Royle Family xmas special

fryup

Well did you watch it last night?

I enjoyed it i must say a return to form, was dreading it after the dire campervan special they did a few years back, but it passed an hour for me nicely.

ScummyMan

I loved it, thought it was hilarious!

Better than that Mrs Browns Boys sh!ite on at the same time anyway.

DonKing

Brenden O'Carroll has to be the luckiest "Comedian" there has ever been. I could never understand how much airplay he was getting on the late late over the years never mind the BBC now!

The Royal Family was pretty good this year....there were a few laughs alright. What happened to Anthony(Ralf Little)? I was expecting him to make an appearance. I think he was in the show only briefly for the last Christmas special.

sweetie

Dangnabbit I presumed this was a reheat!

Domyno

Wasn't sure what to expect from this one but I loved it. Very funny!

murpho999

Amazed at the positive reactions here.

I really thought it was awful.

This used to be ground breaking comedy as it was just people sitting around the TV and nothing actually happened. Sharp dialogue was the winner.

Now they have made Dave totally gormless, which he wasn't always like and ridicule that.
Joe, the neighbour. was funny because he hardly every spoke and just sang the odd time

The whole dating plot and then finding a woman with fake Irish accent was very contrived as was the predictable ring in the cake.

Really think the writers are struggling and are just making them for the sake of it and the pay cheque. It's a pity.

leggo

Gutted to say I didn't enjoy it either. They've made it into slapstick comedy. It used to be subtle but genius. Now it's like an English Mrs Brown's Boys.

Tipsy McSwagger

murpho999 wrote: »

Amazed at the positive reactions here.

I really thought it was awful.

This used to be ground breaking comedy as it was just people sitting around the TV and nothing actually happened. Sharp dialogue was the winner.

Now they have made Dave totally gormless, which he wasn't always like and ridicule that.
Joe, the neighbour. was funny because he hardly every spoke and just sang the odd time

The whole dating plot and then finding a women with fake Irish accent was very contrived as was the predictable ring in the cake.

Really think the writers are struggling and are just making them for the sake of it and the pay cheque. It's pity.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

movingsucks

Didn't like it, it started off well enough but it was so disjointed. I hate the Joe character so way too much time was dedicated to him and he's nothing without Cheryl. No way would someone as lazy as Denise or Jim actually bother helping Joe out either.
No mention of the Anthony and his children, strange but not totally unexpected.
What was the point of Carol?
It's like the wrote half the story last year, didn't get it finished and then hammed some stuff together to finish it for this year.
Booooo
Love the Royles but this was total mince.

Skid

It was very disappointing. The first half was alright but Joe's Vacant Lady part felt like it would never end. If it had been cut down to about 40 minutes it might have been passable but it dragged on forever.

The writing is so poor compared to the past. Have a look on Youtube for the episode where Denise has her Baby. The writing, and the acting between Jim and Denise when she went into Labour was so moving and well executed. This year it was mostly just cartoon like gags about Dave's thickness and Denise's meanness etc. Also, I am not a prude but I could have done without a plot about erectile disfunction when sitting down with the family for the Christmas Day episode .

Liam McPoyle

My god this was horrible,watched the first 35 minutes and switched it off.

Its at the stage that its sullying the memory of one of the best British sitcoms of modern times.

What used to be sharp and witty has descended into terribly poor writing replacing the once brilliant dialogue with lame attempts at being funny using smut.

I hope thats the last we see of it.

super_furry

The whole thing just felt empty. If you can't get the cast together for whatever reason, you just shouldn't bother. Anthony, Darren, Cheryl, Mary, Nana and Twiggy were all conspicuous by their absence and bringing in new faces just to fill space is a waste of time.

Tipsy McSwagger

Its going the same way as Only Fools & Horses, ruined by poor Xmas specials.

Dynamo Roller1

DonKing wrote: »

Brenden O'Carroll has to be the luckiest "Comedian" there has ever been. I could never understand how much airplay he was getting on the late late over the years never mind the BBC now!

The Royal Family was pretty good this year....there were a few laughs alright. What happened to Anthony(Ralf Little)? I was expecting him to make an appearance. I think he was in the show only briefly for the last Christmas special.

In all fairness his older stuff was great when it was fresh but fair play to Brendan he deserves to make a few quid now cos he worked very hard to get where he is.

