Only Fools And Horses. Image shows from L to R: Del (David Jason), Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst). Copyright: BBC
Only Fools And Horses has been named as the nation's favourite British sitcom in a poll conducted by Channel 4.
The network, which revealed a top 50 list in two-part TV show Britain's Best Loved Sitcoms , arrived at the result from a poll of comedy fans conducted earlier this year on their website.
Fawlty Towers was positioned in the number two spot, whilst Blackadder , One Foot In The Grave and Porridge took up the other top 5 places. The full list of all 50 shows featured in Britain's Best Loved Sitcoms is at the bottom of this story.
This is not the first time that Only Fools And Horses has come out top of a major TV poll. A nationwide vote conducted by the BBC in 2004 for its Britain's Best Sitcom series also named the programme as the nation's favourite sitcom.
That poll (the full 2004 list ) also featured Blackadder and Fawlty Towers in its top spots, however whilst Dad's Army was ranked fourth in that list, the wartime-set sitcom only came 18th in this new countdown.
Speaking about OFAH in Britain's Best Loved Sitcoms , Sue Holderness - who played Marlene in the show - said: "It's very nice that people go on saying it's Britain's best-loved sitcom because there's a lot to choose from."
Only Fools And Horses ran from 1981 to 2003 on the BBC . Written by John Sullivan , it starred David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst as Del Boy and Rodney, a pair of market trader brothers who sometimes operate on the wrong side of the law. Notably, the actors briefly revived their characters last year for a Sport Relief sketch .
With over 20 million viewers tuning in for many episodes, the sitcom is one of the most watched British comedies of all time. It was recently revealed that, for a period of time, the BBC was embarrassed about the show's success as they had nearly cancelled it after the first series.
The sitcom was only saved when industrial action stopped production on new shows, meaning the BBC had to fill gaps its schedules with repeats. Only Fools And Horses was one such show to be repeated, and then found an audience.
British Comedy Guide has previously revealed that a new episode of the show had been planned for Christmas 2011 to mark the 30th anniversary of the show. However, the project was scrapped when creator and writer John Sullivan died in April 2011 of viral pneumonia. Should it have gone ahead, it has recently been reported that the episode would have been set against Del Boy's 65th birthday celebrations at the Nags Head, and announcing plans for his retirement.
Speaking on Britain's Best Loved Sitcoms in regard to the show's longevity and popularity, John Challis - aka Boycie - concluded: "I think it is so much part of the national fabric, I don't think it will ever be forgotten."
Below is the full top 50 as determined by Britain's Best Loved Sitcoms :
The Top 50
Only Fools And Horses. Image shows from L to R: Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst), Del (David Jason), Grandad (Lennard Pearce). Copyright: BBC
1. Only Fools And Horses
Fawlty Towers. Basil Fawlty (John Cleese). Copyright: BBC
2. Fawlty Towers
Blackadder. Image shows from L to R: Captain Kevin Darling (Tim McInnerny), Baldrick (Tony Robinson), Captain Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson), General Melchett (Stephen Fry), Lieutenant George Barleigh (Hugh Laurie). Copyright: BBC / Tiger Aspect Productions
3. Blackadder
One Foot In The Grave. Image shows from L to R: Margaret Meldrew (Annette Crosbie), Victor Meldrew (Richard Wilson). Copyright: BBC
4. One Foot In The Grave
Porridge. Image shows from L to R: Mr. Mackay (Fulton Mackay), Fletcher (Ronnie Barker), Godber (Richard Beckinsale). Copyright: BBC
5. Porridge
Father Ted. Image shows from L to R: Father Ted Crilly (Dermot Morgan), Mrs Doyle (Pauline McLynn), Father Dougal McGuire (Ardal O'Hanlon), Father Jack Hackett (Frank Kelly). Copyright: Hat Trick Productions
6. Father Ted
The Vicar Of Dibley. Geraldine Grainger (Dawn French). Copyright: Tiger Aspect Productions
7. The Vicar Of Dibley
Open All Hours. Image shows from L to R: Nurse Gladys Emmanuel (Lynda Baron), Albert Arkwright (Ronnie Barker), Granville (David Jason). Copyright: BBC
8. Open All Hours
