Alan Simpson, British comedy scriptwriter, Died at 87

  Writer

Alan Francis Simpson was born on November 27, 1929, in Brixton, south London and died on February 8, 2017.

He was an English scriptwriter.

He was best known for the Galton and Simpson comedy writing partnership with Ray Galton.

The pair then devised and wrote the BBC sitcom Hancock’s Half Hour (1954–1961), the first two series of Comedy Playhouse (1961–1963), and Steptoe and Son (1962–1974).

He was educated at Mitcham County Grammar School for Boys.

Simpson was a football fan and supported Brentford.

When he left school, Simpson worked as a shipping clerk and was a member of a church concert party.

Simpson contracted tuberculosis aged 17 in 1947 and was admitted to Milford Sanatorium near Godalming in Surrey where he met fellow patient Ray Galton.

He retired from scriptwriting in 1978 to concentrate on business interests.

Simpson was appointed an OBE in 2000, and he and Galton received a BAFTA Fellowship on 8 May 2016.

Alan Simpson passed away at 87 years old.