8. Holly?
The ships computer, with an IQ of 6,000---Holly---appears to be absent from Series X. Played by Norman Lovett through the first two series and by Hattie Hayridge in the following three series, Hollys senility and blundering often provided some of the shows best gags. In the later series as the tone of the show became a bit more serious, and Kryten joined the crew Holly became somewhat superfluous; most of the computers lines were given to Kryten. Norman Lovett returned in series VII and VIII---due to fans outcry that the show wasnt the same without him---and in his final series, his utilization was just painful. Gone were the days of great word play and laugh out loud puns and in its place were exaggerated plot devices and needless exposition. While Hollys absence is definitely not something to be excited about---both incarnations of the computer have been fan favorites---the fact that the writers are choosing not to underutilize actors of Lovetts and Hayridges caliber shows us that they are willing to make the hard choices and that is most definitely a reason to be excited.