Ray Galton and Alan Simpson met in 1948 whilst recuperating from tuberculosis at the Milford Sanatorium, near Godalming in Surrey. Finding they had a similar sense of humour, they began contributing to the hospital radio service.
When they had recuperated, they decided to go professional and made their first script contributions to the BBC Light Programme radio series Happy-Go-Lucky in 1951. Their comedy scriptwriting partnership would last over 50 years.
They are best known for their work with comedian Tony Hancock on radio and television between 1954 and 1961 and their long-running television situation comedy, Steptoe and Son, which aired between 1962 and 1974.
After their association with Hancock ended, they wrote a series of Comedy Playhouse plays for the BBC, one of which – The Offer – formed the basis of Steptoe and Son, which then also spawned the American series Sanford and Son (and the Swedish series Albert & Herbert).
Alan Simpson gave up scriptwriting in 1978 to concentrate on his business interests, but Ray Galton continued to collaborate with colleagues like Johnny Speight and John Antrobus. Galton and Simpson, however, remained firm friends.
Unlike Ray Galton, Alan Simpson was also an occasional performer, contributing unobtrusive cameos in early episodes of Hancock’s Half Hour, as a man subjected to endless stories by the loquacious Hancock. Galton and Simpson were also partners with Eric Sykes and Spike Milligan in Associated London Scripts, which nurtured the careers of many aspiring comedy writers.
Alan Simpson OBE died on 8 February 2017. Ray Galton OBE passed away on 5 October 2018.