Men Behaving Badly. Image shows from L to R: Tony Smart (Neil Morrissey), Gary Strang (Martin Clunes). Copyright: Hartswood Films Ltd
9. Men Behaving Badly
Mrs. Brown's Boys. Agnes Brown (Brendan O'Carroll). Copyright: BBC / BocPix
10. Mrs Brown's Boys
Red Dwarf. Image shows from L to R: Rimmer (Chris Barrie), Cat (Danny John-Jules), Kryten (Robert Llewellyn), Lister (Craig Charles). Copyright: Grant Naylor Productions / BBC
11. Red Dwarf
The Good Life. Image shows from L to R: Tom Good (Richard Briers), Barbara Good (Felicity Kendal), Jerry Leadbetter (Paul Eddington), Margo Leadbetter (Penelope Keith). Copyright: BBC
12. The Good Life
My Family. Image shows from L to R: Janey Harper (Daniela Denby-Ashe), Susan Harper (Zoë Wanamaker), Michael Harper (Gabriel Thomson), Ben Harper (Robert Lindsay), Abi Harper (Siobhan Hayes), Roger Bailey Jr. (Keiron Self). Copyright: DLT Entertainment Ltd. / Rude Boy Productions
13. My Family
Absolutely Fabulous. Image shows from L to R: Bubble (Jane Horrocks), Saffron (Julia Sawalha), Edina (Jennifer Saunders), Mother (June Whitfield), Patsy (Joanna Lumley). Copyright: Saunders And French Productions / BBC
14. Absolutely Fabulous
Keeping Up Appearances. Image shows from L to R: Hyacinth Bucket (Patricia Routledge), Richard Bucket (Clive Swift). Copyright: BBC
15. Keeping Up Appearances
The Inbetweeners. Image shows from L to R: Will Mackenzie (Simon Bird), Neil Sutherland (Blake Harrison), Jay Cartwright (James Buckley), Simon Cooper (Joe Thomas). Copyright: Bwark Productions
16. The Inbetweeners
Birds Of A Feather. Image shows from L to R: Dorien Green (Lesley Joseph), Tracey Stubbs (Linda Robson), Sharon Theodopolopodous (Pauline Quirke). Copyright: Alomo Productions / Retort
17. Birds Of A Feather
Dad's Army. Image shows from L to R: Private Godfrey (Arnold Ridley), Lance Corporal Jones (Clive Dunn), Private Walker (James Beck), Captain Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe), Private Frazer (John Laurie), Sergeant Wilson (John Le Mesurier), Private Pike (Ian Lavender). Copyright: BBC
18. Dad's Army
Steptoe And Son. Image shows from L to R: Harold Steptoe (Harry H. Corbett), Albert Steptoe (Wilfrid Brambell). Copyright: BBC
19. Steptoe And Son
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. Frank Spencer (Michael Crawford). Copyright: BBC
20. Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
The Young Ones. Image shows from L to R: Vyvyan (Adrian Edmondson), Neil (Nigel Planer), Mike (Christopher Ryan), Rick (Rik Mayall). Copyright: BBC
21. The Young Ones
The Royle Family. Image shows from L to R: Barbara Royle (Sue Johnston), Jim Royle (Ricky Tomlinson). Copyright: Granada Productions / Jellylegs
22. The Royle Family
Outnumbered. Image shows from L to R: Ben (Daniel Roche), Jake (Tyger Drew-Honey), Karen (Ramona Marquez), Sue (Claire Skinner), Pete (Hugh Dennis). Copyright: Hat Trick Productions
23. Outnumbered
Gavin & Stacey. Image shows from L to R: Nessa (Ruth Jones), Gavin (Mathew Horne), Stacey (Joanna Page), Smithy (James Corden). Copyright: Baby Cow Productions
24. Gavin & Stacey
Rising Damp. Image shows from L to R: Ruth Jones (Frances de la Tour), Rupert Rigsby (Leonard Rossiter). Copyright: Yorkshire Television
25. Rising Damp
The IT Crowd. Image shows from L to R: Roy (Chris O'Dowd), Jen (Katherine Parkinson), Moss (Richard Ayoade), Douglas Reynholm (Matt Berry). Copyright: TalkbackThames
26. The IT Crowd
Are You Being Served?. Image shows from L to R: Miss Shirley Brahms (Wendy Richard), Mr. Dick Lucas (Trevor Bannister), Mr. Wilberforce Humphries (John Inman), Captain Stephen Peacock (Frank Thornton), Mrs. Betty Slocombe (Mollie Sugden), Mr. Ernest Grainger (Arthur Brough). Copyright: BBC
27. Are You Being Served?
Bread. Image shows from L to R: Joey Boswell (Peter Howitt), Billy Boswell (Nick Conway), Aveline Boswell (Gilly Coman), Adrian Boswell (Jonathon Morris), Nellie Boswell (Jean Boht), Jack Boswell (Victor McGuire), Grandad (Kenneth Waller). Copyright: BBC
28. Bread
Miranda. Image shows from L to R: Tilly (Sally Phillips), Gary (Tom Ellis), Miranda (Miranda Hart), Stevie (Sarah Hadland), Penny (Patricia Hodge). Copyright: BBC
29. Miranda
'Allo 'Allo!. Image shows from L to R: René François Artois (Gorden Kaye), Edith Melba Artois (Carmen Silvera). Copyright: BBC
30. 'Allo 'Allo!
