LOS ANGELES — John Aylesworth, a TV writer and producer who co-created the long-running comedy-variety show “Hee Haw,” has died. He was 81.

Aylesworth died Wednesday of complications of pneumonia at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, near Palm Springs, said his wife, Anita Rufus.

The Canadian-born Aylesworth, who broke into television in 1953 as a writer and performer on the Canadian sketch comedy show “After Hours,” moved to the United States in 1958 to write for the CBS music show “Your Hit Parade.”

He and his former performing and writing partner, fellow Canadian Frank Peppiatt, reteamed in 1959 to write for “The Andy Williams Show,” a summer replacement program on CBS.

Aylesworth and Peppiatt went on to write for “Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall,” “The Judy Garland Show,” “Hullabaloo,” the 1965 special “Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music,” “The ABC Comedy Hour” and many other shows.

They also were among the writers who shared an Emmy nomination for “The Julie Andrews Hour” in 1973 and for “The Sonny and Cher Show” in 1976.

But Aylesworth and Peppiatt found their biggest success when they created “Hee Haw.”

A summer replacement for “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” in 1969, “Hee Haw” tied with “Laugh-In” at the top of the ratings its first week and remained a hit throughout the summer. That December, “Hee Haw” was added to CBS’ schedule.