Caroline Aherne Craig Cash Henry Normal (1998) Carmel Morgan (1999) Phil Mealey (2006–2012)
Directed by
Mark Mylod Steve Bendelack Caroline Aherne
Starring
Ricky Tomlinson Sue Johnston Caroline Aherne Ralf Little Craig Cash Liz Smith Jessica Hynes Peter Martin Doreen Keogh Geoffrey Hughes Sheridan Smith Andrew Whyment
Opening theme
"Half the World Away" by Oasis
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Original language
English
No. of series
3
No. of episodes
25 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer
Andy Harries
Producers
Glenn Wilhide (1998) Kenton Allen (1999–2000) John Rushton (2006–2009)
14 September 1998 (1998-09-14) – 25 December 2012 (2012-12-25)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)
The Royle Family is a British sitcom produced by Granada Television for the BBC, which ran for three series from 1998 to 2000, and specials from 2006 to 2012.[1][2] It centres on the lives of a television-fixated Manchester family, the Royles, comprising family patriarch Jim Royle (Ricky Tomlinson), his wife Barbara (Sue Johnston), their daughter Denise (Caroline Aherne), their son Antony (Ralf Little) and Denise's fiancé (later husband) David (Craig Cash).
The series features simple production values and a comic portrayal of working-class family life at the turn of the millennium. It therefore has something in common with kitchen sink drama. Almost all of the episodes take place in the Royles' home, largely in the telly-centric living room, with the humour derived from the conversations held therein. Aherne and Cash co-wrote every episode, along with Henry Normal (series one), Carmel Morgan (series two), and Phil Mealey (five Christmas specials). The later specials are presented in a more traditional sitcom format. A further special episode was set to be written, but Aherne was ill and died on 2 July 2016, effectively ending the programme.
In the British Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest British television programmes drawn up in 2000 and voted on by industry professionals, The Royle Family was placed 31st. In a 2001 Channel 4 poll, Jim Royle, the misanthropic head of the household known for such mocking phrases as "my arse!", was ranked eleventh on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters.[3] In a 2004 BBC poll to find Britain's Best Sitcom, The Royle Family was placed 19th. The series also won several BAFTA awards. In 2020, The Royles were voted the UK 3rd favourite TV family behind The Simpsons and the Trotters.
^"The Royle Family – Queen of Sheba". BBC Press Office. Retrieved 5 November 2006.
^"'Royle Family' won't return in 2013". Digital Spy. 9 July 2013.
^"100 Greatest TV Characters". Channel 4. Archived from the original on 31 May 2009. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
TheRoyleFamily is a BAFTA award-winning television sitcom produced by Granada Television for the BBC. It stars Ricky Tomlinson, Sue Johnston, Caroline...
known for performing as the acerbic chat show host Mrs Merton, in various roles in The Fast Show, and as Denise in TheRoyleFamily (1998–2012), a series...
Royle is a surname. The surname may derive from Ryal in Northumberland, England. People: Amanda Royle (born 1962), English actress, second daughter of...
"Half the World Away" is a song by English rock band Oasis. It is well known as the theme tune to the popular BBC sitcom TheRoyleFamily. The song was...
television comedy, including playing Antony Royle in TheRoyleFamily (1998–2000, 2006, 2009–2010) and Jonny Keogh in the first six series of Two Pints of Lager...
heated debate". The Independent. Christie, Desmond (24 September 1999). "A right Royle farce". The Guardian. Wickham, Phill. "TheRoyleFamily". BFI Screenonline...
known works are in the television shows TheRoyleFamily, The Fast Show, The Mrs Merton Show, Early Doors, Sunshine and most recently The Café, Rovers and...
in the soap opera Brookside (1982–1988), DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker (1993–2006) and Jim Royle in TheRoyleFamily (1998–2012). He also played the titular...
his career directing comedy shows such as Shooting Stars, The Fast Show, and TheRoyleFamily, for which he received two BAFTA TV Awards. After transitioning...
portraying the role of Darren Sinclair-Jones in the BBC sitcom TheRoyleFamily and Kirk Sutherland on Coronation Street. Whyment trained at the Laine Johnson...
prominence after playing a variety of characters on sitcoms such as TheRoyleFamily (1999–2000), Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (2001–2009)...
1997. From 1998 to 2000, she played the supporting role of Cheryl in the hit sitcom TheRoyleFamily; she reprised the role for special episodes in 2006...
Nights and in the video for the Comic Relief single Is This the Way to Amarillo? In 2000, she appeared in an episode of TheRoyleFamily, playing Twiggy's...
Best TV comedy actor: Ricky Tomlinson (TheRoyleFamily) Best TV comedy actress: Caroline Aherne (TheRoyleFamily, Mrs Merton and Malcolm). Best male comedy...
Courtenay also appeared in the 2008 Christmas special of the BBC show TheRoyleFamily, playing the role of Dave's father, David Sr. In 2002, based on an...
Runcorn, and The IT Crowd (2006–2013), about IT colleagues. TheRoyleFamily Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash wrote the 25 episodes of TheRoyleFamily (1998–2012)...
Froggatt appeared in the Royle Family Christmas special, "Joe's Crackers", as Saskia, the girlfriend of Antony Royle. Despite having been mentioned by...
Citizen Smith, Nightingales, My Family Maureen Lipman (born 1946), Agony, Agony Again Ralf Little (born 1980), TheRoyleFamily, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet...
programme Why We Love theRoyleFamily, along with Noel Gallagher, in his capacity as a fan of the television sitcom TheRoyleFamily. In May 2012, Heaton...
Nominated in the 2007 BAFTAs for Best Situation Comedy, alongside Green Wing and Pulling, it lost to TheRoyleFamily. In 2008, the series won the International...
Son Porridge Human Remains I'm Alan Partridge The Office TheRoyleFamily Spaced (a sitcom depicting the realistic, everyday lives and emotional dramas...
stars alongside Toby Jones. The series is set in the fictional small town of Danebury in north Essex. The plot revolves around the lives, loves and metal-detecting...
a mix of the ITV comedy show Harry Hill's TV Burp, which looked back at the previous week's television, and the BBC sitcom TheRoyleFamily, which centres...
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