Lyn256

Have to say it was awful. Really disappointing.
I actually paused it after 5 mins to ask my partner if it was just me or was the writing really poor and he thought it was crap too.
Have to agree with some of the other comments-poor and an endurance to watch.It was best when they were just on the sofa-I mean when was it full of slapstick and all about Joe. It was like someone else wrote, produced and directed it and put it in the same location with the same characters-nothing like the great episodes of the past. It just didn't ring true

For me very very poor and disappointing (Loved outnumbered and Friday night dinner christams special)-much better

murpho999

Skid wrote: »

It was very disappointing. The first half was alright but Joe's Vacant Lady part felt like it would never end. If it had been cut down to about 40 minutes it might have been passable but it dragged on forever.

The writing is so poor compared to the past. Have a look on Youtube for the episode where Denise has her Baby. The writing, and the acting between Jim and Denise when she went into Labour was so moving and well executed. This year it was mostly just cartoon like gags about Dave's thickness and Denise's meanness etc. Also, I am not a prude but I could have done without a plot about erectile disfunction when sitting down with the family for the Christmas Day episode .

Jim asking Denise if she was sure she hadn't had a great big piss when her waters broke still cracks me up.

Lyn256

murpho999 wrote: »

Jim asking Denise if she was sure she hadn't had a great big piss when her waters broke still cracks me up.

Or the Queen of Sheba episode-that was brilliant-a classic!

ArmaniJeanss

I thought it was shockingly terrible, huge segments were utterly unwatchable.

To be charitable there just might have been a passable 28 minute episode in there somewhere, if you cut out basically all the Joe stuff, and ruthlessly edited about 30% of the rest. The BBC do Aherne/Cash no favours by indulging them with 60 minutes.

steirishrover

I missed it last night... Will their be a repeat on anytime soon or will I have to wait til next Xmas on uktv gold?

murpho999

steirishrover wrote: »

I missed it last night... Will their be a repeat on anytime soon or will I have to wait til next Xmas on uktv gold?

For your sake I hope it's not repeated, you're better off not seeing it.

plein de force

it was truly awful, such a shame compared to how hilarious and genius it used to be. they should just not do anymore and leave it there so as not to wreck the memory of a once brilliant show

Max Headroom

One word "memorable".......for being the worst thing on the telly this chrimbo...it was utterly sad..first 5 minutes looked promising but then FF....play...FF....play ....FF....end...
It reminded me a bit of when Last of the summer wine went sh1t....the jokes were dragged on , the line repetition got very tiresome....i hope there are no more episodes if this is what the writers have decided is funny....TRF..rip..

gjc

When Dave got aroused at the table, was cringeworthy, they all clapping and cheering, didnt get one laugh in the entire programme, shame cos i do generally like them

mobby

Pure Rubbish turned it off after 20mins.

padd b1975

I always cringe, when they start singing.

This has Craig Cash written all over it, he also wrote Early Doors which was quite good apart from the spontaneous singing which just looked out of place.

Comic Book Guy

Watched it last night and it was embarrassingly bad for what was once a top notch comedy. How did this pass by bbc top brass for a christmas day prime time slot?

The special 2 years ago in the camper van looked top class when compared to this one. We sat thru the whole hour more out of loyalty and a sense that surely it will come good.

This episode was such a parody of itself- Dave is gormless, denise is a bad parent etc.

leggo

padd b1975 wrote: »

I always cringe, when they start singing.

This has Craig Cash written all over it, he also wrote Early Doors which was quite good apart from the spontaneous singing which just looked out of place.

I thought they were relying on music as a bit of a crutch. I mean, you look back at, say, when they all danced to 'Mambo No 5'. That was a seminal moment in the show's history (one we all remember fondly). And you also look back at when they used to break into sing-songs, that worked well because that's something families do from time-to-time.

But in this episode they just seem to throw a catchy song into every scene. It was a bit needy, as if to say, "This scene isn't very good. So you know how you probably like this song? Please transfer how much you like the song into the scene itself..." Or when they would hit a wall while writing the show, they'd have Jim start randomly singing to somehow try and pull it back together. It didn't work, at all.

miamee

I was raging I missed this as my dad assumed it was a repeat so we didn't switch it on. Not so raging after reading the comments here though!

super_furry wrote: »

The whole thing just felt empty. If you can't get the cast together for whatever reason, you just shouldn't bother. Anthony, Darren, Cheryl, Mary, Nana and Twiggy were all conspicuous by their absence and bringing in new faces just to fill space is a waste of time.

