10. The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
BBC1 1976-9
Leonard Rossiter is perfect as a man going slowly doolally in the corporate world - and even barmier in its alternative counter-culture counterparts. This is the moment in the first series when he takes the extended family in a trip to the safari park - and cracks.

9. Father Ted
Channel Four 1995-98
Both a straightforward sitcom (priest trapped with idiots) and a sprawling psychedelic ramble (rabbit plague? Hairy hands?) It also has the inestimable asset of Father Dougal and the most vacant facial expression in the history of humankind. Here he and Ted end up among the ladies underwear.

8. The Singing Detective
BBC1 1986
It seems incredible now but Dennis Potter's complex, multi-layered musical mystery without a solution was a mainstream hit when it first went out. It could have had something to do with Joanne Whalley and the perennial popularity of these songs from the Depression.

7. Harry Hill's TV Burp
ITV 2001-present
"Cataracts?" Best thing on ITV by a country mile, which is ironic given that it recycles clips of (mostly ITV) shows to have a laugh their expense. If you don't feel the need to watch the soaps, Harry will do it for you.

6. Top Gear
BBC2 2002 - present
A not very interesting car show until the Clarkson/Hammond relaunch, whereupon it became a magazine show with the loosest connection to cars. At its best it is constantly answering the question "what would it be like if we did this?" In this clip Clarkson drives the world's smallest car into Television Centre.

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