Red Dwarf is a show that some people love and some people....well, don't love. It's easy to understand why. The show has it's moments of comedy brilliance but also has it's moments of comedy misses. It can be highly original and cutting edge but equally can rest on it's puns and, see them coming, visual gags.
I personally love the show and find the cynicism of Rimmer, the dead pan of Holly and the Bewilderment of lister to be extremely funny though i must add, i've never really been that amused by anything the cat has ever said (though i wouldn't want him removed from the gang) The show is funny, unique and in many cases, quite complex in it's structure and story arcs. The science fiction element certainly provides endless opportunities for comedy and story telling. The show is also capable of being more intelligent than ever given credit for plus it has moments of impressive drama and wit. The two hander of "Marooned" being a good example.
This show clearly doesn't get the respect it deserves and hopefully as the years go by people will afford it the chance to speak for itself. It is an extremely funny and often brilliant comedy.
There are those who will pinpoint series 7 and 8 as the weak links. Certainly series 7 is the weakest but even that has it's moments. Personally i thoroughly enjoyed series 8 and a felt it was a return to form.
Overall, an excellent show which is sadly ignored by the comedy elite but which may eventually have it's reputation enhanced with the passage of time