Phoenix Nights. Brian Potter (Peter Kay). Copyright: Goodnight Vienna Productions / Ovation Entertainments
31. Phoenix Nights
dinnerladies. Image shows from L to R: Jean (Anne Reid), Stan (Duncan Preston), Brenda (Victoria Wood), Twinkle (Maxine Peake), Dolly (Thelma Barlow), Tony (Andrew Dunn), Anita (Shobna Gulati). Copyright: Good Fun / Pozzitive Productions
32. dinnerladies
George & Mildred. Image shows from L to R: Mildred Roper (Yootha Joyce), George Roper (Brian Murphy). Copyright: Thames Television
33. George & Mildred
The Office. Image shows from L to R: Gareth Keenan (Mackenzie Crook), David Brent (Ricky Gervais). Copyright: BBC
34. The Office
Last Of The Summer Wine. Image shows from L to R: William 'Compo' Simmonite (Bill Owen), Herbert 'Truly' Truelove (Frank Thornton), Norman Clegg (Peter Sallis). Copyright: BBC
35. Last Of The Summer Wine
Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads?. Image shows from L to R: Terry Collier (James Bolam), Bob Ferris (Rodney Bewes). Copyright: BBC
36. Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads?
Yes Minister. Image shows from L to R: James Hacker (Paul Eddington), Sir Humphrey Appleby (Nigel Hawthorne), Bernard Woolley (Derek Fowlds). Copyright: BBC
37. Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister
To The Manor Born. Image shows from L to R: Audrey fforbes-Hamilton (Penelope Keith), Richard DeVere (Peter Bowles). Copyright: BBC
38. To The Manor Born
Butterflies. Image shows from L to R: Ben Parkinson (Geoffrey Palmer), Ria Parkinson (Wendy Craig). Copyright: BBC
39. Butterflies
Peep Show. Image shows from L to R: Mark Corrigan (David Mitchell), Jeremy Usbourne (Robert Webb). Copyright: Objective Productions
40. Peep Show
Hi-De-Hi!. Copyright: BBC
41. Hi-De-Hi!
Drop The Dead Donkey. Image shows from L to R: Damien Day (Stephen Tompkinson), Joy Merryweather (Susannah Doyle), Henry Davenport (David Swift). Copyright: Hat Trick Productions
42. Drop The Dead Donkey
Black Books. Image shows from L to R: Manny Bianco (Bill Bailey), Fran Katzenjammer (Tamsin Greig), Bernard Black (Dylan Moran). Copyright: Assembly Film And Television
43. Black Books
The New Statesman. Alan B'Stard MP (Rik Mayall). Copyright: Yorkshire Television / Alomo Productions
44. The New Statesman
The League Of Gentlemen. Image shows from L to R: Bobby Woodward (Mark Gatiss), Edward (Reece Shearsmith), Tubbs (Steve Pemberton). Copyright: BBC
45. The League Of Gentlemen
I'm Alan Partridge. Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan). Copyright: Talkback Productions
46. I'm Alan Partridge
Desmond's. Image shows from L to R: Porkpie (Ram John Holder), Desmond (Norman Beaton), Matthew (Gyearbuor Asante). Copyright: Humphrey Barclay Productions
47. Desmond's
Spaced. Image shows from L to R: Marsha Klein (Julia Deakin), Mike Watt (Nick Frost), Daisy Steiner (Jessica Hynes), Brian Topp (Mark Heap), Tim Bisley (Simon Pegg), Twist Morgan (Katy Carmichael). Copyright: London Weekend Television
48. Spaced
The Thick Of It. Image shows from L to R: Oliver Reeder (Chris Addison), Glenn Cullen (James Smith), Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi), Terri Coverley (Joanna Scanlan). Copyright: BBC
49. The Thick Of It
W1A. Image shows from L to R: Simon Harwood (Jason Watkins), Siobhan Sharpe (Jessica Hynes), Tracey Pritchard (Monica Dolan), Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville). Copyright: BBC
50. Twenty Twelve and W1A