Quote: PhilSug @ December 25 2012, 11:13 PM GMTWell it went really seriously downhill after the first 20 minutes. And when I say downhill, I mean it was heading straight for a brick wall.
You missed Jim Royle with a pony tail giving Joe a makeover.
No, really.
Agreed first 20 mins seemed like classic Royles to me, but then the Joe make over thing just reminded me of when Dave and Denise were cooking the Turkey a few years back - music in the background making silly faces.
Didn't see it because I never liked the show, failed completely to see why so many did etc. Just commenting on its airing, Christmas day airing, delayed by a year due to script not being ready. So presumably the Beeb read the scrpt when it eventually arrived? They gave them an extra year to finish it, a 60 minute script, and evidently it was pretty poor.
So, the BBC just rubber stamps commissions for scripts from returning writers does it? If I'd given someone a further year to produce a good quality script fit for Christmas day broadcast and they handed me a pile of crap I'd throw it back at them and take their BBC passes away. If it was rubbish then why on earth did the Beeb screen it?! 
Quote: jhmagic1 @ December 26 2012, 12:27 PM GMTAgreed first 20 mins seemed like classic Royles to me,
Even the first 20 minutes was far from classic as the characters were still parodies of their former selves - does Denise really not know where they keep the milk??
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ December 26 2012, 12:52 PM GMTIf it was rubbish then why on earth did the Beeb screen it?!
The BBC may well not think it was rubbish. It seems to me that Aherne and Cash are now delivering precisely what the BBC want. Namely a broad comedy that does seem popular with a wide audience (ratings are good for these specials and there was pretty widespread praise for it on Twitter last night from what I saw).
Aherne and Cash seem to have deliberately taken the show in a totally different direction to what they originally fought so hard for it to be. If someone had told them to include a comedy montage, set to music, in the original series they'd have walked away there and then.
I thought there were some good lines scattered here and there, and of course the central performances were decent. To be honest, I thought the ending was worse than the montage even (and that looked like someone's ill-thought out plan to recreate Notting Hill with North West pensioners): I mean, I don't mind a bit of Christmas sentimentality, but that was so painfully obvious from the first few minutes that it had no effect.
I reckon the failure to hit the right emotional spot with the characters is a worse crime that shooting for some dumbass obvious gags (some of which still make me chuckle, in all honesty).
I also find it amusing that they still have the same credits, so you start the show with a big close up on someone who hasn't been in the show since the last millennium 
I thought it was dreadful too as if it was written by a teenager. It was toilet humour at its worst and was way back in the 60s. It's had its day I'm afraid.
Think we've seen the last of The Royle Family; pity it had to end like that.
Felt like a first draft of a script to be honest, which is odd given the gestation period. Someone needed to trim some of the jokes from the opening to get it back to the original beat, make the ending funny and point out that even if you could get away with the musical montage Jim Royle would never wear a smart shirt to give Joe a makeover. It missed any reference to Anthony more than it missed Ralf Little as well.
I realise the constant jokes and montage might have worked in the episode's favour for audience members that prefer the likes of Miranda and Mrs. Brown's Boys but as an episode of The Royle Family, only the acting saved it really.
Agree that the comedy-free ending was weaker than the comedy montage. Since we all knew Jim had bought a ring, the scene didn't really work as drama either since the only real tension was waiting for a funny line that never came. The most obvious of many comedy possibilities they'd set up was for the ring to end up on the wrong plate and then stuck in nice Irish lady's lovely new teeth.
(cue Denise to say something stupid about it being terrible how Christmas pudding makers carelessly left their rings in puddings; Barbara to murmur her agreement and Jim to explode with frustration because they all missed his grand gesture).
Good ideas there
I'm a big fan but what a let down 
Amazed it got filmed. Such a wasted opportunity. Surely when they wrote it they couldn't have thought it was genuinely funny, could they? And to think Phil Mealey hand his hand in on this also.
Ok, some bits did amuse but that was all.
And now their family and friends are gonna 'ave to lie to 'em when they see 'em and say 'Oh yeah, it was great! We all loved it'...
Loved it, my arse!
'kin shite!
I thought it was brilliant, great touch at the end there.
ITT people need to get out of each others asses.
ITT?
Quote: zooo @ December 26 2012, 6:20 PM GMTITT?
'in this thread'. Not that I agree with him; I thought it was terrible, the low-point being the 'Joe montage'. 
You're the "ITT Crowd"! 
I too thought it was enjoyable.
Suspend belief for an hour and be in the mood to be entertained and The Royle Family will deliver.
If you are going to watch with a critical eye then you will be happy to point out the flaws. I laughed with Jim as his laughter got more hysterical and loved Joe's new lady friend (as daft as him - a perfect match).
I dumbed down my humour expectancy and enjoyed the whole show. 
Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ December 26 2012, 6:59 PM GMTSuspend belief for an hour and be in the mood to be entertained and The Royle Family will deliver.
That may well be the case for many people, but it's pretty much the direct opposite of what the show was when it started.
Quote: PhilSug @ December 26 2012, 7:33 PM GMTThat may well be the case for many people, but it's pretty much the direct opposite of what the show was when it started.
This
