7 Ingenious Ways TV Shows Bounced Back From Awful Seasons

The general consensus on Red Dwarf is that it peaked somewhere between season five or six of its original run, but fell from grace when the creative duo behind it - Rob Grant and Doug Naylor - parted ways and the budget was increased.

There was a stronger sense of continuity in seasons seven and eight, the final two to air on BBC, and the showrunners pulled out all of the stops to up the scale. In the latter season, they resurrected the titular ship's dead crew to expand the cast of characters.

Red Dwarf was light years from its starting point, no longer a sitcom about a handful of characters in deep space. It was bigger, yet by no means better.

Unfunny and full of hamfisted special effects, season eight was low point for the sci-fi sitcom, with the novelty of the resurrected crew wearing off fast. Yet, almost two decades later Red Dwarf is breaking records on UK comedy channel Dave.

After the broadcaster brought the show back for the three-part special Back to Earth, the interest it generated saw a trio of new seasons commissioned in the ensuing years, and they have helped the channel reach all-time high viewer figures.

Seasons 10, 11 and 12 are regarded as a return to form for the Boys From the Dwarf, recapturing the old magic more times that you might expect from a series that took so many years out, and the secret to its recent success is returning to the original format.

The latest seasons focus squarely on the main quartet lost in deep space, vintage jokes, practical effects and standalone stories. It's a smegging timeless formula.