# Who is the Greatest Briton? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 21, 2002, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210 "2002-10-21T11:38:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![manwithaplan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@manwithaplan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manwithaplan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/141 "2002-11-13T13:20:19Z")
Portillo was hopeless on Elizabeth I. The attempts to link her actions and characteristics to modern events and personalities were extremely clumsy and lazy. He tried to affect a kind of folksiness in his depiction of her that just did not work and his constant references to her flirtatiousness, love of ‘fun’, good looks etc. just seemed to patronise the viewer. Basically, his point seemed to be that she was almost a cross between Diana and Churchill, which in my view missed the point entirely. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/142 "2002-11-13T13:33:56Z")
It was patronising in the extreme. I don’t need a picture Clinton to understand a public figure being vague about whether they had sex or not. Ch4 did a docu about Elizabeth recently that slaughtered last nights programme. Do the hosts write the things aswell? If so they should get some BBC pro’s in to do these things. Brunel got the 2nd hightest amount of votes last night after Elizabeth who only moved up to 6th position after the show. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/143 "2002-11-13T14:14:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yojimbo \* > **Do the hosts write the things aswell? If so they should get some BBC pro’s in to do these things.** Lucy Moore got a writing credit for the Nelson programme (with a bloke from the National Maritime Museum as consultant IIRC), so I assume Portillo wrote his too. There was some populist opposition from the other channels last night - I only saw a recording myself - so I wonder how many people watched? Brunel’s looking strong, but the fact that Diana hasn’t budged in spite of getting a small percentage of the votes after the last two or three programmes recently suggests that the “turn out” has been low. ---
**Author:** ![manwithaplan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@manwithaplan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manwithaplan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/144 "2002-11-13T15:11:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by everton \* > \*\* > There was some populist opposition from the other channels last night \*\* Liverpool vs. Basel got my first preference - I also watched a tape. The great British public are probably getting a bit exhausted with the whole thing at this stage. As in any series of TV programmes, the earlier ones get the highest viewing figures. It might be difficult to drum up enough interest to dislodge those leading the poll at the moment but Churchill will probably win. A snippet of his ‘fight them on the beaches’ speech was played on last night’s programme and it was about the most stirring moment. The full version, with a bit of well chosen footage, is bound to get the hairs standing up on the back of British necks. As an aside, Portillo really diluted the impact of the “I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman…” speech by almost quoting it in its entirety. And no jokes please - it’s too easy;) ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/145 "2002-11-22T12:20:03Z")
Churchill tonight. The last 2 shows Newton and Lennon where also below par IMO. More bio’s that actually arguing why the person should be the greatest Briton. I wonder has Brunel too big of a lead since he’s been getting high votes all the way through the show? 2 hour debate on Sunday followed by the results. 1 Brunel 2 Diana 3 Churchill 4 Darwin 5 Shakespeare 6 Newton 7 Lennon 8 Elizabeth I 9 Nelson 10 Cromwell ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/146 "2002-11-22T12:22:38Z")
I’d just like to save you all this debate by pointing out my greatness, made all the more great by my humility (I asked them to take me off the list to give the others a chance). ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/147 "2002-11-22T12:50:26Z")
Admit it, **jjimm** : you’re really Michael Crawford. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/148 "2002-11-22T12:51:23Z")
Ooh Betty! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/149 "2002-11-22T23:04:33Z")
Churchill’s now jumped to the #1 spot following Mo Mowlam’s program on him. No surprises there. ---
**Author:** ![Tuco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tuco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuco)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/150 "2002-11-24T21:37:48Z")
OK, now the final BBC programme is on, I’ll post the SDMB table (I did a quick tally, but it seems accurate): 1. Newton 2. Shakespeare 3. Churchill = Darwin 4. Cromwell = Liz I = Nelson = Brunel No-one voted for Lennon or Princess Di. While I’m watching the programme I have a smilie request - can we have :banghead: from [here](http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/legend.htm) please? Hmm, the arguement for why Lennon is the Greatest Briton - he influenced rock’n’roll for the past 40 years :banghead: Di is greatest because she was very compassionate :banghead: Liz I is greatest because she didn’t get assasinated in her reign :banghead: At the start of the show Di was 4th (incidently, female voters voted her 1st, males voted her 5th), if she wins I’ll emmigrate. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/151 "2002-11-24T23:11:30Z")
