Sunday March 06, 2005 :
SKY
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Hit British sitcom The Office has been named the funniest TV show of all time.
The series, which stars comedian Ricky Gervais, beat off competition from classic comedies such as Fawlty Towers and Only Fools and Horses.
The spoof documentary triumphed in a poll of 8,000 people, carried out in the run up to Red Nose Day on Friday.
It is the latest accolade for The Office which scooped two Golden Globe awards in the US last year.
British shows dominated in the poll, taking 19 of the Top 30 places compared to only 11 from the US.
The highest ranking American show was The Simpsons which came in at number four, closely followed by Friends, which took the number five spot.
The most recent comedy series to feature in the poll was another BBC series, Little Britain, created by Matt Lucas and David Walliams.
However, the survey revealed that the 1970s was the best era for comedy.
A total of 11 shows from the 70s featured in the Top 30 including Porridge, Rising Damp and Are You Being Served.
