Lovely jubbly! – Only Fools tops TV charts

Del Boy and gang lead the way in the most-watched shows in history of British television

BBC sitcom Only Fools And Horses has topped a new chart of the most-watched programmes in the 80-year history of British television.

Just over 24 million people tuned in for the episode broadcast on December 29 1996, in which David Jason’s Del Boy finally got rich after auctioning an antique watch.

It is the biggest audience ever recorded for a single transmission of a TV programme in the UK.

A total of four episodes of Only Fools And Horses appear in the top 20, along with favourites such as Morecambe And Wise, Coronation Street and the Royal Variety Performance. But there are no episodes of EastEnders, and nothing from the past 15 years.

The chart has been compiled by the Press Association to mark the 80th anniversary this week of the start of television in the UK.

The BBC launched the nation’s first regular TV service at 3pm on November 2 1936, broadcasting live from Alexandra Palace in north London.

But while there are now more ways than ever to watch television, the PA’s chart suggests the days of record audiences have been declining since the 1980s.

MOST-WATCHED TV PROGRAMMES

1. Only Fools And Horses (BBC1, December 29 1996): 24.35 million

2. To The Manor Born (BBC1, November 11 1979): 23.95 million

3. The Royal Variety Performance (ITV, November 19 1967): 22.80 million

4. Panorama (BBC1, November 20 1995): 22.77 million

5. The Royal Variety Performance (ITV, November 14 1965): 21.70 million

6. Dallas (BBC1, November 22 1980): 21.60 million

7. To The Manor Born (BBC1, November 9 1980): 21.55 million

8. The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show (BBC1, December 25 1977): 21.40 million

= Coronation Street (ITV, January 2 1985)

10. Only Fools And Horses (BBC1, December 25 2001): 21.35 million

11. Only Fools And Horses (BBC1, December 27 1996): 21.33 million

12. Only Fools And Horses (BBC1, December 25 1996): 21.31 million

13. The Morecambe And Wise Christmas Show (BBC1, December 25 1977): 21.30 million

14. The Royal Variety Performance (ITV, November 10 1963): 21.20 million

= The Silver Jubilee Royal Variety Gala (ITV, December 4 1977)

16. Bread (BBC1, December 11 1988): 20.95 million

17. The Benny Hill Show (ITV, March 14 1979): 20.85 million

18. Coronation Street (ITV, December 18 1980): 20.80 million

19. Just Good Friends (BBC1, December 21 1986): 20.75 million

20. Sale Of The Century (ITV, November 19 1977) 20.60 million

= Coronation Street (ITV, January 9 1985).

David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst in Only Fools and Horses. Other most-watched TV programmes include, right, from top, To The Manor Born, Panorama featuring an interview with Princess Diana, and Dallas.