Reality TV show Big Brother and mockumentary The Office have been named among the top 50 landmark programmes from the last half-century by the Broadcasting Press Guild (BPG). The list, compiled to mark the BPG's 50th anniversary, features shows that 'changed broadcasting, influenced how we look at the world and made us laugh or think in a new way'.
Number one on the list is the ITV and BBC documentary series Up, which began as Seven Up! in 1964. Sir David Attenborough's Life On Earth came second, followed by ITV's The World At War in third. The Office, created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, took fourth place, while Channel 4's Big Brother, which launched in 2000 with Davina McCall as host, came fifth.
The BBC leads the list with 31 shows, while ITV and Channel 4 have nine each. Other networks represented include Sky, Netflix, and Disney+. The top ten also includes Planet Earth, Have I Got News For You, I May Destroy You, The Singing Detective, and The Day Today.
BPG chair Manori Ravindran said: 'In our 50 years, members of the Broadcasting Press Guild have been the tastemakers of the British TV industry. It felt appropriate to celebrate this milestone birthday with a Top 50 list reflecting the programmes we believe have created landmark TV moments.'
