I think it was a slow fall from grace starting with series 3. But everything after series 5 was rubbish in my view.
When did Red Dwarf stop being good?
Six was ace.
In my opinion.
1 & 2 were very good & had some great characterisation (and some of the best story ideas).
3 & 4 were the best series, they got into their stride & gave it a good sci fi feel.
Series 5 was still just as good & had probably the best Red Dwarf episode(Back to Reality)
By series 6 it was starting to go downhill, too many cliches, charactatures & special effects & not enough characterisation.
It still had some great episodes though.
And then it all changed
Series 7 - not good (were they trying to sell it in America?)
Series 8, better than 7 at least they got back to the dwarf.
The specials - sad
I'm not looking forward to the next series unless they get back to what they did best.
Rob Grant! we need you back.
In my opinion it was never good. Infinity welcomes careful drivers, indeed.
I liked the first 2 series, but for me it was already on the wane during the 3rd. What I've seen of latter episodes did very little for me.
The premise became stale quite quickly and the plots seemed to be more about alien monsters than about really good sci-fi and character ideas. It started out with a really strong narrative and had the air of Hitchhiker's..., but it just became too pedestrian after that, IMO.
(I realise this is blasphemy to some. Apologies.)
Episode 1?
About 17 seconds into episode one 
No, make that 7 seconds . . .
Quote: Badge @ October 25 2009, 1:15 AM BSTEpisode 1?
Eh? 
Sorry, I shouldn't really have posted cos I have nothing constructive to say about the show, but for me by far the funniest thing Craig Charles has been in is Coronation Street.
I liked Craig Charles when he used to be a young left-wing performance poet. That was very funny (unintentionally mainly).
Aw!
Quote: zooo @ October 25 2009, 1:28 AM BSTAw!
He did do some good stuff now and then, but a lot of it was - shall we say - rather "worthy" poetry? He used to appear on The Tube a bit and did Saturday Night Live once (I think).
I hate poetry like that to be honest. But still, aw. He was only ickle!
He was on Wogan quite a bit.