The Royle Family: Season 1

Meet Britain's worst couch potatoes, living a life of cigarettes, cups of tea and endless TV.

The Royle home is no palace. Space is cramped and the walls are stained yellow by nicotine. Brain-dead conversation is set against the continuous drone of the television.

In charge of the remote control is the skinflint patriarch, Jim Royle, a slob who sounds off while his long-suffering wife, Barbara, runs around after him. Daughter Denise, an aspiring hairdresser, lazes around the house obsessing about her appearance and worrying that her fianc? Dave doesn't appreciate her. The only moving part of the household is the youngest Royle, Anthony, a surly teenager and general dogsbody who is constantly dispatched to buy more cigarettes, which the rest of the family smokes as quickly as he can carry them.

Imagine a secret camera in the sitting room of an ordinary working-class family. The Royle home is no palace. Space is cramped and the walls are stained yellow by nicotine.. Brain-dead conversation is set against the continuous drone of the television.

Filmed in real time without canned laughter, The Royle Family ? an intimate, veruccas-and-all portrait of mundane family life ? is by the award-winning Mrs Merton writing team of Caroline Aherne, Craig Cash and Henry Normal. There are no jokes and nothing ever happens.The biggest crisis is whose turn is it to go out for cigarettes?

What makes this show one of the funniest on TV are the strong, gritty characters and how they interact.They live in the downtrodden, post-industrial north of England, where people don?t expect much and are reared not to show their emotions. The men sit slumped in front of the TV or go to the pub.The women flick through catalogues and make the tea. Life is humdrum, restricted to clich?s, bickering and affectionate teasing.

In charge of the remote control is the skinflint patriarch, Jim Royle (Ricky Tomlinson), a slob who sounds off while his long-suffering wife, Barbara (Sue Johnston), runs around after him. Daughter Denise (Caroline Aherne ? aka Mrs Merton), an aspiring hairdresser, lazes around the house obsessing about her appearance and worrying that her fianc?, Dave Best (Craig Cash) doesn?t appreciate her. The only moving part of the household is the youngest Royle, Antony (Ralf Little), a surly teenager and general dogsbody who is constantly despatched to buy more cigarettes, which the rest of the family smoke like laboratory beagles.

Occasionally dropping in for cups of tea and a chat are Nana (Liz Smith), who is oblivious to almost everything and, according to Jim, the bane of his life; next-door neighbours talkative Mary (Doreen Keogh) and taciturn Joe Carroll (Peter Martin) and their weight-conscious daughter, Cheryl (Jessica Stevenson). Last but not least, there?s family friend and local businessman,Twiggy (Geoffrey Hughes), who specialises in ?near-the-knuckle? humour and selling things on the cheap.

Episode 1 - It’s not Jim’s day.The annual telephone bill arrives and someone has called Aberdeen. But who, and whatever for? The inquisition is endless. It also hits him that the date is approaching for Denise’s impending wedding to aspiring Manchester mobile disco owner, Dave Best. All Jim can see ahead is expense, expense and more expense. His family are unsympathetic: “You’re as tight as a crab’s arse, you are.”

Episode 2 - Over a gourmet meal of pork chop, chips, beans and tea, the subject under discussion yet again is Denise’s impending wedding. Jim grumbles non-stop about having to foot the entire bill, because the groom’s father has been on disability for 12 years. “But he’s got a bone disease,” exclaims Denise. “Yeah, and it’s called bone-idleness,” retorts Jim. Denise, meanwhile, thinks Dave is not interested enough in the wedding.

Episode 3 - It’s Sunday afternoon, which means Nana is round for the day. Everyone is congregated in the kitchen, if they are not in the lounge. Nana is looking forward to her stout. Denise tries on her wedding dress. But nothing stands in the way of The Antiques Roadshow...

Episode 4 - Denise has a hangover but claims it is migraine, brought on by stress from the forthcoming wedding.“You never know with headaches, what they can turn into,” says Mam, running round after her with paracetamol.“Aye, a bloody drama,” retorts Jim without sympathy. Today is his birthday and there’s a cake from the bakery, family photographs and Pomagne to mark the occasion. Later they will be celebrating down the Feathers: “Dad,” asks Denise, “Can you lend me a fiver to get you a drink?”

