Editing British sitcom (section)

===''Only Fools and Horses''===
One of the most successful British sitcoms of all time, ''[[Only Fools and Horses]]'' (1981–2003) starred David Jason as [[Del Boy|Derek "Del Boy" Trotter]] and [[Nicholas Lyndhurst]] as his younger brother [[Rodney Trotter|Rodney]]. It began in 1981 and ran for 64 episodes, with specials, until 2003. It was the most durable of several series written by [[John Sullivan (writer)|John Sullivan]]. The 1996 episode "[[Time on Our Hands]]" (originally billed as the last episode) holds the record for the [[List of most watched television broadcasts#United Kingdom|highest UK audience for a sitcom episode]], attracting 24.3 million viewers.<ref name="fullerton">{{cite web | url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/the-bbc-were-embarrassed-by-the-success-of-only-fools-and-horses/ | title=The BBC were "embarrassed" by the success of Only Fools and Horses | work=Radio Times | first=Huw | last=Fullerton | date=30 September 2015 | access-date=20 September 2020 | archive-date=9 February 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209073135/https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/the-bbc-were-embarrassed-by-the-success-of-only-fools-and-horses/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> A ratings success with viewers, the series received numerous awards, including recognition from [[BAFTA]], the [[National Television Awards]] and the [[Royal Television Society]], as well as winning individual accolades for Sullivan and Jason. It was voted Britain's Best Sitcom in a 2004 BBC poll. In a 2001 Channel 4 poll Del Boy was ranked fourth on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters.<ref name="GreatestTVcharacters"/> The series influenced [[British culture]], contributing several words and phrases to the English language. It was named one of the top 20 cult television programmes of all time by TV critic Jeff Evans. Evans spoke of: "[shows] such as ''Only Fools and Horses'', which gets tremendous viewing figures but does inspire conventions of fans who meet in pubs called the Nag's Head and wander round dressed as their favourite characters."<ref>{{cite news
| date=7 August 2001
| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/1477234.stm
| title=Doctor Who named cult favourite
| publisher=BBC
| access-date=30 December 2006
}}</ref> The theme music was by Ronnie Hazlehurst (1981) and John Sullivan (1982–2003). ''Only Fools and Horses'' came top in a research and analysis by a team of scientists led by Dr [[Helen Pilcher]], a molecular neurobiologist and stand-up comedian with a speciality in scientific humour.<ref name="GUARD">{{cite web
|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jun/07/arts.media
|title=Del Boy is top of the class, say sitcom scientists
|last=Wainwright
|first=Martin
|date=7 June 2005
|work=The Guardian
|access-date=30 December 2021}}</ref>