Can it be true, the one off special is to be broadcast in just over a weeks time called "Queen of Sheba" on Sunday 29th Oct at 21.00 followed by a documentary called "We love the Royle Family"
Have I miss all the publicity, they didn't hang about making that
I'm shaking with excitement, my all time favourite show.
Barry
i knew they were making the special but i expected it to be on nearer xmas itself. if sp i'm suprised there has been no advertisement for it!
I'm surprised as well the DVD will be released on the next day oddly on ITV DVD,
You can pre order it from
Where has all the publicity been?
Baby David has got big, But Jim still has the same T-shirt
Barry
This is taken from the BBC website
It has been nearly seven years since the nation's second most prestigious family sat around the television with a brew and now they are back to grace viewers with their presence for a one-off, hour-long special episode – but how has time changed them?
Has Jim turned into a hard-working, sensitive soul concerned only with the welfare of others? Has Barbara swapped her leggings for a Louis Vuitton bag? Has Dave taken charge of Denise and become the loquacious entrepreneur we all knew was inside him? Has Denise got more on her mind than her nails and watching Jerry Springer? Has Baby David grown up into an A-grade mini genius? Has our Antony jetted off to travel the world and experience new cultures? Has Nana got herself a toyboy and has the hapless Cheryl lost weight and become a footballer's wife?
Well, they have moved with the times but, luckily, not too far from that comfy old sofa and the fag-filled ashtray. The TV is bigger and better with more channels, of course, and although much remains the same one thing has, indeed, changed in the Royle household – Nana has moved in and taken up residence with the dining room as her boudoir.
With Dave reading her saucy books to her and Denise doing her nails, Nana is the centre of attention which Jim is happy to grumble about, especially when she steals his batteries from his remote control for her fan, leaving him forced to watch Location, Location, Location. However, Nana is too busy stirring up family renditions of Johnny Cash songs to notice.
Jim is still picking his nose and setting the world to rights from his armchair throne whilst ranting about how much Noel Edmonds and Graham Norton are on the TV; and when not sneaking off to The Feathers for a few sneaky halves, he is shamelessly making use of the newly installed stairlift. Barbara, when not doing her mam's hair or putting the kettle on, is still putting up with Jim's tantrums and coarse habits but is considering being fully laminated throughout – a prospect that Jim finds appalling.
Denise is pregnant again, sporting some fancy hair extensions and has mastered the use of Sky+ so that she can keep up with Trisha, and Dave is still as verbally dextrous as ever – well, not really, but he's still happy to make the tea. Baby David is now Little David and is a carbon copy of his dad, complete with matching leather jacket. And although his school thought he had attention deficit disorder, it turns out he just couldn't be bothered concentrating, much to everyone's relief.
Our Antony has grown up, is now a suited and booted business man, and pops in on his way to a conference in Milton Keynes. Jim finds his son's success immensely useful for cadging the odd £50.
Meanwhile, Cheryl is trying out some new diets and is now looking for love with an ad in the local lonely hearts column – "male aged any....own vehicle not necessary as father will drop off and pick up" – and brings her new beaux back to the Royle house to meet everyone.
But, as always with the family, the most important order of the day is what's on the telly and who is making the tea...
Quote: Britcom Barry @ October 19, 2006, 7:11 PMI'm surprised as well the DVD will be released on the next day oddly on ITV DVD
Just saw the trailer on BBC One for it, and the reason hit me - it was produced for the BBC by Granada.
I really hope that this will be as fabulous as all the original episodes. Certainly the trailer being shown looks good.
I've heard a lot of people in the media saying that after this first came on TV everybody had to re-think what a sitcom was. I remember in particular Victoria Wood saying that she thought that Dinnerladies looked tired and old fashioned compared to it (I have to disagree as I thought Dinnerladies was one of the best sitcoms in modern times, although that's another story)but I know what she meant.
Something as subtle and slow-paced as the Royle Family hadn't really been tried before and IMO it really worked. I'm not surprisd it won so many plaudits and awards.
Fingers crossed for tonight.
Fantastic!!
Brilliant writing and acting. What a joy!
I have to say that I thought the special was very disappointing last night. It seemed to be 2 quite different shows that were uneasily welded together. The first 20 minutes were probably intended to be funny but Jim's comments were more unpleasant than humourous and Ricky Tomlinson also shouted them with a lack of subtlety.
The more serious second half of the show was more successful and Sue Johnston's performance was superb. The scenes in the hospital only served to waste a few minutes though and some of the other moments (the dancing and the neighbour singing) had been done before. They were probably an intentional reference to earlier series but they only made me think about how far the show had declined.
I had a tear in my eye when Nana thanked Barbara for not putting her in a home.
It was great, very moving.
