British Comedy Guide

Britain's Greatest Comedy Character shortlist revealed

Saturday 2nd May 2020, 10:03am

Britain's Greatest Comedy Character. Copyright: Crook Productions

A list of 30 characters have been revealed as the finalists for the TV show Britain's Greatest Comedy Character.

The list was picked by a public vote. The resultant programme, which will air on TV channel Gold on Sunday 24th May, will see the shortlist ordered by a panel of judges.

The top 30 are as follows, in alphabetical order:

I'm Alan Partridge. Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan). Copyright: Talkback Productions

Alan Partridge (I'm Alan Partridge)

Da Ali G Show. Ali G (Sacha Baron Cohen)

Ali G (Da Ali G Show)

Open All Hours. Albert Arkwright (Ronnie Barker). Copyright: BBC

Arkwright (Open All Hours)

Fawlty Towers. Basil Fawlty (John Cleese). Copyright: BBC

Basil Fawlty (Fawlty Towers)

Blackadder. Mr. Edmund Blackadder, Esquire (Rowan Atkinson)

Blackadder (Blackadder)

Dad's Army. Captain Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe)

Captain Mainwaring (Dad's Army)

Last Of The Summer Wine. William 'Compo' Simmonite (Bill Owen). Copyright: BBC

Compo (Last Of The Summer Wine)

The Office. David Brent (Ricky Gervais)

David Brent (The Office)

Only Fools And Horses. Del (David Jason)

Del Boy (Only Fools And Horses)

Father Ted. Father Ted Crilly (Dermot Morgan). Copyright: Hat Trick Productions

Father Ted (Father Ted)

Fleabag. Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). Copyright: Two Brothers Pictures

Fleabag (Fleabag

Porridge. Fletcher (Ronnie Barker). Copyright: BBC

Fletcher (Porridge)

Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. Frank Spencer (Michael Crawford). Copyright: BBC

Frank Spencer (Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em)

The Vicar Of Dibley. Geraldine Grainger (Dawn French). Copyright: Tiger Aspect Productions

Geraldine Granger (The Vicar Of Dibley)

Hancock's Half Hour. Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock (Tony Hancock). Copyright: BBC

Hancock (Hancock's Half Hour)

Keeping Up Appearances. Hyacinth Bucket (Patricia Routledge)

Hyacinth Bucket (Keeping Up Appearances)

The Thick Of It. Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi). Copyright: BBC

Malcolm Tucker (The Thick Of It)

The Good Life. Margo Leadbetter (Penelope Keith). Copyright: BBC

Margo Leadbetter (The Good Life)

Ever Decreasing Circles. Martin Bryce (Richard Briers). Copyright: BBC

Martin Bryce (Ever Decreasing Circles)

Miranda. Miranda (Miranda Hart). Copyright: BBC

Miranda (Miranda)

Mr. Bean. Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson)

Mr Bean (Mr. Bean)

Mrs. Brown's Boys. Agnes Brown (Brendan O'Carroll)

Mrs Brown (Mrs. Brown's Boys)

The Mrs Merton Show. Mrs Merton (Caroline Aherne). Copyright: Granada Productions

Mrs Merton (The Mrs Merton Show)

Gavin & Stacey. Nessa (Ruth Jones)

Nessa Jenkins (Gavin & Stacey)

Absolutely Fabulous. Patsy (Joanna Lumley)

Patsy Stone (Absolutely Fabulous)

Kevin & Perry Go Large. Perry (Kathy Burke). Copyright: Tiger Aspect Productions

Perry (Harry Enfield's Television Programme)

The Young Ones. Rick (Rik Mayall). Copyright: BBC

Rick (The Young Ones)

Rising Damp. Rupert Rigsby (Leonard Rossiter). Copyright: Yorkshire Television

Rigsby (Rising Damp)

Yes Minister. Sir Humphrey Appleby (Nigel Hawthorne). Copyright: BBC

Sir Humphrey Appleby (Yes, Minister)

One Foot In The Grave. Victor Meldrew (Richard Wilson). Copyright: BBC

Victor Meldrew (One Foot In The Grave)

The show has been made by the same team which compiled 2019's special Britain's Greatest Comedian.

Britain's Greatest Comedy Character. Image shows from L to R: Shaparak Khorsandi, Peter Egan, Nina Wadia, David Quantick, Lucy Beaumont, Sally Phillips, Grace Dent, Emily Atack, Marcus Brigstocke, John Thomson. Copyright: Crook Productions

The three-hour programme will see "a star-studded jury battle it out as they attempt to agree on who is the country's greatest."

This time the jury, chaired again by actor and comedian Sally Phillips, features comedy performers Shappi Khorsandi, Nina Wadia, John Thomson, Peter Egan, Lucy Beaumont, Marcus Brigstocke and Emily Atack, writer David Quantick and critic Grace Dent.

Britain's Greatest Comedy Character will be shown on Gold on Sunday 24th May at 8pm.

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