The best character on British tv at the moment is ...
 

Gene Hunt ...originally from (the very good) Life On Mars and now (the not as good but still okay) Ashes To Ashes. By far the best character on a modern UK tv show. I would hate him if I met him today but he is a fantastic very non PC character.

Any other Gene Hunt (good rhyming slang potential there) fans?

The show is called "Life On Mars"? Never heard of it, ill have to check it out if you say its good.

Apart from that my favourite British tv character will always be Del Boy from Only Fools And Horses reruns or even Blackadder.

Never heard of Life On Mars and you are in the UK? Pah! Go find it ;) It is a police drama thing with a slight bit a fantasy/sci fi thrown in because the main character is a modern day police officer and something happens (not spoiling as it is the main mystery of most of the first two seasons) and he finds himself back in 1970's Manchester as a police officer. Gene Hunt is his 'higher up' and is a 'Sweeny' type.

The other characters mentioned are good but I am talking current British tv rather than reruns. Though, I am re-watching Father Ted from the start at the moment and there are some goodies in there too.

I am from the states and I love DCI Gene Hunt! I almost made a thread about Ashes to Ashes the other day but didn't think anyone except Brit's would know of it.
Life on Mars was a great series, but I'm still on the fence about Ashes to Ashes. Gene, Ray, and Chris are still pretty much the same, but the rest of the show has changed so much. Not sure if changing everything but those 3 was a good idea. Love the Quattro, but miss Annie and the rest of the crew from LOM not to mention the setting change. Still not sold on the Alex Drake character yet either, but it is early in the series.

We are unsure about Alex Drake too..she is too knowing about the situation (trying not to spoil for those who haven't seen it) but we are going to give her time. Everything around her is great it is jut her I am unsure about. I wish they had just made it about Gene Hunt without having reason to be back in that world.

My favorite moment so far was in the first episode so far was when he talked out of his office to the brilliant timed guitar intro of the Clash's version of 'Fought The Law'

I heard that they are making a US version of with it set in the States in the same era. Hopefully they do it justice.