision to resurrect the entire crew of Red Dwarf, as many felt this detracted from the series' central premise of Lister being the last human being alive.[9]
On the other hand, there are other Red Dwarf fans who feel that Series VII and VIII, either separately or as a whole, are no weaker than the earlier series, and the topic is therefore the subject of constant fervent debate among the show's fanbase.[10] Similar discussions revolve around the quality of Series VI (seen by some as the strongest series, but by others as a descent into formulaic comedy with an unwelcome change of setting), although not to the same extent; and there are even those who argue that the show lost its way with the significant changes made after Series II.
Within the context of British comedy in general, meanwhile, Red Dwarf occupies an ambiguous position. While revered by many — and still a successful programme, as recent DVD sales have shown (series IV and V were the third and fourth best-selling BBC DVDs respectively in 2005[11]) — it is also often looked down upon by those in the comedy fraternity (comedians such as Armando Iannucci and Lee and Herring have remarked on their dislike for the series)[citation needed]. This could be the result of any number of factors — its niche content, the fact that its writers largely worked alone and are noted for little else in the industry, or the 'unfashionable' status of its main cast members (consisting of a dancer, a poet, an impressionist, and a stand-up comic, rather than previously-noted comedic actors) and the science fiction setting. Despite this, Red Dwarf consistently topped ratings (e.g. the series VIII opener "Back in the Red" received 8.05 million viewers when first broadcast in February 1999[12]), and remains the longest-running BBC2 comedy series.
