I liked the 2010 and the one where Denise made a mess of the dinner (even if it could've been toned down a bit).
I think the problem with these shows is as they are a "special" there's pressure to have "something" happen in them where as in the series it was the subtlety and continuity that made it great. A mere mention of Beverly Macca was enough, or the half stripped wall paper from the episode before, it wasn't in your face. They were just sitting around after a long day or on a weekend talking about their mundane lives and it worked. But now its like there has to be a focus and why can't a Christmas Dinner be enough of a focus. The 2010 ep worked well (even with the slapstick of the two Urns). They could do so much with no little back in the day.
I liked Joe's Crackers. But the others not so much. I didn't like the Queen of Sheba first time out, but having watched it again I did like it much more.
Ricky & Sue carry this show quite easily. Craig & Caroline can write far superior scripts and act it too usually. What's weird is that Joe never said a thing and now he has two Christmas episodes centred around him.
The Caravan special has been my favourite since it returned then the Sofa one. I don't think they'll ever top the following gag which was hilarious; 'What personality said "I want to be alone" and Barb says "Terry Waite". Ha!
Craig Cash is an appalling actor when he tries to be funny. Watch him in S1. Lot better, more natural, not thick at all. A insult the the first season.
noone really cares about this stuff, it has no real purpose,
Actually, it does. All TV drama and comedy series have a 'bible' - basically a book/database which includes bios for all characters. So all the Royles will have bios (date of birth, place of birth, date of marriage, etc). It's the only way of creating a realistic set of characters and a world for them to inhabit.
You're right that casual viewers probably wouldn't notice, but there will have been a sizable number of viewers who were 'regulars' and would notice. Good writers will automatically assume this and try to ensure that they get their facts right. Even the best writers will occasional make a slip-up, but getting the anniversary of the two main characters wrong is a pretty glaring slip-up.
The irony is that we'd much prefer it if the characters were just being lazy and crouched up on the sofa like in the original 90's episodes. The essence was that we never got to see outside of the home. Since it came back we've had episodes/scenes set in a hospital, flat & caravan. Surely the date stuff would have made more sense if it was in his actual home next door?
Call me sad but you very rarely saw the '4th wall' in the trotters flat :P when you did it usually meant their wasn't an audience and it didn't have same vibe.
Ricky & Sue carry this show quite easily. Craig & Caroline can write far superior scripts and act it too usually. What's weird is that Joe never said a thing and now he has two Christmas episodes centred around him.
The Caravan special has been my favourite since it returned then the Sofa one. I don't think they'll ever top the following gag which was hilarious; 'What personality said "I want to be alone" and Barb says "Terry Waite". Ha!
The Royle Family wasn't classic, and the comedy seemed broader that it used to be, but it did make me laugh a few times. I don't understand why it is taking so much flack.
It's far from the worst thing I've watched this Christmas. In fact it's one of the very few things I've seen that was okay (if not up to it's original standard).
Well I enjoyed it and I can't believe the amount of miserable armchair experts on here.
Jeez, watch something else then. It seems most people on DS seem to watch something so they can pick it to pieces.
You're on a forum where people come to talk about TV shows. Should they only post about stuff they thought was good?
I was a huge fan of The Royle Family. I think 'scraping the barrel' is actually too generous a description of that last night.
TBH though you could see this degradation begin as early as series 2. There seemed to a big leap in the characterisation of Denise and David between series 1 and 2, and it's just grown steadily worse since then. I do think the initial move to BBC1 meant they felt the need to make the comedy broader, and now it's considered a Christmas Day staple it's catering for a much broader audience than when it first started on the comparatively niche BBC2. I don't personally think that's an excuse, but I can understand why it ultimately went down the route it did which is a shame. The first series is still a complete gem in my eyes and I always enjoy watching it back. There's been nothing else like it.
I don't see why a broader audience would necessarily mean they prefer poor, unfunny "comedy" to good, believable comedy that actually makes you laugh.
Overall I enjoyed it! I liked that it remained in the Royle house, like the original series. I agree that the bit with Joe's dates was too long, and I couldn't see Denise or Jim dressing up like that just for Joe.
However, I think some people are viewing the first 3 series with rose tinted spectacles somewhat. I'm a massive fan of the show and have watched it repeatedly. Denise and Dave have always been dimwits. Denise has always been lazy, a bad mother and rubbish at cooking. The jokes have always revolved around that (Dairylea on toast, Denise being neglectful of the kids or saying something stupid while Jim and Barbara exchange concerned looks, etc etc).
I don't mean that as an insult to the show, but I sometimes think people automatically place a "the original was best" sticker on everything. Possibly because when the original series was shown, The Royle Family was new and quite unique.
Sorry, but I don't agree. I accept entirely that Denise and Dave were never intellectuals and Denise was always selfish and lazy. But it's a matter of degree. There's a difference, for instance, between Dave being a bit slow in the uptake and Dave being a moron with no more brains than an amoeba.
