Former Head of BBC Comedy Gareth Gwenlan has died, aged 79.

Gwenlan was involved in some of the most influential TV comedies of the last four decades. 

He produced Only Fools And Horses (pictured here with Nicholas Lyndhurst, pic from Bafta Cymru), The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin and To The Manor Born and commissioned numerous series including Yes Prime Minister, Blackadder, 'Allo 'Allo and One Foot In The Grave. 

He was Head of Comedy at the BBC from 1983 to 1990. During that time he was not sure if Red Dwarf would be a hit, suggesting that you can't have a sitcom without a sofa in it. As a result the writers of the series used the word "Gwenlan" as a swearword in the show.