The Royle Family

I wasn't sure what to make of "The Royle Family" when I first saw it. It tends to meander a lot and if you're looking for action and excitement - forget it. But I stuck with it and after the first couple of episodes I was hooked. I've never seen such brilliantly observed characters on the small screen. They have been superbly created by the writers and brought to startlingly real life by a wonderful cast of actors.

Anyone who thinks this show is boring is really missing the subtlety of it. If you live in working class England, be it Newcastle, Liverpool, London, Manchester or just about any of the big cities, you'll know these people. You may even find elements of yourself or your friends in there. This is real English life; you might not want to believe me but it's true - I've seen it, I've grown up with it.

The closest American TV has come to depicting working class characters in a humorous way is with "Roseanne", "Grace Under Fire" and "Married with Children". While they all have their place in the lexicon of blue collar comedy, none of them could come close to matching "The Royle Family" because the humour is too obvious to be realistic. With this wonderful show you can find yourself laughing at an exchange between the mother and future son-in-law that involves nothing more sophisticated than him telling her what he had for his tea. But it works! It really is funny and if you can't see that then it's a real shame because you're missing out on something very special.

A classic - simple as that.

An excellent cast given a superb script creates a minor comedy gem. Set in the downtrodden post-industrial north of England, the action rarely strays outside the living room of the titular wisecracking family, as tightwad patriarch Jim Royle (Ricky Tomlinson) holds court, kept in check by long-suffering wife Barbara (Sue Johnston, who had previously played Tomlinson's wife in the soap Brookside) and ordering around young son Antony (the remarkably assured debutant Ralf Little). The storyline of the first series revolves around the impending marriage of daughter Denise (Caroline Aherne) to her boyfriend Dave (Craig Cash), but the show is more about one-liners and character interplay than plotline; writers Aherne, Cash and Henry Normal keep the gags coming relentlessly as the action meanders in real time. A second series is in the works.

If you're not fully versed with British humour, and in particular humour from the Liverpool-Manchester area, then this may not be the show for you. The script is brilliant, the delivery even brillianter, with standout performances by Liz Smith as Nanna and Ricky Tomlinson as Jim. To mention only two of the cast by name seems unfair indeed, as the whole cast are real - too real.

I thought the Brits had done everything they were capable of doing comedy-wise, but this show just seems to come out of nowhere, although in truth it comes out of the lounge-rooms of working class families all over the world.

There's sharp, as well as subtle, observation of rituals which occur in one form or another within many families. From endless goings-on to do with Denise's wedding, to using young Antony as the perpetual errand boy to the `offy', to Jim's frequent visits to have a `tom tit', to Nanna's musings about being a non-drinker (except for the champagne, and the sherry, and of course, the stout), this show is a gem which will certainly remain as a social commentary of the times for years to come.

We've only had access to BBC Canada for a few weeks now, but I'm finding myself making sure that I'm in front of the tv at 8:30 on Tuesday nights. I can't think of any Canadian or American shows that I HAVE to watch, even season premieres or finales! The Royle Family is unlike anything I've ever watched before; nothing happens but it's riveting! The characters rarely move from their couch, and when they do, it's just to stray into the kitchen to brew a cuppa. It makes American humour seem extremely brash and forced. Two thumbs up!!

Now and then comes along a perfect series (Fawlty Towers and The Office spring to mind) everybody loves them and everybody is right!! Any great show is built on the writing and the writing here is near perfect. Any show which can run over 18 episodes and 2 specials and only use 1 set AND be funny every time is genius!! Caroline Aherene has been quoted as saying this is her best work and she is right. Tha acting is the icing on the cake of course, with special mention to Sue Johnson who should get loads of work. The whole point is the exquisite, REAL language and very few visual gags. This looks and feels real all the time and runs through all human emotion; ultimately 'though it is a show about love. 11 out of 10!!!