1953–2008 · British comedy writer & producer · Radio Active, Father Ted, Have I Got News for You
Geoffrey Howard Perkins was one of the most quietly influential figures in British comedy: he produced the original radio series of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, co-created and performed in the Radio 4 spoof-station series Radio Active, and later helped bring Spitting Image, Have I Got News for You and Father Ted to air. From 1995 to 2001 he was BBC Television’s Head of Comedy, a stretch that produced The Royle Family, The Fast Show and Coupling. He died suddenly in 2008 — and one of his throwaway 1981 radio gags has outlived the credit, travelling the world for decades under John Lennon’s name.