I personally regard Red Dwarf to be a significant part of British comedy culture - I grew up with it after all. Cheesy in parts, but really well-written - After all, how many other sci-fi comedies from the later '80s/early '90s make you laugh? Series 1 and 2 didn't have high production values, but the writing was so solid that it made up for that - Series 3 to 6 combined fantastic writing with much higher production values.
Gunmen of the Apocalypse (series 6) was an instant classic!
7 and 8 were okay but lacked the fantastic writing that the previous 6 series had. I was one of the ones that found series 8 to not be anywhere near as bad as everyone said it was, despite it not being up to par with the other series. I did like Tikka To Ride and Stoke me a Clipper in season 7, though.
Back to Earth, though... I found it to be very cringeworthy in parts, almost as if there wasn't any effort spent in the writing, with a crappy plot. It was a huge disappointment and nothing at all like the Red Dwarf we all knew and loved.
I was intrigued to hear the announcement on the Facebook page of a new Red Dwarf being made - Although thanks to Back to Earth, I'm more than a bit sceptical - But I hope that Doug Naylor listened to the feedback of his fans. Of course I'll watch it anyway though.