The bfi TV 100 © Hunter Peters
Sep 8, 2000
The British Film Institute recently released the results of it's TV 100 project . The
bfi polled over 1600 British Television professionals and asked them to choose the most
"important, influential and innovative" programs of the last century. Voters
chose programs in 6 catagories: Comedy & Variety, Single Drama, Drama Series &
Serials, Factual, Children's & Youth, Lifestyle & Light Entertainment
Some might quibble with the categories available - there were no genre categories so Doctor
Who ends up in the children's category while Inspector Morse and
Z Cars rub shoulders with Brideshead Revisited, Coronation
Street and Quatermass & the Pit which is frankly ludicrous.
These are all worthy programs but lumping them all together makes little sense. This minor
kvetching aside the bfi has done a superb job of collecting and analyzing the results of
this extraordinary poll. The bfi TV100 website is also an instant classic combining the
results with erudite and entertaining commentary. Children's & Youth
1. Doctor Who: An unquestioned classic leading the wrong category
2. Blue Peter: The real winner in my book, the ultimate kid's show
3. The Wrong Trousers: Another small quibble, this one off (or series of
short films if you want to be kind and include the entire Wallace and Grommit canon) is
unmistakably a classic but ought here rates higher than many long running series -
probably would have fit better in the comedy category anyway.
4. The Magic Roundabout: Another fine kid's show
5. Grange Hill: Kid's need their soaps too you know and this was the best
of the genre.
Single Drama
The Single Drama is a genre not entirely familiar to us yanks. More substantive than a
movie of the week but shorter than a mini-series. It's been decades since one shot
dramatic productions wee relevant to American TV, thankfully the theater obsessed brits
understood the need and for, and appeal of, self contained short form dramas and produced
a plethora of outstanding productions well into the eighties. The sixties and early
seventies were the heyday though and the success of anthology shows such as The Wednesday
Play and Play for Today ensured a steady stream of exceptional teleplays.
1. Cathy Come Home (The Wednesday Play): Groundbreaking,
heartbreaking, brilliant.
2. The Naked Civil Servant: Featuring John Hurt's magical performance
3. Abigail's Party (Play for Today): Erm, all my English friends worship
Abigail's Party so maybe you have to be British. Interesting but hardly my idea of a
classic. (#7 on the list Nuts in May would have been my choice for this slot)
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The copyright of the article The bfi TV 100 in British Television is owned by Hunter Peters. Permission to republish The bfi TV 100 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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