D'oh! Homer Simpson named the best TV character in 20 years.

To the Oxford English Dictionary, Homer Simpson is the immortal utterer of the word, “d’oh!” To the people of Britain, Homer Simpson is the “greatest American” – the fictional charater they would most like to see become president of the United States.

And now, to the readers of Entertainment Weekly, Homer Simpson is the single greatest character created for film or television during the past 20 years, more magical than Harry Potter (No. 2) and more hip than Buffy the Vampire Slayer (No. 3).

IN PICTURES: Homer Simpson

Homer Simpson is, after all, the patriarch of the Simpsons, stars of the eponymous TV show that is the longest-running prime time series on American TV.

Had he been a character by the other Homer (the old Greek one), his epithet would surely have been “boorish” or “craver of doughnuts.”

Equal parts lovable and laughable, Homer Simpson symbolized America more than Abraham Lincoln or Martin Luther King Jr. to the British participants in the unscientific 2003 BBC poll. To the American readers of Entertainment Weekly, too, Homer Simpson’s dim wits and warm heart were more memorable than the mob life of Tony Soprano (No. 4) or the sinister genius of the Joker (No. 5).

Indeed, in an honor roll of fictional characters, Homer Simpson is consistently near the head of the class. In 2002, TV Guide named him the second best cartoon character, behind Bugs Bunny. And three years ago, Entertainment Weekly rated him ninth on its list of 50 greatest TV icons.

The man who voices Homer Simpson, Dan Castellaneta, has won four Emmy awards and makes $400,000 an episode.

Entertainment Weekly’s list commemorates the magazines 20th anniversary.

The top 10 are:

1. Homer Simpson (“The Simpsons”)
2. Harry Potter (“Harry Potter” films)
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”)
4. Tony Soprano (“The Sopranos”
5. The Joker (“The Dark Knight”
6. Rachel (“Friends”)
7. Edward Scissorhands (“Edward Scissorhands”)
8. Hannibal Lecter (“Silence of the Lambs”)
9. Carrie Bradshaw (“Sex in the City”)
10. Spongebob Squarepants (“Spongebob Squarepants”)

IN PICTURES: Homer Simpson