Granada’s Up series was first shown on ITV, but later transferred to the BBC.
The Broadcasting Press Guild, the organisation of journalists who write about the media, has selected the 50 landmark TV Programmes of the last 50 years as part of its 50th anniversary.
The BPG Top 50 Landmark Programmes of the last 50 Years include 31 BBC shows and eight each from ITV and Channel 4 alongside notable Sky, Netflix and Disney+ programmes. There are 18 dramas, 15 comedies and seven documentaries plus a wide range of other genres.
The top show was the Up series, created in 1964, it looked at a selection of British people’s lives from when they were children to adulthood.
Sir David Attenborough’s Life On Earth came second and The World at War was third.
BPG chair Manori Ravindran said the BPG Top 50 of 50 Years is a reminder of just how rich, varied and important the creative sector is in this country: “In our 50 years, members of the Broadcasting Press Guild have been the tastemakers of the British TV industry. As such, it felt appropriate to celebrate this milestone birthday with a Top 50 list reflecting the programmes we believe have created landmark TV moments or have been truly significant to the industry over that time. It wasn’t an easy process – and we welcome healthy debate about our selections –but we believe this list encapsulates the richness of the creative sector and its inimitable contribution to our culture and society.”
The list also features recent shows like Michaela Coel’s extraordinary BBC drama I May Destroy You, Lisa McGee’s ground-breaking Channel 4 comedy Derry Girls and Peter Jackson’s painstaking archive documentary series The Beatles: Get Back for Disney+ alongside classics like Dennis Potter’s exceptional The Singing Detective, the revolutionary reality TV of Big Brother and the comedy genius of Caroline Aherne, Craig Cash and Henry Normal’s The Royle Family.
The Broadcasting Press Guild was founded in 1974 and has more than 110 members.