I loved it myself - I thought it was a very comfortable episode, easy to watch with one of those touching Jim moments that he does now and then. There were also a couple of bits that made me laugh out loud too. I am guessing that the neighbour that invited herself in over for Christmas dinner was Twiggy's replacement as that is what he would (and has) done. Nice that the actor was mentioned at the end.
I see the Royle Family as putting on a pair of slipper - you know how it will feel.
I'm a fan of The Royle Family and like the recent specials despite having some reservations, the lastest episode had some funny moments but it was by far the worst although it was great to see them pay tribute to Geff Hughes at the end.
Ricky & Sue carry this show quite easily. Craig & Caroline can write far superior scripts and act it too usually. What's weird is that Joe never said a thing and now he has two Christmas episodes centred around him.
The Caravan special has been my favourite since it returned then the Sofa one. I don't think they'll ever top the following gag which was hilarious; 'What personality said "I want to be alone" and Barb says "Terry Waite". Ha!
I agree with you, Joe never used to speak, that was the joke, now he is the centre of a bad joke which just showed lazy writing. It wasn't funny bar one or two lines. Sorry, was a fan not any more. It was really bad. Tell the BBC to drop it..we gave up before the end.
I think Caroline Aherne has too much creative control and her ideas are weighing the show down. It pains me to say considering how it was her's and Craig Cash's idea in the first place back in 1998, but IIRC, Caroline has been directing everything since Series 3, and her style is changing.
They both admitted they pulled too many heart strings with The Queen of Sheba, and they're right to say so. It's horrifically emotional, yet it's still very good. That's why they decided to go all out with comedy with "The New Sofa". It shows - it's not terrible, but you can easily sense the shift away from the drama side of it. The problem is that Caroline and Craig haven't shaken that shift off and still rely solely on jokes and gags. "The Golden Egg Cup" was still full of gags, and that's not why people liked The Royle Family. They liked it because of its unique style and delivery. Notice how long it's been since a dramatic pause when they're just watching the telly. Remember "Barbara Has Had Enough," and Jim, Denise and Dave sat and watched Who Wants To Be A Millionaire for about five minutes? It seems effortless but it's a brilliant scene. The show has shifted from being a kitchen-sink style sitcom with drama elements and has now become a bog-standard sitcom. I thought they recovered with "Joe's Crackers" and almost got the balance back with Anthony proposing to Saskia. It was a proper Royle Family moment where it was all about a family moment, and not just Jim showing his arse or something. But it was still missing a bit of magic. Whether it's the directing of the actors, the style of the shots, or the fact that it's no longer shot in real time, I don't know. That's another matter.
The problem with having the same person star in, write, and direct a show or film is that they become too attached to it, and they won't be able to sense a flaw in it without somebody else's point of view, because they're so fixated on an idea, and have assumed from Day 1 that it'll work. Caroline has starred in, written, and (since Series 3) directed the show, and this is starting to blatantly effect it. Her and Craig have a very similar sense of humour, so Craig's eyes are more or less the same as Caroline's. There's still no second opinion. There's no other party to tell either of them that a joke doesn't work or something isn't funny.
What the show needs is a either a third writer (again) or bring in a new director to give the show a fresh pair of eyes. As the last 15 pages have shown, The Royle Family has clearly lost its touch, and the lacklustre viewing figure of 7m viewers shows people are losing faith in it compared to when it was surpassing 9m. I have a feeling that Caroline and Craig revel in the world of their own while writing these scripts knowing that the BBC will commission whatever they write. I'm hoping the last couple of years will kick either party's arse to realise something needs to be done, or else they'll risk destroying what was a very good, and very cherished sitcom.
What the show needs is a either a third writer (again) or bring in a new director to give the show a fresh pair of eyes. As the last 15 pages have shown, The Royle Family has clearly lost its touch, and the lacklustre viewing figure of 7m viewers shows people are losing faith in it compared to when it was surpassing 9m. I have a feeling that Caroline and Craig revel in the world of their own while writing these scripts knowing that the BBC will commission whatever they write. I'm hoping the last couple of years will kick either party's arse to realise something needs to be done, or else they'll risk destroying what was a very good, and very cherished sitcom.
Comments
I think the problem with these shows is as they are a "special" there's pressure to have "something" happen in them where as in the series it was the subtlety and continuity that made it great. A mere mention of Beverly Macca was enough, or the half stripped wall paper from the episode before, it wasn't in your face. They were just sitting around after a long day or on a weekend talking about their mundane lives and it worked. But now its like there has to be a focus and why can't a Christmas Dinner be enough of a focus. The 2010 ep worked well (even with the slapstick of the two Urns). They could do so much with no little back in the day.
The Caravan special has been my favourite since it returned then the Sofa one. I don't think they'll ever top the following gag which was hilarious; 'What personality said "I want to be alone" and Barb says "Terry Waite". Ha!
