Alan Simpson, writer of classic British sitcoms, dies at 87

LONDON (AP) - Screenwriter Alan Simpson, who co-wrote the landmark British comedy series "Hancock's Half Hour" and "Steptoe and Son," has died at age 87.

Simpson's agent, Tessa Le Bars, said Wednesday that he died "after a brave battle with lung disease."

The London-born Simpson was diagnosed with life-threatening tuberculosis as a teenager. In a sanatorium, he met another sick teen, Ray Galton, who went on to become his long-term writing partner.

Galton and Simpson wrote "Hancock's Half Hour" for popular post-war comedian Tony Hancock. The show started out as a radio program before moving to BBC television in 1956.

Their biggest hit was "Steptoe and Son," a sitcom about father-and-son junk dealers, which debuted in 1962 and ran until 1974. Producer Norman Lear adapted it into the U.S. sitcom "Sanford and Son."

Galton and his family said in a statement that "from their first attempts at humor in Milford Sanatorium, through a lifetime of work together, the strength of Alan and Ray's personal and professional bond was always at the heart of their success."