Radio comedy star and Python co-founder Took dies, aged 73

The veteran comedian, scriptwriter and broadcaster Barry Took died yesterday after a long battle with cancer. He was 73.

Took was the brains behind the radio shows Round the Horne and Take It From Here, and as a BBC producer he oversaw the team who appeared as Monty Python's Flying Circus, which was briefly known internally as Baron von Took's Flying Circus.

Recently Took said: "There are people worse off than me. I've had a very long run. I'm fine really. I'm just old." He died in his sleep yesterday morning at a nursing home in north London, his family said. Took was the father of four children and his youngest daughter, Elinor Holbrook, said he would be remembered with fondness for his sense of humour.

Took, who was born in June 1928, started his career as a stand-up comic and then became one of the most successful radio scriptwriters of his generation. He made his first radio broadcast in 1951 and had key roles both in front and behind the microphone and, later, TV screen.

He was responsible for celebrated series like Round the Horne from 1965 to 1968, The Army Game, Take It From Here, Educating Archie and Bootsie and Snudge.

As a BBC producer, he was responsible for several comedy programmes and was the catalyst for the TV hit Monty Python's Flying Circus. He assembled the team who appeared in it and was credited as a co-creator. He also became a master of quiz shows including Radio 4's News Quiz, and presented theTV series Points of View from 1979 to 1986.

He will have a family funeral, and a memorial service will be held later in the year.