Liamlcfc1 Posted 23 April 2011 Posted 23 April 2011 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13176198 John Sullivan, who wrote one of the best-loved British sitcoms, Only Fools and Horses, has died at the age of 64.He had been in intensive care for six weeks at a hospital in Surrey, battling viral pneumonia. He also wrote Citizen Smith, and his latest work Rock & Chips is due to be shown on BBC One on Thursday. Sir David Jason, who played Del Boy Trotter in Only Fools and Horses, said he was "totally devastated" and would "miss him dreadfully as a friend". He said: "We have lost our country's greatest comedy writer but he leaves us a great legacy, the gift of laughter. My thoughts at this time are with his lovely family." BBC director general Mark Thompson said: "John had a unique gift for turning everyday life and characters we all know into unforgettable comedy." The son of a plumber, he is survived by his wife Sharron and two sons, a daughter and two grandchildren. Gareth Gwenlan, a producer of Only Fools and Horses, said his widow was "obviously devastated" and had her family around her. The Corporation's head of comedy Mark Freeland added: "No-one understood what made us laugh and cry better than John Sullivan. 'Heartfelt comedy' "He was the Dickens of our generation. Simply the best, most natural, most heartfelt comedy writer of our time." Stephen Fry said he was "terribly saddened" by the news and described him on Twitter as "one of the great comedy writers of our time". Only Fools and Horses - starring David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst as south London brothers Del and Rodney Trotter forever trying to make a quick fortune - was regularly voted Britain's favourite sitcom. It ran for 10 years between 1981 and 1991, with several Christmas specials in the years that followed. Only Fools and Horses Christmas special, 1983 Only Fools and Horses was regularly voted the greatest British sitcom The 1996 special Time On Our Hands, which was billed as the final episode and saw Del Boy come good on his ambition to make himself and Rodney millionaires, was watched by more than 24 million people, a record for a sitcom in the UK. The demand for follow-ups saw Sullivan eventually relent and return to the story of the Trotters from 2001 for occasional Christmas specials. He also wrote a spin-off - The Green Green Grass, featuring Only Fools characters Boycie and Marlene - and a prequel, Rock & Chips, which documented Del Boy's early life. John Sullivan, who was born in Balham, south London, in 1946, and always said his secret was that he wrote about what he knew, got his first job at the BBC as a scenery hand aged 16. During his spare time he wrote sketches and got his first break when he submitted a script to well-known comedy producer Dennis Main Wilson, who loved it. He was commissioned to write more episodes, given three months' paid leave, and ended up with Citizen Smith - a comedy starring Robert Lindsay as the young communist "Wolfie" Smith. He once described Rodney from Only Fools and Horses as a "teeny bit me" because he was also a bit of a "naive dreamer" as a teenager. And he said Del Boy was an amalgam of many characters he came across while working in the second-hand car trade in the 1970s. He was appointed an OBE in 2005 for services to drama.
Parafox Posted 23 April 2011 Posted 23 April 2011 Rock and Chips about to start this Thursday, not his best IMO and not really like Fools and Horses, but he was a brilliant comedy writer and his memory will live on in his existing work. RIP
Guest Bilo Posted 23 April 2011 Posted 23 April 2011 Quite probably the best comedy writer of our time and will be sadly missed. RIP John.
Webbo Posted 23 April 2011 Posted 23 April 2011 Not just Fools and Horses but Citizen Smith, Just Good friends and Dear John. Some of the best British sitcoms of my lifetime. He'll be missed.
BoneDog Posted 23 April 2011 Posted 23 April 2011 He's a legend of comedy and Only Fools and Horses will surely live on forever.
broughtonblue Posted 23 April 2011 Posted 23 April 2011 Many generations will enjoy his work in the future. An absolute great. RIP
Fox92 Posted 24 April 2011 Posted 24 April 2011 I am a massive fan of Only Fools and Horses, got all the DVD's. Couldn't believe it when it was on the news yesterday. What a legend, he's easily one of the greatest comedy writer's of all time. Rest In Peace, John Sullivan.
Fox You Forest Posted 24 April 2011 Posted 24 April 2011 The man was a genius, I could watch the same episode of Only Fools back to back all day and still laugh at the same gags over and over again.
Fosse Boy Posted 24 April 2011 Posted 24 April 2011 RIP. Had just been watching an OF&H marathon on GOLD yesterday morning when I looked on BBC News and found out. Legend who shall be missed but never forgotten. Also believe he was Lenny Glover's brother-in-law too?
Guest Bilo Posted 24 April 2011 Posted 24 April 2011 OFAH will just never date, even though it captured the mood of a specific era, the 1980s, so perfectly. The visual comedy alone is genius, the chandelier scene for example and the Batman & Robin episode from 1996. As for the dialogue, just sheer genius from the first episode to the last. I'm sure I could go on YouTube and find 100 examples of how perfect it was but let's face it, we all know. That's how popular it is and how seared into our consciousness it is. What a cracking tribute to Sullivan that is. Looking forward to Rock and Chips as well, a real shame that a promising drama will end because of this. People don't seem to realise that Rock and Chips isn't really intended as a sitcom in the same way as OFAH, but as more of a drama creating the back story to the characters we all know so well. I'm sure I'll enjoy it and wish there could have been more by series' end.
davieG Posted 24 April 2011 Posted 24 April 2011 Not just Fools and Horses but Citizen Smith, Just Good friends and Dear John. Some of the best British sitcoms of my lifetime. He'll be missed. Absolutely Webbo what a list to be remembered by. Power to the People RIP John and thanks for the many many laughs you provided.
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