Ray Galton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ray Galton
|
|
|---|---|
Galton in 1964
|
|
| Born | Raymond Percy Galton 17 July 1930 Paddington, London, England |
| Died | 5 October 2018 (aged 88) Paddington, London, England |
| Occupation | Scriptwriter |
| Period | 1954–1997 |
| Genre | Television |
| Notable works | Hancock's Half Hour, Hancock (1954–1961) Comedy Playhouse (1961–63, 1974) Steptoe and Son (1962–74). |
| Spouse | Tonia Phillips (1956–95, her death) |
Raymond Percy Galton (born July 17, 1930 – died October 5, 2018) was a famous English writer for radio and TV shows. He was best known for working with Alan Simpson. Together, they formed the writing team Galton and Simpson.
They created and wrote many popular British TV comedies. These included Hancock's Half Hour (from 1954 to 1961) and Steptoe and Son (from 1962 to 1974). They also wrote for Comedy Playhouse in the early 1960s.
Contents
Early Life and Meeting Alan Simpson
Ray Galton was born in Paddington, a part of West London. After finishing school, he worked for a large workers' union.
In 1948, when he was 18, Ray got sick with tuberculosis. He went to a special hospital called Milford Sanatorium in Surrey. There, he met another patient named Alan Simpson. This meeting was the start of their amazing writing partnership.
The Galton and Simpson Writing Team
Ray Galton and Alan Simpson became a very successful comedy writing team. They created some of the most loved British sitcoms. Their shows were known for their clever humor and memorable characters.
Hancock's Half Hour starred comedian Tony Hancock. It was a huge hit on both radio and TV. Later, Steptoe and Son became another classic. It was about a father and son who ran a rag-and-bone business.
Later Career and Projects
After Alan Simpson retired from writing in 1978, Ray Galton continued to write. He often worked with another writer, Johnny Speight. They wrote a show called Spooner's Patch, which was about a police station.
Ray also wrote for TV shows in other countries, like Germany and Scandinavia. He co-wrote Room at the Bottom, a show about people working in television. His last TV comedy was Get Well Soon in 1997. This show was based on his own experiences in the sanatorium.
In 2005, Ray Galton and John Antrobus wrote a play called Steptoe and Son in Murder at Oil Drum Lane. The play imagined what happened to the characters from Steptoe and Son many years later.
Awards and Recognition
Ray Galton received many awards for his writing. He won two BAFTA awards, which are very important awards for film and television in Britain. He also received a British Comedy Award.
In 2000, he was given an OBE, which stands for Officer of the Order of the British Empire. This is an honor from the Queen of England. In 2016, both Ray Galton and Alan Simpson received a special BAFTA Fellowship award. This award celebrates their amazing contributions to television.
Personal Life and Passing
Ray Galton married Tonia Phillips in 1956. They had three children together. Tonia passed away in 1995.
Ray Galton died on October 5, 2018. His family shared that he passed away peacefully in his sleep at home. He had been living with dementia for some time.
