John Sullivan (writer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Sullivan OBE
Sullivan in 2010
Born	John Richard Thomas Sullivan (1946-12-23)23 December 1946 Balham, South London, England
Died	22 April 2011(2011-04-22) (aged 64) Surrey, England
Occupation	Screenwriter
Period	1977–2011
Notable works	2010–2011 Rock & Chips 2005–2009 The Green Green Grass 1996–2003 Roger Roger 1986–1987 Dear John 1983–1986 Just Good Friends 1981–2003 Only Fools and Horses 1977–1980 Citizen Smith
Spouse	Sharon Usher ​ (m. 1974)​
Children	3, including Jim

John Richard Thomas Sullivan (born December 23, 1946 – died April 22, 2011) was a famous English writer for TV shows. He created many popular British comedy series, known as sitcoms. Some of his most well-known shows include Only Fools and Horses, Citizen Smith, and Just Good Friends.

John grew up in South London in a working-class family. For about 15 years, he worked in many different jobs that didn't pay much. His big break came when he started writing short comedy pieces, called sketches, for a show called The Two Ronnies. This led to him writing his first sitcom, Citizen Smith, which aired from 1977 to 1980.

He became most famous for his next sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, which ran for a long time, from 1981 to 2003. He also wrote other popular shows like Dear John, Roger Roger, and The Green Green Grass. John Sullivan won many awards for his comedy writing. He even received the BAFTA award for best sitcom three times. In 2005, he was given an OBE honor for his contributions to drama.

His last work was Rock & Chips, a comedy-drama that told the story of the characters from Only Fools and Horses before the main show started. The final episode of his last comedy series aired just six days after he passed away from pneumonia on April 22, 2011.

John Sullivan's Early Life and School

John Sullivan was born in Balham, South London, on December 23, 1946. His father, John Patrick Sullivan, was a plumber. His mother, Hilda Clara May, sometimes worked as a charwoman, which is someone who cleans houses or offices. John grew up in a working-class neighborhood.

In Balham, he saw many interesting people, like market traders. These observations later helped him create the characters for Only Fools and Horses.

John didn't pass his eleven-plus exam, which was a test for students in England. He went to Telferscot Secondary Modern School. There, he had a great English teacher named Jim Trowers. This teacher helped John discover his talent for writing stories. He also got John interested in reading novels by famous authors like Charles Dickens.

John left school in December 1961 without any official qualifications. However, he continued to learn by taking evening classes in German and English. He also read "Teach Yourself" books to gain more knowledge.

How John Sullivan Started His Career

John Sullivan's first paid job was as a messenger boy for Reuters, a news agency. After that, he worked in many different jobs. He sold second-hand cars, worked in a brewery, cleaned windows, and even laid carpets in the House of Commons.

Working at the BBC

John got his chance in television by sending his scripts to the BBC. He really liked TV shows like Steptoe and Son and Till Death Us Do Part. He also enjoyed the American show Bilko and anything written by Neil Simon.

In November 1974, he got a job in the BBC's props department. This meant he helped with all the items used on TV sets. He was told not to bother the famous actors or producers. However, a well-known comedian, Ronnie Barker, encouraged him to write for his show, The Two Ronnies. John also wrote for another comedian, Dave Allen.

Eventually, John showed a script about a young Marxist to TV producer Dennis Main Wilson. This script led to a special TV episode in 1977. Because people liked it, the BBC decided to make a full series called Citizen Smith, which ran from 1977 to 1980.

After Citizen Smith finished, the BBC asked John for another idea. He first suggested a comedy about football, but it was turned down. So, he came up with a new idea. It was about a cockney market trader living in working-class London. He called this idea Readies.

John had become friends with Ray Butt, a BBC producer and director, while working on Citizen Smith. Ray showed John's script to John Howard Davies, who was the Head of Comedy at the BBC. Davies liked the idea and asked John to write a full series. The show was given a new name: Only Fools and Horses. This name had also been used for an episode of Citizen Smith. John believed the show was accepted partly because of the success of ITV's new drama Minder, which was also set in London in the 1980s.

Much of what John Sullivan wrote for Only Fools and Horses came from his own life. For example, a scene where someone falls through a bar flap happened to him. The famous chandelier falling scene, his father's poker games, his niece working in the police, and his grandfather falling into holes to claim money were all inspired by real events.

The poverty of the Trotter family in the show, and how they eventually became rich, might have been based on John's own background. He grew up in a poor home. He once said that he and his friends felt like they had no opportunities after school, except to work in factories. The huge success of Only Fools and Horses made him very wealthy.

After Only Fools... became a hit, John's wife suggested he write a romantic comedy with a strong female lead. He got the idea from a letter in a magazine that his wife read to him. It was from a woman whose fiancé had left her on her wedding day. This inspired Just Good Friends, which ran for three series and a special episode between 1983 and 1986.

Other sitcoms he wrote included Dear John (1986–1987) and Sitting Pretty (1992–1993). Later in his career, he started writing comedy-drama series. These included Over Here (1996), Roger Roger (1996–2003), and Micawber (2001). His very last work, Rock and Chips (2010–2011), was a spin-off show from Only Fools and Horses.

Awards and Special Honors

Only Fools and Horses won the BAFTA award for best comedy series three times: in 1986, 1989, and 1997. It also won the RTS best comedy award in 1997. At the 1990 British Comedy Awards, it won best sitcom. The show also received two Television and Radio Industries Club Awards for comedy program of the year in 1984 and 1997.

John Sullivan himself won the Writers' Guild of Great Britain comedy award in 1996 for the Only Fools and Horses Christmas trilogy. He also received an award from The Heritage Foundation in 2001.

In 2005, John Sullivan was honored with an OBE for his great work in drama. On September 2, 2008, he was given an Honorary Fellowship at Goldsmiths, University of London.

On July 22, 2012, a special blue plaque was put up at Teddington Studios in Middlesex, England. This plaque celebrates John Sullivan's important contributions to British comedy. The famous actor David Jason, who starred in Only Fools and Horses, helped unveil the plaque. Other cast members like Nicholas Lyndhurst and John Challis also attended the event.

John Sullivan's Passing

A Heritage Foundation plaque honoring Sullivan on display at Teddington Studios in Teddington

John Sullivan passed away on April 22, 2011, in a hospital in Surrey. He was 64 years old. He had been sick with viral pneumonia for six weeks.

Mark Thompson, who was the Director-General of the BBC, spoke highly of John. He said that John had a special talent for turning everyday life and people everyone knew into hilarious comedy.

Gareth Gwenlan, a producer of Only Fools and Horses and a close friend of John, also shared his thoughts. He said that John's sudden death meant the world of TV comedy lost its greatest writer. Gareth added that John was a very talented writer and left behind an amazing collection of work. This work has entertained millions of viewers and will continue to do so for many years.

John Sullivan is survived by his wife, Sharon, whom he married on February 23, 1974. He also had two sons, Dan and Jim, a daughter, Amy, and three grandchildren.

Shows John Sullivan Wrote

John Sullivan also wrote the theme tunes for some of his shows. These included Only Fools and Horses, Just Good Friends, Dear John, and The Green Green Grass. He even sang the theme tunes for two of them!

Awards and Nominations for John Sullivan