UK tellyaddicts reckon Daleks most evil

The Daleks have been voted Britain’s most evil TV villains.

Dr Who’s arch nemesis topped a list of on-screen baddies in a new poll.

The Daleks terrified generations of children with their mission to “exterminate” – even if they couldn’t climb stairs.

Footballers’ Wives bad boy Jason Turner, played by Cristian Solimeno, came second.

Third was Soames Forsyte (Eric Porter) in the original 60s version of the The Forsyte Saga, who horrified viewers with the scene in which he raped wife Irene.

The ruthless Francis Urquhart, from the political thriller House Of Cards, played by Ian Richardson, came fourth.

Jewel In The Crown villain Ronald Merrick (Tim Pigott-Smith) was fifth in the poll of more than 3,000 GMTV viewers on behalf of wine company Lindemans.

Sean Bean’s Major Richard Sharpe was named top TV hero, beating Horatio Hornblower and Nick Berry’s Pc Nick Rowan in Heartbeat.

Inspector Morse was top detective, the Larkins from The Darling Buds Of May were favourite family, and Colin Firth’s Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice was the sexiest TV character.

The most sizzling TV romance was between Rachel Ward and Richard Chamberlain, aka Meggie Cleary and Father Ralph, in slushy 80s mini-series The Thorn Birds.

Robbie Coltrane series Cracker was voted the best TV drama of all time.

It beat the likes of Brideshead Revisited, The Singing Detective and The Forsyte Saga in the poll.

Coltrane earned three Baftas for his portrayal of hard-drinking criminal psychologist Eddie ‘Fitz’ Fitzgerald in the show.

Tenko, about a group of English women interred in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, came second in the poll.

Third was Alan Bleasdale’s 1982 classic Boys From The Blackstuff, starring Bernard Hill as Yosser ‘gizza job’ Hughes.

The only US drama to make the list was David Lynch’s surreal Twin Peaks.

Top TV Dramas:

1 Cracker (1993-1995)

2 Tenko (1981-1982)

3 Boys From The Blackstuff (1982)

4 Twin Peaks (1990)

5 The Forsyte Saga (!967)

6 Our Friends In The North (1996)

7 Brideshead Revisited (1981)

8 House Of Cards (1990)

9 The Singing Detective (1986)

10 Elizabeth R (1971)