THE BBC is about to mark a century of broadcasting – so it’s fitting to celebrate the milestone with a list of its 100 best shows.
Experts at the British Film Institute have selected the line-up, which highlights the best in comedy, drama, light entertainment, documentaries, sports shows and natural history.
The memorable 100 aren’t simply the most popular — so there’s a surprising absence of the likes of Fawlty Towers, Only Fools And Horses and Line Of Duty.
To make it into the pantheon of greats, they had to be shows that were the first of their kind and gamechangers for British TV, blazing a trail for their genres over the past ten decades.
Do you agree with the top 100? Let us know.
- See bfi.org.uk/lists/100-bbc-tv-gamechangers
Read more on the BBC
WALK-ER OFF
BBC Breakfast's Dan Walker confirms his last day - and it's coming very soon
1930s / 1940s / 1950s
SOME of the BBC’s best loved shows were created in its first three decades, including Zoo Quest, a natural history show by up-and-coming naturalist David Attenborough.
Drama The Quatermass Experiment brought science fiction to our screens, The Eurovision Song Contest gave us a unique annual event and Blue Peter set the bar for children’s TV.
1. Television Comes to London (1936): A newsreel showing the construction of BBC television studios at Alexandra Palace and the opening night of BBC TV
2. Ballet Negres (1946): Excerpts from the repertoire of Europe’s first Black dance company presented with live music.
3. BBC Proms (1947-) The festival that finally brought classical music to the masses through our screens
4. The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (1953)
5. The Quatermass Experiment (1953)
6. Panorama (1953-)
7. Zoo Quest (1954 to 1963)
8. The Sooty Show (1955 to 1992)
9. A Man From The Celeb Report (1956) A play telling the story of immigration from the point of view of the Windrush arrivals
10. Hancock’s Half Hour/ Hancock (1956 to 1960)
11. The Eurovision Song Contest (1956-)
12. The Sky At Night (1957-)
13. Monitor (1958 to 1965) Innovative arts magazine programme edited and presented by Huw Wheldon
14. Grandstand (1958 to 2007) Sports show updating fans on all the latest action.
15. Blue Peter (1958-)
16. Morning In The Streets (1959): A gritty documentary directed by Denis Mitchell and Roy Harris exploring life in north-west England.
17. Face To Face (1959 to 1962): One of the first ever “chat shows”
1960s
MODERNITY replaced tradition as Steptoe And Son and Z Cars brought gritty comedy and drama to screens.
The Morecambe And Wise Show provided light entertainment, The Forsyte Saga was a period drama hit while Monty Python’s Flying Circus introduced madcap humour.
And tapping into the new space age, time-travelling Doctor Who emerged.
18. An Age Of Kings (1960): Shakespeare plays serialised
19. That Was The Week That Was (1962 to 1963): Irreverent, satirical news programme.
20. Steptoe And Son (1962 to 1965, 1970 to 1974)
21. Z Cars (1962 to 1978)
22. Doctor Who (1963 to 1989, 2005-)
23. The Colony (1964): Documentary on the experiences of Caribbean immigrants in Birmingham
24. The Great War (1964): One of the first TV history shows
25. The Wednesday Play (1964 to 1970): A weekly play showing modern Britain
26. Vision On (1964 to 1976): A children’s TV show that appealed to deaf youngsters
27. Play School (1964 to 1988)
28. Top of the Pops (1964 to 2006)
29. Horizon (1964-):
30. Apna hi ghar samajhiye (Make Yourself at Home) (1965 to 1968): First TV show aimed at South Asian people
31. Man Alive (1965 to 1982): Explored contemporary issues
32. Camberwick Green (1966): One of the first time-motion animation shows for children
33. Theatre 625 – Talking To A Stranger (1966): Gritty play starring Judi Dench.
34. The Forsyte Saga (1967)
35. The Morecambe And Wise Show (1968 to 1977)
36. Gardeners’ World (1968-)
37. Civilisation (1969): Landmark history series
38. Monty Python’s Flying Circus (1969 to 1974)
39. Nationwide (1969 to 1983): News magazine shows
40. The Liver Birds (1969 to 1979, 1996)
1970s
TELLY seemed to come of age, with early examples of what would become staple genres.
The Generation Game made a star of Bruce Forsyth, the chat show format was forged by Michael Parkinson and Mastermind captured our imagination for quizzes.
Meanwhile, in children’s TV Grange Hill showed that dramas could be successful for kids, too.
41. The Six Wives Of Henry VIII (1970): Series of six 90-minute plays, each featuring a different wife and seen through the eyes of a different writer
42. Play For Today (1970 to 1984): Helped launch careers of Kenneth Branagh and Dennis Potter
43. The Generation Game (1971 to 1982, 1990 to 2002)
44. Parkinson (1971 to 2004)
45. Open University (1971 to 2006)
46. Ways Of Seeing (1972) Innovative arts series
47. Mastermind (1972-)
48. Newsround (1972-): News show aimed at young people
49. The Family (1974): One of the first examples of reality TV, with a crew embedded in the home of the Wilkins family
50. Shoulder to Shoulder (1974): A drama on the fight for women’s suffrage in Britain
51. Pobol y Cwm (1974-) (People of the Valley): The BBC’s longest running soap – made in Welsh
52. Arena (1975-): Arts show
53. I, Claudius (1976)
54. Multi-Coloured Swap Shop (1976 to 1982): The first major Saturday morning children’s TV show
55. Pennies From Heaven (1978): Edgy drama from Dennis Potter
56. Empire Road (1978 to 1979): Britain’s first serious attempt at a “Black” soap
57. Grange Hill (1978 to 2008)
58. Life On Earth (1979): Sir David Attenborough’s first “big” nature shows
59. A Change Of Sex (1979 to 1999): First show looking at the life of a trans person
1980s
NOW a TV powerhouse, the Beeb started to reflect a world which was changing faster than ever.
