Quote: youngian @ November 6 2009, 1:54 PM GMT

Jim quashing Denise's suggestion they apply to go on Family Fortunes:
"They're thick as shit those families and Les Dennis isn't much better, put his brain in a walnut and you'd hear it rattle."

I too gave up on this after the second series, it really became too smaltzy for my tastes.

Much preferred Craig Cash's Early Doors.

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Early Doors was just as sentimental as The Royles, wasn't it? The whole thing with Ken scared of losing his daughter Melanie to her real Dad etc.

Quote: Lee Henman @ November 6 2009, 1:58 PM GMT

Early Doors was just as sentimental as The Royles, wasn't it? The whole thing with Ken scared of losing his daughter Melanie to her real Dad etc.

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I thought it was. Especially the last episode with the sing-along. I didn't mind that though; it's nice to have heart-warming moments along with the grim reality.

Quote: Lee Henman @ November 6 2009, 1:58 PM GMT

Early Doors was just as sentimental as The Royles, wasn't it? The whole thing with Ken scared of losing his daughter Melanie to her real Dad etc.

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I agree, I couldn't stand Early Doors either. So the link must be Craig Cash and not Caroline Aherne, so I don't dislike her as I thought I might earlier. Yes it's him I don't like, I just don't like his style of sitcom - too personal, too deliberating, with long and lingering pauses for our deep reflection, pathos by the occasional trowelful, deliberately dawdy, done down settings and that very obviously 'everyday' type humour that's supposed to reflect reality. Then you have the treacle. Ugh. It is different to the norm, I applaud him for that a little, but it too different for me to count as true sitcom - it's certainly not light escapist fun filled sitcom anyway (not that it always has to be for me to like it). I'd call it 'sitcom-soap', for want of a better label but it does at least widen the spectrum of the half hour sitcom slot, and it's there for a lot of fans of this stuff now, but it'll never be my cup of stuff.

Good points, well made.

Too kind.

I guess that is just your oppinion however The Royle Family was brilliantly original and I think that the key to why people love it, as has been proved by the comments is because it is written in quite a serious manner and has so much truth and depth. I think once you have got into it then the humour which might not at first be hilarious really starts to work.

As a former member of a very poor working class family (I'll start getting all 4 Yorkshire man later), I thought The Royle Family was alright (in small doses) but it wasn't half sentimental old tosh sometimes. Get the bleeding guitar out and let's have a sing along? Jesus. If someone done that round our house my dad would have smashed the thing over the person's head.

In every working class comedy they now seem to be portrayed as either simple, venal, heart of gold or bleeding Northern. Oh yes. And there's always a bloody policeman hanging around in the kitchen or somewhere (Early Doors, Shameless, er, and the rest).

My favourite Royle Family moment is just that bit after the end credits when it all fades to black. It's such a relief.

Quote: Bert Bastard @ November 6 2009, 5:25 PM GMT

As a former member of a very poor working class family (I'll start getting all 4 Yorkshire man later), I thought the Royle Family was alright (in small doses) but it wasn't half sentimental old tosh sometimes. Get the bleeding guitar out and let's have a sing along? Jesus. If someone done that round our house my dad would have smashed the thing over the person's head.

In every working class comedy they now seem to be portrayed as either simple, venal, heart of gold or bleeding Northern. Oh yes. And there's always a bloody policeman hanging around in the kitchen or somewhere (Early Doors, Shameless, er, and the rest).

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It was a banjo and the same has been known to happen in my family - but maybe it's a Scottish/Irish thing?

Did anyone hers see Sunshine? That was that Craig Cash-written show with Steve Coogan in. A bit more dramatic I think.

Yes, I think that was too sentimental. I think the genius of The Royle Family was that it created the world so perfectly and realistically in the first series that it could use arguably cliched slushy moments and make them brilliantly authentic and moving in the later ones.

I think Early Doors was too obviously comedic, with too many conventional gags, for the sentemintal moments to seem totally natural.

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ November 6 2009, 7:01 PM GMT

It was a banjo and the same has been known to happen in my family - but maybe it's a Scottish/Irish thing?

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Sorry, a banjo. Maybe you're right, Dolly. Still, the only beat we used to dance to in our house was the one our dad provided when beating our mum (well, maybe not). I think I had a more Steptoe upbringing (with a touch of Porridge) than Royle Family.

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ November 6 2009, 7:01 PM GMT

It was a banjo and the same has been known to happen in my family - but maybe it's a Scottish/Irish thing?

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Me too, my Dad had a banjo and a guitar. We often had singalongs at family events and still do at Christmas. My Dad was saying "my arse" and complaining about the immersion heater being on long before Jim was created. And I have a sister called Denise who's just had a baby. We pretty much are The Royle Family.

Quote: Lee Henman @ November 7 2009, 1:30 PM GMT

Me too, my Dad had a banjo and a guitar. We often had singalongs at family events and still do at Christmas. My Dad was saying "my arse" and complaining about the immersion heater being on long before Jim was created. And I have a sister called Denise who's just had a baby. We pretty much are The Royle Family.

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Does that make you Anthony?

If so go and make the tea you lazy little git.

Quote: bigfella @ November 7 2009, 1:45 PM GMT

Does that make you Anthony?

If so go and make the tea you lazy little git.

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I'm the Anthony in my family.