The BBC Classics That Have Stood the Test of Time

Whether you’re looking for your next TV binge or fancy revisiting a much-loved British classic, the BBC has produced some of the most iconic television programmes of all time. From laugh-out-loud sitcoms and gripping dramas to beloved reality shows and groundbreaking documentaries, there’s no shortage of legendary viewing to choose from. 

To mark the iconic broadcasting corporation’s 90th birthday on November 2nd, Zingo Bingo has ranked the best BBC shows of all time, with Only Fools And Horses claiming the top spot followed by The Office and Fleabag.  

The index analysed 31 BBC programmes featured on the Broadcasting Press Guild’s Top 50 Landmark TV Programmes list (due to a tie for 5th place), using a combination of IMDb ratings and votes, BAFTA nominations and wins, and National Television Awards (NTA) nominations and wins to determine the overall rankings. 

Only Fools And Horses - the iconic sitcom following the escapades of wheeler-dealer Del Boy and his younger brother Rodney - landed first place with an impressive index score of 80.4.  

With an IMDb rating of 9.0 and 17 BAFTA nominations, including five wins, the much-loved comedy has cemented its place as one of Britain’s most enduring television classics. 

The Office and Fleabag followed closely behind in second and third place, with index scores of 78.1 and 77.1 respectively. Ricky Gervais’ mockumentary sitcom, The Office, scored an IMDb rating of 8.5 and six BAFTA wins, while Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s acclaimed comedy-drama Fleabag achieved an IMDb rating of 8.7 and attracted more than 255,000 IMDb votes. 

Meanwhile, Planet Earth and Blackadder shared fifth place just behind The Thick of It, with Strictly Come Dancing ranking seventh despite being the most-nominated programme at both the BAFTAs and the NTAs. The dance competition received 40 BAFTA nominations and 28 NTA nominations, but its IMDb rating of 6.1 - the second lowest of the 31 programmes analysed - brought its overall score down. 

Zingo Bingo’s Top 10 best BBC shows of all time (index score): 

1. Only Fools And Horses - 80.4 
2. The Office - 78.1 
3. Fleabag - 77.1 
4. The Thick Of It - 75.6 
5. Planet Earth - 75.4 
6. Blackadder - 75.4 
7. Strictly Come Dancing - 73.9 
8. The Great British Bake-Off - 73.2 
9. Monty Python’s Flying Circus - 72.0 
10. Have I Got News For You - 71.9 

List of all 30 shows analysed