Comics name Fawlty Towers best sitcom of all time and Dad's Army joke the best one-liner

(Image credit: Daily Mail/REX/Shutterstock)

A survey of 100 British comedians has produced their favourite sitcom, scene and one-liner of all time

British comedians have cast their votes... and Fawlty Towers has been named the favourite sitcom of British comedians, while the moment Alan Partridge met his biggest fan in I’m Alan Partridge is their favourite scene.

https://youtu.be/5iFrVmCZzWM

David Baddiel, Jenny Eclair and Alexei Sayle were among the 100 professional comics who chose their favourite shows, one-liners, characters and actors.

David Baddiel ( Yui Mok/PA Archive/Press Association Images) — *David Baddiel (Yui Mok/PA)*

Radio DJ Partridge, played by Steve Coogan, and Patsy Stone, played by Joanne Lumley in Absolutely Fabulous, topped the list of favourite male and female comedy characters. A gag from Dad’s Army, when Pike is asked his name by a German prisoner, was named favourite one-liner.

https://youtu.be/bhY-Y0I8DkY

Fawlty Towers took a third of the comedians’ votes to be named favourite sitcom, with I’m Alan Partridge and Blackadder following behind.

The Office and Father Ted also made the top five.

Cleese and Sachs in Fawlty towers — *John Cleese (right) and Andrew Sachs in Fawlty Towers (PA)*

The comics were polled to celebrate the launch of We Have Been Watching, a series in which comedians and comic actors including Ricky Tomlinson, Larry Lamb, Sally Phillips and Meera Syal watch and comment on clips from classic sitcoms and sketch shows.

Comedy critic Bruce Dessau, who compiled the survey, said: “We are well-known across the world for our ‘British sense of humour’, which is shown at its best in many of our best-loved and timeless comedy classics.

*Rowan Atkinson as Sir Edmund Blackadder (R) and Tony Robinson as Baldrick in Blackadder (PA)*

“The art of comedy is almost impossible to define, but many of these characters, lines and sitcoms are brilliant examples of the very best in the history of British TV comedy – many of which can all be enjoyed again in a fresh take on the new series We Have Been Watching, as some of the top comedy folk share their views on the funniest moments telly has to offer.”

We Have Been Watching starts on Gold on January 4 at 8pm.