Have you read the books? IMHO Backwards is better than Last Human - which reflects your opinion of the two writers as well - however something was lost when they split from writing together....
Bring back the gestalt entity Grant Naylor!

Quoted from wikipedia:
At some point in the mid to late nineties, after the success of Series VI of Red Dwarf, the "Grant Naylor" collaboration ended for unknown reasons. Rob Grant and Doug Naylor were writing the second season of their sitcom The Ten Percenters when this happened, leaving Naylor with all the writing duties for the show. When Doug Naylor was apparently left with control of Red Dwarf, Rob Grant cited creative differences as the reason for his departure.[citation needed] His main reason however, he said, was that he "wished to have more on his 'tombstone' than Red Dwarf."
Doug Naylor went on to write series seven and eight of Red Dwarf in collaboration with other writers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Naylor
Given the quality of seasons 7 and 8 again I say bring back Grant Naylor!

Have you read the books? IMHO Backwards is better than Last Human - which reflects your opinion of the two writers as well - however something was lost when they split from writing together....
Yes I have, many many years ago. Although I no longer have the books at hand =( And Backwards was a great read.

Just saw "Back To Earth"
God damn it - I'm so angry.

HUGE FAN!
WATCHED MOST OF IT!

I must be one of the only people that quite enjoyed the new episodes.
Anyway, last night I noticed that the entire seasons 1 to 8 are on BT Vision ready for me to watch on demand until January next year, I feel a marathon comming on.....

Yea... now just try to forget they excist and you'll be fine... well less pissed off at least.

Oh, I enjoyed them, I am just dismayed because it was supposed to be the end.

Danny John Jules confirmed on Twiiter that series 9 is being made. Despite what people thought about the specials it seems to have generated enough interest to bring the series back. I have to say though that without the Grant Naylor gestalt it's just not the same.

Well I don't see how series 9 can be any worse then the specials so I guess I can look forward to it.

I thought Back to Earth wasn't horrible. It gave me a few laughs. I'm still hugely excited about series 9. Hopefully they'll pick up where they left off at the end of series 8.

I don't see how it was horrible.