Final result – 1. Churchill, 2. Brunel, 3. Diana. They wouldn’t have been my top three, but there’s been no disgrace in backing Churchill. Although his great achievement was localised in history, there was genuine risk, not only that Britain would have fallen to the Nazis, but that then the Nazi Empire would have been the first nuclear power and the whole world would have been dominated by totalitarianism for an incalculable period. Britain certainly didn’t defeat Hitler alone, but thanks to Churchill kept him a bay long enough for the direction of the war to turn. It’s fairly obvious that people voted along sexist lines. I leave it to their conscience to decide whether that was a good idea, but there can be no other explanation for the fact that before tonight’s debate, Diana was third overall, but fifth among male voters and first among female ones; Elizabeth was tenth among male voters, fifth among women. The top ten Britons weren’t a bad selection on the whole, and the biggest embarrassments were due to people not taking the top 100 seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Tuco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tuco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuco)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/152 "2002-11-24T23:13:24Z")
Final BBC result: 1. Churchill (27.8%) 2. Brunel (24%) 3. Princess Di (14.3%) 4. Darwin (6.9%) 5. Shakespeare (6.7%) 6. Newton (5.2%) 7. Elizabeth I (4.5%) 8. Lennon 9. Nelson 10. Cromwell On the final show they were talking about the legacy of the contenders - the person representing Shakespeare said (about Newton) ‘but how many people read Principia, get to the end and want to read volume 2?’ which got a round of applause :banghead: Do these people not know that legacy stretches further than what they wrote? ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/153 "2002-11-24T23:31:36Z")
That was a stupid answer by A.A. Gill, but it was also a reply to Tristram Hunt’s comment that nobody ever wanted a Shakespeare play to be longer - which is also pretty dim. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/154 "2002-11-25T00:26:45Z")
I’m goin’ with Benny Hill ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/155 "2002-11-25T00:55:01Z")
With **x-ray vision** you should have seen that that opinion was mentioned two pages ago. Thanks anyway, but the poll closed tonight and Hill didn’t make the top 100. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/156 "2002-11-25T09:16:02Z")
I now hear that Brunel University students had a voting campaign to keep him near the top spot. Which makes the results a bunch of arse. As does Princess Di at #3. **yojimbo** and the documentary convinced me that Newton should have won. ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/157 "2002-11-25T10:43:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by everton \* > \*\*That was a stupid answer by A.A. Gill, but it was also a reply to Tristram Hunt’s comment that nobody ever wanted a Shakespeare play to be longer - which is also pretty dim. \*\* Indeed. They’re all perfect just as they are. 😉 (Although this is coming from the woman who once watched the Branagh _Hamlet_ twice in one day. I didn’t mean to…it just sort of…happened. ;)) ---
**Author:** ![manwithaplan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@manwithaplan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manwithaplan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/158 "2002-11-25T11:47:14Z")
The debate was the best bit of the series. Obviously all the advocates engaged in a bit of dumbing down but the standard was pretty high. Clarkson was nowhere near as effective as he was in his one hour show - AA Gill and others were reading my mind when they attacked him on his repetitive run-down of bridges and ships (I liked the Bob the Builder reference). I wouldn’t have voted for Churchill but he was certainly my choice once it got down to the top three. ---
**Author:** ![Squirebob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Squirebob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squirebob)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/159 "2002-11-25T12:09:25Z")
Cant believe Nelson was so far down… He was a true Leader a Hero and saved the UK from Napoleon. Not to mention dying in his moment of triumph. I am no fan of Dianna but why was she even on this list all royals wrk for chartity and many have done more, The Prince’s Trust for a start. fair enough she had a hard life but no worse than millions in the world, not a great Britain in my oppinion. ---
**Author:** ![Sparrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Sparrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparrow)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210/160 "2002-11-25T12:42:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Squirebob \* > \*\*I am no fan of Dianna but why was she even on this list all royals wrk for chartity and many have done more, The Prince’s Trust for a start. fair enough she had a hard life but no worse than millions in the world, not a great Britain in my oppinion. \*\* A hard life? She had the most amazingly privileged life. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-briton/133210.md?page=9)