11. Lauren Cooper The Catherine Tate Show
Am I bovvered? Lauren Cooper is the most recognisable character from The Catherine Tate Show, brilliant parodying chav Britain and occasionally displaying surprising depth of knowledge (see, for example, the sketch in which she asks her language teacher if she looks bothered in French). For any Dr Who fan, she also wins points for asking David Tennant if he fancies Billie Piper in the Comic Relief Special.
12. Mark Corrigan Peep Show
Perpetual underdog Mark Corrigan has a fairly miserable existence, with conflicting feelings of superiority and inferiority. After pining after girl-in-office Sophie, he becomes even unhappier once he finally manages to start dating her, as he realises theyre totally incompatible. However its his relationship with roommate and friend Jez that provides most of the comedy for perspective-based cringe comedy The Peep Show.
13. Damien Day Drop the Dead Donkey
Drop the Dead Donkey ran for 6 seasons on Channel 4 in the 1990s, and is perhaps the funniest portrayal of the media to ever appear on our television screens. Its hard to pick one stand-out character Jeff Rawle shines as a feeble, pathetic hypochondriac out of his depth as editor of the news programme, and Robert Duncans Gus Hedges is a brilliant parody of the jargon obsessed manager incapable of real human relationships. However, its the creation of unprincipled news reporter
Damien Day that perfectly encapsulates what the show was about mocking the underhand and callous tactics of the mainstream media.
14. Basil Fawlty Fawlty Towers
Dont mention the war! I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it... John Cleeses portrayal of Basil Fawlty during the uniformly superb 12 episodes of Fawlty Towers is perhaps the crowning jewel in his glittering comedy career. Basil Fawlty is a pathetic, ridiculous, unforgettably hilarious character inspired by the real-life owner of a hotel in which the Monty Python team stayed in Torquay.
15. Norman Fletcher Porridge
Ronnie Barkers most enduring character, prison inmate Norman Fletcher spends his (obviously vast quantity of) free time constantly trying to win little victories against the prison wardens and engaging in banter with cell-mate Godber an optimistic youth from Birmingham played by Richard Beckinsale. Porridge is a superb example of comedy deriving from characterisation the setting of a prison meant the programme had to rely on a strong script and comic performances, rather than over-the-top situations and guest stars.