Outrage as Top 10 British TV shows listed - and Only Fools and Horses doesn't make the cut
The UK is renowned for its TV, with iconic shows like Doctor Who, The Crown and Peaky Blinders dominating screens for decades and representing British drama globally. However, fans have now ranked the greatest British programmes in history on IMDb, and many will be shocked to find that the much-loved BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses didn't make the cut, reports the Express.
The show, which first aired in 1981 and starred David Jason as Del Boy, Nicholas Lyndhurst as his brother Rodney, and Lennard Pearce as Grandad, continues to entertain comedy enthusiasts even today. Its absence from the top 10 is especially surprising considering it has a rating of 9/10 from nearly 60,000 IMDb users and is widely regarded as the best British sitcom ever.
Fans were outraged, with comments such as: "Try asking the UK public and not the keyboard generation. And you will have most of the nonsense off this list," and "I suspect that most of the voters weren’t British and therefore didn’t understand the humour.."
As Only Fools and Horses misses out on the top 10, here are the shows that beat it:
10. Fleabag
Fleabag, a BBC comedy-drama series, was created by and stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge. She plays a single woman in London grappling with life and a personal tragedy. The show is based on Phoebe's one-woman performance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2013.
9. Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey, an ITV production, portrays the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants in a fictional Yorkshire country estate during the early 20th century. Over six seasons, the characters experience major historical events including the sinking of the Titanic, World War One and the Irish War of Independence.
8. Doctor Who
Doctor Who, a BBC staple since 1963, has made the list with its 40 series and 19 actors who have played the iconic character. The current time traveller is portrayed by Ncuti Gatwa, with Millie Gibson playing his sidekick, Ruby Sunday.
7. The Crown
The Crown, Netflix's historical drama, takes seventh place. The series, which spans six seasons, recounts Queen Elizabeth II's reign as depicted by three actresses - Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton. It starts just before Elizabeth's wedding to Prince Philip in 1947 and concludes with the 2005 nuptials of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
6. Sex Education
Sex Education follows the lives of teenagers and adults in the fictional town of Moordale as they contend with various intimate dilemmas, often with comical results. It stars Asa Butterfield as Otis and Gillian Anderson as his sex therapist mother, Jean.
5. Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso, played by Jason Sudeikis, is an American college football coach who finds himself coaching AFC Richmond, a fictional English Premier League team, despite having no experience. Hannah Waddingham stars as Rebecca Welton, Richmond's owner, who hired Lasso hoping he would lead to the team's downfall.
4. Black Mirror
Black Mirror, created by Charlie Brooker, is an anthology series that explores various genres. Most episodes are set in dystopian worlds featuring sci-fi technology, providing commentary on contemporary social issues.
3. Peaky Blinders
Set in Birmingham, the BBC series follows the exploits of the Peaky Blinders in the aftermath of World War One, loosely based on a real gang who were active from the 1880s to the 1920s. It stars Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby, Helen McCrory as Polly Gray and Paul Anderson as Tommy's brother, Arthur.
2. Sherlock
In second place is the BBC's Sherlock, a modern adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective stories. Created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, it stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson. The show ran for four series and bagged numerous awards, including BAFTAs and Emmys.
1. Game Of Thrones
Claiming the top spot is Game of Thrones, which dominated TV chatter for most of the 2010s. The fantasy series, based on George R. R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books, is set in the fictional Seven Kingdoms where noble families vie for the Iron Throne while facing the looming "winter".
