One of my favourites is when they hummed the Radiohead tune at Baby David's Christening, that was funny and moving.
Your favourite Royle Family moment Page 2
Quote: Tim Walker @ November 6 2009, 12:24 PM GMTYes, well there's a lot of mawkishness in this show...
Quote: Tim Walker @ November 6 2009, 10:49 AM GMTWhat, like the "cultural references" to the TV shows they are watching?
I don't think you had to have grown up in the 'Four Yorkshiremen' sketch to understand the references at all.
Actually... what cultural references?
What I mean is the stuff like Twiggy coming round with his bag full of knocked-off gear. The men escaping to The Feathers whenever they could. The fact that Wagon Wheels were a real treat. The casual chain-smoking. The fact that a neighbour getting a new car would cause the entire family to rush over and peer out of the window in awe. I remember all this type of stuff from my childhood, and it's a warm, fuzzy feeling.
There's a shot at the end of the Christmas special where the Royles leave the house to take Denise to hospital, and the camera lingers in the lounge, slowly going over all the old photos, tacky ornaments, crap spindly tinsel, and it's so incredibly well-observed it's like I'm a teenager, back at Mum and Dad's.
So I disagree, Tim. If you watch The Royle Family and sit there feeling vastly-superior to them, you're never going to truly 'get' the spirit of the show.
Quote: bigfella @ November 6 2009, 8:28 AM GMT"Wafer thin ham. Can she have wafer thin ham Barbara?"
Yes, same here, I like the funny bits.
I really don't like the mawkish 'meaningful' scenes much.
Quote: zooo @ November 6 2009, 12:43 PM GMTYes, same here, I like the funny bits.
I really don't like the mawkish 'meaningful' scenes much.
That's partly why I set up this thread as I love the meaningful scenes but I was wondering whether that was what appealed to other people.
Quote: Lee Henman @ November 6 2009, 12:38 PM GMTThe fact that a neighbour getting a new car would cause the entire family to rush over and peer out of the window in awe.
I loved that. Linda Leggings wasn't it?
Quote: Lee Henman @ November 6 2009, 12:38 PM GMTWhat I mean is the stuff like Twiggy coming round with his bag full of knocked-off gear. The men escaping to The Feathers whenever they could. The fact that Wagon Wheels were a real treat. The casual chain-smoking. The fact that a neighbour getting a new car would cause the entire family to rush over and peer out of the window in awe. I remember all this type of stuff from my childhood, and it's a warm, fuzzy feeling.
There's a shot at the end of the Christmas special where the Royles leave the house to take Denise to hospital, and the camera lingers in the lounge, slowly going over all the old photos, tacky ornaments, crap spindly tinsel, and it's so incredibly well-observed it's like I'm a teenager, back at Mum and Dad's.
So I disagree, Tim. If you watch The Royle Family and sit there feeling vastly-superior to them, you're never going to truly 'get' the spirit of the show.
Yes, I sit in my castle and whinge about these "obscure Northern references" to my butler constantly. All the stuff you've mentioned above is easily accessible to me from my memories of growing up. Honestly, we aren't that different down here in the South, you know!
I think the show was good, but not as great as the received wisdom seems to suggest. It often relied too much on mawkishness, sentimentality and was sometimes incredibly patronising to working class people - notably the last Christmas special.
(And believe it or not, Lee, but I don't feel "superior" to anyone. 
)
Quote: zooo @ November 6 2009, 12:43 PM GMTYes, same here, I like the funny bits.
I really don't like the mawkish 'meaningful' scenes much.
Aw, I do. It's those kind of moments that despite all the bickering and piss taking and having a favourite child and calling the one who does everything 'lazy', you know you've got to love your family warts and all.
I guess so. I suppose I see the fact that they love each other really as implied, so I don't like it to be too explicit. Or something.
Also middle-class families have dominated sitcoms for decades and the working class were written about by middle-class men; there's an awful lot of honesty in The Royle Family, good and bad.
Quote: zooo @ November 6 2009, 1:01 PM GMTI guess so. I suppose I see the fact that they love each other really as implied, so I don't like it to be too explicit. Or something.
It could be said working class families - often because of their literal closeness - have a bond that middle class families just don't. I'm talking as someone from between the two who has mixed with each.
Quote: Tim Walker @ November 6 2009, 12:57 PM GMT(And believe it or not, Lee, but I don't feel "superior" to anyone.
Quote: Tim Walker @ November 6 2009, 10:56 AM GMTPersonally, I don't feel I need to live in the zoo to be able to understand how the animals behave.
Ahem. 
Quote: Lee Henman @ November 6 2009, 1:44 PM GMTAhem.
Was the irony not apparent enough? I know I'm no Ricky Gervais, but...
Jim quashing Denise's suggestion they apply to go on Family Fortunes:
"They're thick as shit those families and Les Dennis isn't much better, put his brain in a walnut and you'd hear it rattle."
I too gave up on this after the second series, it really became too smaltzy for my tastes.
Much preferred Craig Cash's Early Doors.
Quote: Tim Walker @ November 6 2009, 1:50 PM GMTWas the irony not apparent enough? I know I'm no Ricky Gervais, but...
Perhaps we need an "irony" emoticon.
(Some around here could perhaps adopt that as their avatar? )