COMEDY GOLD
Del Boy’s bar-room fall voted funniest sitcom moment as kids re-enact greatest hits...
ONLY Fools And Horses character Del Boy Trotter falling through a bar has been voted the funniest sitcom moment of all time by TV fans. The scene from the popular BBC comedy series sees Del Boy, played by Sir David Jason, fall sideways to the floor after the bar section he was leaning on is lifted without him noticing while talking to his friend Trigger, played by the late Roger Lloyd Pack.
Two thousand British adults and children voted for their favourite sitcom scene in a poll commissioned by TV channel Gold to celebrate its 30th birthday.
The research also revealed Only Fools And Horses to be the nation’s favourite sitcom of all time, claiming 29 per cent of the vote, and Del Boy the most loved comedy character, with 59 per cent in agreement.
Last year, the same classic scene was also voted as the favourite among more than 1,100 TV fans in a poll commissioned by Radiotimes. com to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the show first airing on September 8, 1981.
In second place in the funniest sitcom moments in the Gold poll is the scene in the BBC’S The Vicar Of Dibley when the Rev Geraldine Granger, played by Dawn French, falls into a deep puddle while taking a country walk.
Third is the scene in Dad’s Army where a German officer demands to know the name of Private Pike, played by Ian Lavender, when Captain Mainwaring, portrayed by Arthur Lowe, accidentally says “Don’t tell him, Pike!”
Fourth place went to Fawlty Towers when Basil, played by John Cleese, attacks his car with a tree branch after he becomes frustrated by it not starting.
The research also found that 83 per cent of the children aged eight to 16 who were polled thought classic sitcom clips are still funny today, and 76 per cent said they enjoyed watching comedies like Only Fools And Horses and Fawlty Towers with their parents or grandparents.
Following the results, Gold recreated three of the nation’s favourite scenes with children in the lead roles to “reflect the timeless nature of these iconic sitcoms”.
Shot in varying locations across London and Hertfordshire, the clips were created by UKTV Creative with a cast of children between the ages of nine and 13.
The first recreation sees nineyear-old Thomas Aitch playing Del Boy with fellow actor Dane Young starring as Trigger to re-enact the top-rated bar-room fall scene.
Meanwhile, 12-year-old Grace Hindle stars as The Vicar Of Dibley’s Geraldine Granger to recreate the character falling up to her chest in a deep puddle, with Stanley Potter playing Simon Horton, who helps her out of the situation.
The final recreation sees Conall Turner, 13, return to the exact location where Basil Fawlty lost his cool with his broken-down car.
The newly shot videos were aired on Gold as part of the channel’s 30th anniversary celebrations.
Gold channel director Gerald Casey said: “What better way to celebrate Gold’s 30th birthday than to demonstrate what the channel is all about – the best of the UK’S comedy?
“We’ve been the home to the comedy our viewers love for the last 30 years, and the British public know that they can always find their favourite shows on Gold.
“It’s no surprise that we still find these scenes and characters as funny and iconic as the day they first aired, just proving that great comedy truly is timeless.”
Classic British sitcom episodes will air every night this month at 10pm on Gold.