Mini-series Boys From The Blackstuff brought the rapidly growing divides in British society into focus.
Spiky sitcom The Young Ones was the most glaring example of the new wave of alternative comedy, launching the careers of Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall.
EastEnders got its first airing. Set in the streets of working-class London, it prided itself on being one of the darkest soaps to date.
With the Cold War not yet over, the threat of atomic power was explored in dramas Edge Of Darkness and Threads, which looked at the effect of a nuclear strike on Britain.
But bringing the world together was Live Aid, as rock stars around the globe joined forces to raise millions for those suffering famine in Africa.
60. The Chinese Detective (1981 to 1982): One of the first cop shows dealing with the issue of race
61. 40 Minutes (1981 to 1994): Documentary series
62. Boys From The Blackstuff (1982)
63. Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cookery (1982): Show that introduced Brits to the delights of Indian cuisine
64. Police (1982): Fly-on-the wall doc series that helped change the treatment of rape victims
65. The Young Ones (1982 to 1984)
66. Threads (1984)
67. The Lenny Henry Show (1984 to 2005): One of Britain’s first black comedians bringing comedy to the masses
68. Edge Of Darkness (1985)
69. Live Aid (1985)
70. Real Lives: At the Edge Of The Union (1985): Doc series exploring the Northern Ireland troubles
71. Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV (1985 to 1987)
72. EastEnders (1985-)
1990s
THIS decade saw the Beeb start to push at the boundaries of taste and imagination – with huge success.
With her self-obsessed hedonistic characters Patsy and Eddie, Jennifer Saunders helped take alternative comedy to the next level with global hit Absolutely Fabulous.
The Royle Family had the nation splitting its sides just by watching a family of working-class Mancunians chatting in their living room as they slobbed around the telly.
And Goodness Gracious Me explored British Asian culture while launching the careers of telly favourites Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal.
There was also a second wave of TV aimed at young people.
Drama This Life featured a group of twentysomethings pursuing careers alongside a hunger for sex and drugs.
While for little ones, the launch of Teletubbies was a major success – and built up a cult following of older children and adults too.
73. Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit (1990): One of the first dramas taking a stark look at queer life
74. The Real McCoy (1991 to 1996): Sketch show tackling race and identity issues
75. Ghostwatch (1992): A Halloween drama, posing as a live TV show, starring Michael Parkinson
76. Absolutely Fabulous (1992 to 2012)
77. The Buddha Of Suburbia (1993): Comic drama about the coming of age of teenager Karim in 1970s South London
78. Cardiac Arrest (1994 to 1996): One of the first dramas from Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio
79. Video Nation (1994 to 2001): A video diary series featuring Brits talking about their lives
80. The Death Of Yugoslavia (1995): A shocking documentary looking at the plight of people in the troubled corner of south east Europe
81. This Life (1996 to 1997)
82. The Royle Family (1998 to 2000, specials 2006 to 2012)
83. Our Friends In The North (1996): Landmark social drama that helped launch the careers of future James Bond Daniel Craig and future Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston.
84. Teletubbies (1997-)
85. I’m Alan Partridge (1997 to 2002)
86. Goodness Gracious Me (1998 to 2001)
87. Chewin’ The Fat (1999 to 2005): Scottish sketch show proving that regional telly could be a hit
2000s and onwards
THE 21st Century heralded the arrival of a series of juggernauts in every genre – the likes of which had never been seen before.
Strictly Come Dancing took the old format of Come Dancing and added a sprinkling of stardust to deliver a show that still defines Saturday night telly.
Rick Gervais and Stephen Merchant performed a similar feat with The Office, which made them stars on both sides of the Atlantic, particularly when a US version of the show was made.
Call The Midwife is still one of the BBC’s biggest dramas, featuring heart-warming stories that aren’t afraid to tackle taboo social issues.
More feelgood telly came in the form of The Great British Bake Off, which revelled in a national pastime and introduced us to Paul Hollywood’s hard-won hand-shake, Mary Berry’s soggy bottom and much more cake-based smut.
88. The Blue Planet (2001): Sir David Attenborough delivers what many consider to be his finest nature show
89. The Office (2001 to 2003)
90. Something Special (2003-): A unique kids show produced by a former special needs teacher
91. Strictly Come Dancing (2004-)
92. The Thick Of It (2005 to 2012): Razor-sharp comedy parodying politics in the Blair era
93. Horrible Histories (2009-): Funny and irreverent children’s series exploring the past
94. The Great British Bake Off (2010 to 2016): Baking contest won a legion of fans. The show moved to Channel 4 in 2017
95. Call The Midwife (2012-)
96. People Just Do Nothing (2014 to 2018): A mockumentary about a pirate radio station in London called Kurupt FM
97. Exodus: Our Journey To Europe (2016): Documentary following refugees and migrants making dangerous journeys across Europe
98. Bitesize Daily (2020): Education programmes for families during the pandemic
Read More on The Celeb Report
ON THE SPOT
No-nonsense Susanna makes Boris squirm as she grills him over cost of living
99. I May Destroy You (2020): Michaela Coel’s unflinching drama about race, sex and consent
100. Small Axe (2020): Five films looking at the true stories of London’s West Indian community
