Shaun the Sheep has beaten Postman Pat and Sooty and Sweep to top a poll of favourite BBC children's TV characters from the last 70 years.

The Aardman creation, who made his debut in the 1995 Wallace and Gromit film A Close Shave and was given his own series in 2007, triumphed in a poll of the best BBC children's characters, beating Postman Pat into second place.

The shortlist put together by Radio Times and the British Film Institute attracted more than 41,000 votes. It featured shows from the 1950s to the present day including The Magic Roundabout, Paddington, Willo The Wisp, The Wombles, Teletubbies and In The Night Garden. Sooty and Sweep came third.

Another BBC children's character, SuperTed, is the latest classic children's show to be revived but the series, which aired in the 1980s, will be given a makeover for its 21st century audience, said its creator Mike Young.

"Popeye used to smash people in the face. And it was very funny. But of course there is no television network anywhere in the world that would let you do that now," Young told Radio Times.

Radio Times editor Ben Preston said: "Every generation has a favourite which lingers for a lifetime. Our winner, Shaun the Sheep, will be remembered in 50 years' time, just as the children of the 80s voted for Postman Pat, and Sooty and Sweep remain hugely popular almost 60 years after they were first broadcast.

"It's a testament to the enduring quality of British children's television that a contemporary character topped the poll in a shortlist filled with classic programmes from the last seven decades."

Other children's TV shows being brought back for a new generation include Danger Mouse, the Clangers, Teletubbies and Thunderbirds.