I presume some of them are working on other projects but the actor who played Twiggy died,
I think it was earlier this year and Liz Smith (Nana) is 91 years old. Not to mention she died in the program One of the saddest episodes ever.

There was a top ten Royle Family moments on last night as chosen by the cast. Top moment was when Barbara was doing Nana's hair in curlers and they are having some laughs then Nana takes Barbara by the hand and thanks her for not putting her in a home and looking after her. Heartbreaking stuff and fantastic tv.

dcmm

Well, I thought it was me, hating the Royle family's Christmas effort on my own.
Thanks to boardsies similar opinions I dont feel so out there!
The subject of Dave's dysfunction was so unfunny and crassly treated, I started yawning early.
Giving the next door neighbour a speaking part was bad enough,without the yawn:(,"vacant lady" scenario. His character was originally strengthened by his verbal silence and golden singing voice when he was allowed to be heard.
The turn off point for me was cuddling Nana's waxy cotton bud:mad:UGH:mad:!
What a disappointment, so this is what success does to writers of sitcoms,mmm
glad I've loads of reading material.

Morgans

It was better than the Pride of Prestathyn one and the christmas special where Dave and Denise cooked the dinner. Those were god-awful. This was slightly better.

Its as if they a team to look at why the Royle Family series was funny before, deconstruct it and then make an episode back out of it.

One idea that they seemed to think is funny is the repetition of phrases. Where they sit around and each one repeats the line - thankfully there was only one parachuted in this time - with Dave, Denise and Barbara repeating stuff on the couch.

Completely lacking the guile of them eating flakes and saying nothing as the camera panned around in the original series.

Every character now existing as a "highlight reel" of themselves. If the BBC left Cash and Aherne alone to get on with their lives, they would be doing everyone a favour.

gjc

"the actor who played Twiggy died,"


gosh did not know that rip

Mick Murdock

I haven't a watched a lot of the recent episodes as I was so disappointed with the bits I saw, but did sit down to watch this years episode - and what a mistake that was!! Worst piece of television I have seen since an episode of Mrs Brown's Boys a few years ago! Absolute drivel.

Most of the characters have completely changed and barely resemble their former selves. Joe being the prime example.

Whoever is head of comedy at the BBC should be shot!


SHÍTE!

FloatingVoter

gjc wrote: »

"the actor who played Twiggy died,"


gosh did not know that rip

Yeah, Geoffrey Hughes. Bloody great talent. RIP

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0400616/

keano_afc

Wont be watching it anymore. Its turned into a parody of itself. Slapstick rubbish.

grey_so_what

I watched the program, was so disappointed.....didn't like it at all, Jim's character has gone so filthy (as in dirty) it made me feel a bit sick looking at the vest...As for Dave's "Dickie".....just didn't work as a plot for Christmas Day...ugh!

Cheryl was sorely missed and as for the "vacant woman" story line......less said the better....The only laugh I got was when Joe called Philomena "Philadelphia"....

No. Was really looking forward to better.

Aglomerado

dcmm wrote: »

The turn off point for me was cuddling Nana's waxy cotton bud:mad:UGH:mad:!
.

:eek:

Oh god I missed that bit! Thankfully.

I didn't like the Carol character, she was AWFUL!

One thing that astonished me: How come Ricky Tomlinson's legs are so hair free? He doesn't look like a Veet chap.

Lady Chatterton

I think they need to stop making these Christmas specials now, it would be better to leave us all to enjoy our good memories of the show! I for one will be sticking to my boxsets from now on. The Royle Family used to be so great. It was one of those comedies that had the power to move people to tears - (sad and happy tears all in the one episode).

The episode where Nana dies is one of the most moving scenes I've ever seen on TV, it was beautiful as was the episode with Denise and Jim in the bathroom as she goes into labour.

Someone mentioned Twiggy earlier - unfortunately the actor who played Twiggy, Geoffrey Hughes passed away in July 2012, he provided a lot of laughs during his time in the Royle Family, he'll be missed. It's hard to believe that he was 68, I always thought he looked younger than that.

This clip always makes me smile.


Geoffrey Hughes (RIP)