RAY GALTON

Sitcom don (1930–2018)

Scriptwriters Ray Galton and Alan Simpson were commonly referred to as the fathers of British sitcom. The duo, who first met as teenagers while recovering from tuberculosis in hospital, got their first break in 1951, writing for radio comedy Happy Go Lucky. Their reputation was forged with Hancock’s Half Hour, the Tony Hancock vehicle that ran from 1954 to 1961, first on radio, then Tv. This was followed by Steptoe And Son, which lasted until 1974 and attracted 28 million viewers at its peak.