The Royle Family | |
---|---|
Title card
|
|
Genre | Sitcom |
Created by |
Caroline Aherne Craig Cash |
Written by |
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 Andrew Whyment Sheridan Smith |
Opening theme | Oasis: "Half the World Away" |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of series | 3 |
No. of episodes | 25 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Andy Harries |
Producer(s) |
Glenn Wilhide (1998) Kenton Allen (1999–2000) John Rushton (2006–09) |
Location(s) | Granada Studios |
Cinematography | Dick Dodd |
Editor(s) | Tony Cranstoun |
Running time | 30–60 mins |
Production company(s) |
Granada Productions (1998–2008) ITV Studios (2009-2012) |
Release | |
Original network |
BBC Two (1998) BBC One (1999-2012) |
Audio format | Stereo |
Original release | 14 September 1998 – 25 December 2000 Specials: 29 October 2006 – 25 December 2012 |
External links | |
Website | www |
The Royle Family is a British television sitcom produced by ITV Studios for the BBC, which ran for three series from 1998-2000, and specials from 2006-12. It centres on the lives of a scruffy 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 stereotypical portrayal of low income 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). A sixth special episode was set to be written, but writer and actress who played Denise, Caroline Aherne died on 2 July 2016 effectively ending the programme.
In a list of the 100 greatest British television programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000 and voted on by industry professionals, The Royle Family was placed 31st. In a 2004 poll to find Britain's best sitcom, The Royle Family was placed nineteenth. The series has also won several BAFTA awards.
Most episodes appear to take place in real time and all action takes place within the Royles' council house home. (The passage of time as indicated by the changing programmes on the Royles' TV sometimes suggests that the action has been compressed.)
Unlike most UK sitcoms of the time, the show was filmed in 16 mm film using the single camera production style, instead of the multiple-camera production style, and was not filmed with a live audience. The producer Glenn Wilhide is on record as saying, "It was a big fight to make sure it had no laughter track".