Ayrshire Extra News: Britain's most watched TV show of last 80 years revealed

Britain's most-watched programmes of the last 80 years have been revealed, with one "cushti" show featuring four times in the top 20.

Only Fools and Horses comfortably tops the list, attracting the biggest audience ever for a single transmission of a TV programme in the UK.

Just over 24 million people tuned in for the episode broadcast on 29 December 1996, in which David Jason's Del Boy finally became a millionaire.

The list was compiled by the Press Association to mark the 80th anniversary this week of the start of television in the UK.

Coronation Street also features prominently, as does the Royal Variety Performance.

Other programmes include the 1995 Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales and, more suprisingly, an edition of the Norwich-based quiz show Sale of the Century from 1977 hosted by Nicholas Parsons.

And it appears the oldies really are the goodies, with no programmes from the last 15 years making the list.

In fact, the chart suggests the days of record audiences have been declining since the 1980s.

The nation's first regular TV service was launched by the BBC at 3pm on 2 November 1936. Since then television in Britain has grown from one channel to more than 300.

Here is the full list of the top 20 most-watched TV shows:

1. Only Fools and Horses (BBC1, 29 December 1996): 24.35 million

2. To The Manor Born (BBC1, 11 November 1979): 23.95 million

3. The Royal Variety Performance (ITV, 29 November 1967): 22.80 million

4. Panorama (BBC1, 20 November 1995): 22.77 million

5. The Royal Variety Performance (ITV, 14 November 1965): 21.70 million

6. Dallas (BBC1, 22 November 1980): 21.60 million

7. To The Manor Born (BBC1, 9 November 1980): 21.55 million

8. The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show (BBC1, 25 December 1977): 21.40 million

9. Coronation Street (ITV, 2 January 1985): 21.40 million

10. Only Fools and Horses (BBC1, 25 December 2001): 21.35 million

11. Only Fools and Horses (BBC1, 27 December 1996): 21.33 million

12. Only Fools and Horses (BBC1, 25 December 1996): 21.31 million

13. The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show (BBC1, 25 December 1977): 21.30 million

14. The Royal Variety Performance (ITV, 10 November 1963): 21.20 million

15. The Silver Jubilee Royal Variety Gala (ITV, 4 December 1977): 21.20 million

16. Bread (BBC1, 11 December 1988): 20.95 million

17. The Benny Hill Show (ITV, 14 March 1979): 20.85 million

18. Coronation Street (ITV, 18 December 1980): 20.80 million

19. Just Good Friends (BBC1, 21 December 1986): 20.75 million

20. Sale of the Century (ITV, 19 November 1977) 20.60 million