University in final push to save archive on the 'inventors of the British sitcom'

Posted on 20 May 2025

The Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York has launched a fundraising campaign to secure the archive of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, the comedy scriptwriting duo credited with inventing the British sitcom.

Two men in dark suits, white shirts and ties sitting in chairs with their feet on a desk. The soles of their shoes are closest to the photographer. Each man is holding a phone to their ear.

The two scriptwriters are widely recognised as the most influential figures in the history of British comedy, with the classics Steptoe and Son and Hancock’s Half Hour among their most well-known hits.

The archive includes rare early drafts for some of the biggest moments in British comedy; unmade films for Tony Hancock; Harold Steptoe’s scarf from Steptoe and Son; and scripts for shows unseen for over 60 years.

Part of the collection has already been acquired by the University thanks to generous donations.

However, the University needs to raise a final £30,000 to ensure that some of the archive’s greatest gems, which are currently loaned to the University, aren’t split up and sold into private hands. Treasures at risk include the script for ‘The Blood Donor’ an episode of Hancock first broadcast in 1961, which remains one of the best-known sitcom episodes ever broadcast in the UK.

If successful, the archive will be the biggest philanthropically funded acquisition in the University’s history. Along with the University’s archives on British comedy legends including Frankie Howerd, Sir Alan Ayckbourn, and Eric Morecambe, the acquisition will make a significant contribution to York’s ambition to create a nationally-significant archive of British popular entertainment.

Gary Brannan, Keeper of Archives and Research Collections at the Borthwick Institute for Archives, said: 'This archive is so significant because Galton and Simpson invented modern British situation comedy as we know it, with their wit and humour leaving a profound and lasting imprint on the shows we watch today. Writing in the early 1950s they would empty pubs as people rushed home to watch their shows. Real-world or situation comedy simply didn’t exist before them.'

Galton and Simpson first crossed paths as teenagers in 1948 while recovering in hospital from tuberculosis (TB). Their collaboration began with writing and performing scripts for the hospital radio, and upon their release, they continued working together. They submitted material to the BBC in 1951, catching the attention of comedian Derek Roy, who hired them as gag writers for his radio show, Happy-Go-Lucky.

The duo would go on to pioneer the British sitcom genre, and their iconic work laid the foundation for many British sitcoms that followed, including Only Fools and Horses and Fawlty Towers.

Tessa le Bars, on behalf of the Galton and Simpson estates, said: 'After 50 plus years of working with Ray and Alan, from office junior at Associated London Scripts through to being their personal and business manager, it is fantastic to see the hard work put in by their Estates and the Borthwick Institute nearing completion. The installation of the Galton and Simpson archive at the University of York, comprising their complete script library and my supporting paperwork, will be a historic moment for comedy in the UK and abroad. It will provide an invaluable record of their life and works from the moment they first met at Milford Sanatorium and used their enjoyment of American radio shows to prompt them into writing their own material and start a journey that saw them develop into the Godfathers of British Sitcom. Ray and Alan would be delighted that their legacy will be secured to provide valuable materials to inspire future generations of scriptwriters, and for fans to enjoy.'

Gary Brannan added: 'It would be a huge privilege to secure the complete Galton and Simpson’s archive at York for everyone in the city to use and enjoy. Alongside other archives in our care, this collection is a huge new source for research into comedy and what makes us laugh. Any help that fans of the lads can provide with our fundraising would be hugely appreciated - our generous donors have helped us enormously, and we don’t have any dedicated funding we can use. Every little helps to save this for the nation - and you don’t need to give us an armful!'

You can donate via https://yustart.hubbub.net/p/galtonandsimpson/