David Croft, who wrote hit sitcoms including Dad's Army, It Aint' Half Hot Mum and Are You Being Served? died today aged 89.
A statement released by his family said Croft “died peacefully in his sleep at his house in Portugal earlier today”.
It went on: “He was a truly great man, who will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing and loving him. We know that he would of been proud that you had all been watching.”
Croft was born into showbusiness. His parents were both actors and he appeared in a cinema advert as a child, before landing a small part in a 1939 film of Goodbye, Mr Chips.
But the war intervened and a cinema career was put on hold while he served in the Royal Artillery, eventually rising to the rank of major.
He wrote scripts for pantomimes before working in television as a producer, director and writer.
His partnership with Jimmy Perry proved to be one of British television's most successful. Together they wrote Dad's Army, It Ain't Half Hot Mum, Hi-De-Hi and You Rang, M'Lord?
He also worked with Jeremy Lloyd on shows including Are You Being Served? 'Allo 'Allo and Grace and Favour. Croft, who was awarded the OBE in 1978, is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren.
Melvyn Hayes, who starred in It Ain't Half Hot Mum, paid tribute to Croft, saying: "The man was a genius. I was very privileged to have the opportunity to work with him. We worked together for quite a while before It Ain't Half Hot Mum.
Croft and Perry's home guard comedy Dad's Army, set in the fictional seaside town of Walmington-On-Sea, ran for 80 episodes over nine years from 1968 to 1977, spawning a full length feature film, a radio series and a stage show.
The show, whose cast included Arthur Lowe as pompous bank manager Captain Mainwaring, and Ian Lavender’s put-upon Private Pike, attracted millions of viewers and is still regularly repeated.
PA