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Originally Posted by Sausy Gibbon
With Doug Naylor, he hits about as many times as he misses. Hopefully he is not so proud and allows some other writers to work on individual episodes or brings Rob Grant back.
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You are aware that Doug Naylor co-wrote series VII and VIII with various other writers aren't you? Personally, I really enjoy series VII and 'Back to Earth' (which was written solely by Naylor), although I do despise '2 Pints of Larger and a Packet of Crisps in Space' (aka series VIII). There's no denying that the show was a lot funnier when Rob Grant was on board though.
I'm looking forward to the new series but I hope Doug is able to resist writing 2 or 3 part episodes and go back to the shows self contained singular episode roots. As for Holly, Norman Lovett is unlikely to return now he has fallen out with GNP again (in fact he slagged off BtE and stated that he was glad not to have done it and that he isn't interested in returning again). I believe that leaves Hattie as the most likely candidate, which would be pretty cool seaming as we haven't seen her as Holly since the end of series V.
It's worth noting that Doug is aiming to get the live studio audience back. I kind of have mixed feelings about that; the show would benefit from cast members performing to the very best of their comedic abilities and the show would have a livelier feel once again (although series VIII was filmed with an audience and it hardly made it a better show). On the other hand it would mean largely sacrificing the cinematic look seen in series VII and BtE and after seeing just how fantastic the exteriors and interiors of the crimson-short-one looked in BtE, I feel that would be a huge shame.
Regarding Kochanski; I really hope that she doesn't appear as a regular crew member again because I always felt that, much like the entire crew of Red Dwarf being resurrected for series VIII, that messed up the core appeal and concept of the show, which is at its greatest when it's running with the idea of a bunch of males, lost in deep space, with Lister as the last human alive. This made for the SIT part of the SIT-COM and also provides moments of poinency and pathos.
Instead, following the reveal of Kochanski's whereabouts during BtE, I would like the story arc for series X to focus on Lister's continual hunt for Kochanski. As the crew follow her trail they get into a new adventure each week, with episode 6 concluding with her return (just think along the lines of the structure used for series VI as the crew search for the hi-jacked Red Dwarf).
One last thing; it's high about time that the Cat got his own episode (other than Waiting For God from series I and the only partially produced, canned series VII episode The Identity Within). The episode could revolve around the crew coming across the Cat race's Ark spaceship last talked about in series I. The Cat would finally get to talk to his own people and discover what fate befell the Ark and it's kitty inhabitants. Also, maybe Lister and the Cat people have a conflict, seeming as they wrongly believed Lister to be their God whilst he was locked up in stasis.