Fawlty Towers tops list of greatest British TV shows

LONDON -- "Fawlty Towers" was named number one in a list of the best British television shows released on Tuesday.

The drama "Cathy Come Home" was second and the long-running series "Dr. Who" was third in the list voted by 1,600 industry figures, the British Film Institute said.

"Fawlty Towers" premiered in 1975, and only 12 episodes were made.

It became one of the British Broadcasting Corp.'s most popular exports, though changes were required in some markets. When the series was sold to Spanish television, Manuel the waiter became an Italian.

The top 20 television shows, as tabulated by the British Film Institute:

1. "Fawlty Towers" (BBC) 2. "Cathy Come Home" (The Wednesday Play) (BBC) 3. "Doctor Who" (BBC) 4. "The Naked Civil Servant" (ITV) 5. "Monty Python's Flying Circus" (BBC) 6. "Blue Peter" (BBC) 7. "Boys from the Blackstuff" (BBC) 8. "Parkinson" (BBC) 9. "Yes Minister"/"Yes Prime Minister" (BBC) 10. "Brideshead Revisited" (ITV) 11. "Abigail's Party" (Play For Today) (BBC) 12. "I, Claudius" (BBC) 13. "Dad's Army" (BBC) 14. "The Morecambe and Wise Show" (BBC) 15. "Edge of Darkness" (BBC) 16. "Blackadder Goes Forth" (BBC) 17. "Absolutely Fabulous" (BBC) 18. "The Wrong Trousers" (BBC) 19. "The World at War" (ITV) 20. "The Singing Detective" (BBC)

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