Actually, it does. All TV drama and comedy series have a 'bible' - basically a book/database which includes bios for all characters. So all the Royles will have bios (date of birth, place of birth, date of marriage, etc). It's the only way of creating a realistic set of characters and a world for them to inhabit.
You're right that casual viewers probably wouldn't notice, but there will have been a sizable number of viewers who were 'regulars' and would notice. Good writers will automatically assume this and try to ensure that they get their facts right. Even the best writers will occasional make a slip-up, but getting the anniversary of the two main characters wrong is a pretty glaring slip-up.
Call me sad but you very rarely saw the '4th wall' in the trotters flat :P when you did it usually meant their wasn't an audience and it didn't have same vibe.
Oh my aching sides ! :rolleyes::D
It's far from the worst thing I've watched this Christmas. In fact it's one of the very few things I've seen that was okay (if not up to it's original standard).
You're on a forum where people come to talk about TV shows. Should they only post about stuff they thought was good?
I was a huge fan of The Royle Family. I think 'scraping the barrel' is actually too generous a description of that last night.
"Shall we pour a bit of Nana into Joe's wife's urn and maybe he won't notice?"
Killing of Nana & Joe's wife probably limits what Caroline & Craig can write about.
I don't see why a broader audience would necessarily mean they prefer poor, unfunny "comedy" to good, believable comedy that actually makes you laugh.
Sorry, but I don't agree. I accept entirely that Denise and Dave were never intellectuals and Denise was always selfish and lazy. But it's a matter of degree. There's a difference, for instance, between Dave being a bit slow in the uptake and Dave being a moron with no more brains than an amoeba.
I see the Royle Family as putting on a pair of slipper - you know how it will feel.
If memory serves, he was an occasional character in the TV series, but he appeared in all the Christmas specials since then
I don't know, I guess I'm trying to find some sort of justification for why it's got so bad.
Maybe because that's the first episode her death is written in.
I agree with you, Joe never used to speak, that was the joke, now he is the centre of a bad joke which just showed lazy writing. It wasn't funny bar one or two lines. Sorry, was a fan not any more. It was really bad. Tell the BBC to drop it..we gave up before the end.
I think Caroline Aherne has too much creative control and her ideas are weighing the show down. It pains me to say considering how it was her's and Craig Cash's idea in the first place back in 1998, but IIRC, Caroline has been directing everything since Series 3, and her style is changing.
They both admitted they pulled too many heart strings with The Queen of Sheba, and they're right to say so. It's horrifically emotional, yet it's still very good. That's why they decided to go all out with comedy with "The New Sofa". It shows - it's not terrible, but you can easily sense the shift away from the drama side of it. The problem is that Caroline and Craig haven't shaken that shift off and still rely solely on jokes and gags. "The Golden Egg Cup" was still full of gags, and that's not why people liked The Royle Family. They liked it because of its unique style and delivery. Notice how long it's been since a dramatic pause when they're just watching the telly. Remember "Barbara Has Had Enough," and Jim, Denise and Dave sat and watched Who Wants To Be A Millionaire for about five minutes? It seems effortless but it's a brilliant scene. The show has shifted from being a kitchen-sink style sitcom with drama elements and has now become a bog-standard sitcom. I thought they recovered with "Joe's Crackers" and almost got the balance back with Anthony proposing to Saskia. It was a proper Royle Family moment where it was all about a family moment, and not just Jim showing his arse or something. But it was still missing a bit of magic. Whether it's the directing of the actors, the style of the shots, or the fact that it's no longer shot in real time, I don't know. That's another matter.
The problem with having the same person star in, write, and direct a show or film is that they become too attached to it, and they won't be able to sense a flaw in it without somebody else's point of view, because they're so fixated on an idea, and have assumed from Day 1 that it'll work. Caroline has starred in, written, and (since Series 3) directed the show, and this is starting to blatantly effect it. Her and Craig have a very similar sense of humour, so Craig's eyes are more or less the same as Caroline's. There's still no second opinion. There's no other party to tell either of them that a joke doesn't work or something isn't funny.
What the show needs is a either a third writer (again) or bring in a new director to give the show a fresh pair of eyes. As the last 15 pages have shown, The Royle Family has clearly lost its touch, and the lacklustre viewing figure of 7m viewers shows people are losing faith in it compared to when it was surpassing 9m. I have a feeling that Caroline and Craig revel in the world of their own while writing these scripts knowing that the BBC will commission whatever they write. I'm hoping the last couple of years will kick either party's arse to realise something needs to be done, or else they'll risk destroying what was a very good, and very cherished sitcom.
Fin.
Sexuality can sometimes change.
That was an early night.
Phil Mealey was the co-writer of this episode.
The date part took too much of the episode
I feel a successful sitcom has a shelf life of 7-10 years max.
I feel it should end soon as people remember when they jump the shark