Royle Exclusive: Behind The Sofa

A definitive look at square-eyed sitcom The Royle Family, featuringouttakes and exclusive interviews with cast, crew and famous fans.

Throughout the 1990s, The Royle Family became the ultimate situation comedy. Harking back to the halcyon days of British sitcoms, The Fast Show's Caroline Aherne and her writing partner Craig Cash constructed a deceptively simple premise - write a comedy series based around one family who more or less lived in one room.

This boiled down and concentrated art of comedy became a huge, award-winning success; a sitcom that both reflected the 21st century British family's tendency to use the television as the social glue that bound them together, and poked fun at it.

Creators and stars Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash reveal the story and inspiration behind the Royles, and introduce material never seen before on British TV.

This exclusive celebration of the sitcom features warm and witty interviews with Royle cast members Liz Smith MBE, Sue Johnston OBE, Ricky Tomlinson, Ralf Little, Jessica Hynes, Sheridan Smith and Geoffrey Hughes.

Meanwhile writer Phil Mealey and luminary fans of the series Catherine Tate, Paul Whitehouse, Willy Russell, Jimmy McGovern and Henry Normal also share their fondest recollections of this enduring comedy.

Denise: "Dad, stop fiddling with yourself."
Jim: "I'm not fiddling with meself. I paid a quid for these underpants and I've got 50 pence worth stuck up me arse."