The Royle Family

1
The Royle Family

• BBC 1998- 2006
• 19 (3 series) 1 2006 special

2
Love it or hate it?

• The Royle Family (1998-2000) restored public and
  critical confidence in the sitcom in the UK and
  changed the direction of the genre.
• The show's popular success ensured that sitcom's
  supporters could again point out the form's
  ability to resonate with a mass audience and
  become a kind of cultural shorthand.
• By 2000 most of the nation were familiar with Jim
  Royle's characteristic cry, "My Arse!"
  (Synchronising motif)

3

• The programme has many elements of the
  traditional family sitcom but creators Craig Cash
  and Caroline Aherne set a different course,
  ignoring the usual laughter of the studio
  audience and conventional lighting and acting
  styles, which might spoil the intimacy of our
  relations with the Royles.
• This intimacy comes from the attention to
  realism - very little actually happens in the
  show beyond the everyday rhythms of life TV,
  dinner, cups of tea and the occasional marriage
  or birth.

4

• Use of humour
• Instead of witty one-liners and funny plots, the
  jokes are those that people in a family would
  make about each other.
• The humour lies in recognition. We understand the
  truths told about family life and gradually get
  to know the subtleties of each character, so that
  we can predict what their responses are going to
  be.
• Jim (Ricky Tomlinson) is intelligent, but bitter
  and idle, berating poor Anthony (Ralf Little) to
  put the kettle on when he never leaves his own
  armchair. His wife Barbara (Sue Johnston) is nice
  but downtrodden, not least by her demanding
  daughter Denise (Aherne), who has never held down
  a job, nags husband Dave (Cash) and in the third
  series, controversially, neglects her baby.

5

• Sitcom Functions
• The family's quirks are brought into relief by
  deftly drawn supporting characters, particularly
  Barbara's wily but repetitive mother Norma (Liz
  Smith) and Denise's put-upon friend Cheryl
  (Jessica Stevenson).
• As in all the best sitcoms, there is a darkness
  underlying the laughter. An undercurrent of
  bullying, neglect and disappointment runs through
  that front room but, as Aherne has said, there is
  a lot of love there too.
• The series has great respect for ordinary people
  and their lives and a belief that they are both
  interesting and funny.
• The Royle Family is the depiction of the
  spirit-crushingly banal drudgery of everyday
  working-class housebound existence.

6

• The Northern Connection
• The theme tune, 'Half the world away' written and
  sung by Manchester band Oasis.What are the
  connotations?
• Set in a Manchester council House.
• Mancunian humour is 'irreverence'. Can be
  described as sardonic' and sarcastic. There
  are the endless put-downs - northern humour can
  be very caustic and abrasive.
• Colloquial language- find examples
• Is it a true representation?