24 tops viewer poll

The show's finale wowed viewers

Glossy real-time thriller 24 topped a Radio Times poll of the best shows of the year.

The US show, which followed secret agent Jack Bauer through a drama-packed day in two dozen 45-minute episodes, won a huge cult following on BBC Two and BBC Choice.

It was at the summit of the magazine's top 50, with much of the upper reaches also dominated by American shows.

Viewers' top 10

1. 24

2. The West Wing

3. The Simpsons

4. Big Brother

5. ER

6. Band of Brothers

7. Friends

8. The Blue Planet

9. The Sopranos

10. Auf Wiedersehen, Pet

Source:
Radio Times

Political drama The West Wing and legendary cartoon The Simpsons were at number two and three.

Channel 4 reality show Big Brother was the highest British entry at number four.

The poll of more than 9,000 Radio Times readers put the BBC's aquatic high-budget natural history programme The Blue Planet at number eight and the revival of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet at number 10.

The other US shows filling out the top 10 were hospital drama ER at number five, Saving Private Ryan-inspired war drama Band of Brothers at six, hit comedy Friends at seven and gangster family saga The Sopranos at number nine.

Kiefer Sutherland has seen his screen career revived after taking on the role of Bauer, whose wife and daughter are kidnapped during a traumatic day as he battles double agents and Serbian terrorists plotting to kill a presidential candidate.

Soap rivals

Actor Dennis Haysbert, who played candidate Senator Palmer, said of the result: "I'm proud and really happy that the series resonates so well in the UK.

"Wait until next year - you've not seen anything yet."

The most popular soap on the list was EastEnders at number, while its rival Coronation Street was at number 38.

Sutherland has revived his career

The other reality shows fell well short of Big Brother's high placing, with Pop Idol at 16th and The Osbournes at number 33.

In the category awards, Only Fools and Horses was named best British comedy and So Graham Norton was best chat show, while life swap series Faking It got best documentary.

SM:TV Live beat Blue Peter to best children's programme, Have I Got News For You was Best Quiz Show and Simon Schama's A History of Britain was best history programme.

Shackleton, Kenneth Branagh's recreation of the explorer's epic Antarctic journey, was named best single drama, and How the Twin Towers Collapsed was best single documentary.