John Sullivan was best known as the creator of the hugely popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. Regularly voted Britain's favourite sitcom, the show ran for ten years between 1981 and 1991, including several Christmas specials. Five years later, another Christmas special was broadcast. It was intended to be the last ever episode, but garnered an audience of 24 million viewers, so occasional follow-ups were shown from 2001. Sullivan also wrote a spin-off series, The Green Green Grass, and a prequel, Rock and Chips. Described as 'the Dickens of his generation', Sullivan was also responsible for the creation of the hit BBC TV sitcoms Citizen Smith and Just Good Friends. In 2005, he was appointed an OBE for services to drama. He died in 2011.