Episode 5 - Jim and Barbara are getting ready for bed when they hear Denise and Dave come in. Denise is rowing with Dave, accusing him of flirting with the well-endowed Beverley Macca. As far as she’s concerned, the wedding is off.The family solution is cups of tea all round, laced with whisky and a dollop of sympathy, the men siding with Dave and Barbara with Denise. Jim’s indigestion is also playing up. But it all ends in a good sing-song with Jim on banjo and everything forgiven. “You know, I am glad that the wedding’s back on again,” says Mam, “I’m always upset when you call it off.”

Episode 6 - It’s the morning of the wedding and it’s not just Denise’s nerves that are on edge. Jim has diarrhoea and a constipated Nana warns the Royle bride, “It’s all downhill from here.” Will all go ahead as planned? “Denise’s last fag and wistful look around the family lounge brought a wrenching streak of sadness to the closing instalment.” Sydney Morning Herald

Barbara Royle	---	Sue Johnston
Denise Best	---	Caroline Aherne
Jim Royle	---	Ricky Tomlinson
Dave Best	---	Craig Cash
Antony Royle	---	Ralf Little
Norma Speakman	---	Liz Smith
Mary Carroll	---	Doreen Keogh
Cheryl Carroll	---	Jessica Hynes
Joe Carroll	---	Peter Martin
Twiggy	---	Geoffrey Hughes
Emma Kavanagh	---	Sheridan Smith
Darren Sinclair-Jones	---	Andrew Whyment

Written by Caroline Aherne, Craig Cash, Carmel Morgan, Henry Normal, Ricky Tomlinson
Directed by Mark Mylod, Steve Bendelack, Caroline Aherne
Produced by Kenton Allen, Glenn Wilhide
Cinematography by Dick Dodd, Mike Popley
Film editing by Tony Cranstoun
Costume Design by Lynne Gibson, Annie Hardinge

BAFTA® Awards
2007 – Best Situation Comedy
2000 – Best Situation Comedy
2000 – Best Comedy Performance – Caroline Aherne
British Comedy Awards®
2001 – Best Television Comedy Actress – Jessica Stevenson
2000 – Best Television Comedy Actress – Sue Johnston
1998 – Best New TV Comedy

“It is raw, racy, rude – and an absolute riot.” -Daily Mirror

“Totally mesmerising from the start ... brilliantly cast ... poignant, funny, inventive and beautifully written ... A masterpiece”- Daily Mail

“The best sitcom of the decade.”- Time Out

“...irresistibly, they grow on you ... It is crafted in a deceptively clever way, with an ear for everyday dialogue and the artful use of repetition reminiscent of Alan Bennett and David Mamet ...This is by some distance the bleakest and the best new British sitcom of the year.” -Guardian

“A delight: cleverly scripted and peerlessly cast... To make comedy out of unadulterated ordinariness, and to script a show that was utterly lifelike from beginning to end, takes something approaching genius and heart.” -The Herald

“Gradually, the layers of old jokes, stale repartee and commonplace observation built up to form a towering termite mound of mirth.” -Evening Standard

“Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston ... are terrific.” Independent on Sunday “A genuinely original comedy. The Royle Family rules."- Observer

“...we were doubled up with laughter after roughly 20 seconds ... the best observed living room scene I’ve ever witnessed.”- M.E.N. magazine

“...dares to go further than any TV series I can remember in replicating the comedy of real life ...it works triumphantly.”- Mail on Sunday

“It really is a gem.” -Star

“Windbreakingly funny ... Jessica Stevenson as next-door neighbour Cheryl deserves special praise.”- Evening Standard

“The funniest thing on TV by a street. The Royle Family turns the mind-numbingly banal into classic comedy.” -TV Quick

“I was gobsmacked. I haven’t been that impressed with a comedy since Fawlty Towers.” -Jimmy McGovern (Cracker/Fitz)