The Royle Family was a much-loved sitcom (Image: BBC)
It’s been a quarter of a century since first graced our screens, inviting us into the mundane yet endearing world of a Stockport family glued to their settee. Despite initial doubts about its appeal, the show became an iconic hit thanks to stellar performances and a brilliantly penned script.
The story began with the comedic genius of and Craig Cash, who conceived the show. Their partnership blossomed after meeting on a radio show in Stockport during the late eighties.
Caroline once quipped: “When I first met Craig when I got home on the very first day I’d met him I wrote in my diary, ‘I have just met the funniest man in the world’ and that’s because I’d run into someone on the way back.”
Their collaboration was nothing short of magical, leading them to work together on ‘The Mrs Merton Show’, where Caroline shone as the unforgettable elderly chat show host. By 1998, despite the rising success of ‘Mrs Merton’, it was Caroline’s vision to embark on a new project rooted in their working-class heritage, reports .
“She said ‘If you don’t do this, I’m not going to do another Mrs Merton show. Strong arm tactics but fortunately it worked,” Craig reveals about the birth of ‘The Royle Family’.
Caroline adds: “What we wanted to do was not the typical gags, so the comedy comes more out of the personality, the character. I had it in my head that it was a half hour slice of that family. I wanted to make it sound real, like they were real people.”
The Royle Family launched in 1998 (Image: PA)
In the beloved sitcom The Royle Family, Ricky Tomlinsons Jim Royle won the hearts of the nation despite his cantankerous demeanour. Known for his laziness that often sparked uproar at home, he became famous for his catchphrase “my a**e” which he’d blurt out during bouts of exasperation – like his comical retort, “Anne Robinson, my a**e. Watchdog? I am watching a bloody dog”.
Another iconic comedic moment was when Denise headed to her father with a common complaint, saying: “Dad, stop fiddling with yourself.” To which Jim groused back: “I’m not fiddling with meself. I paid a quid for these underpants and I’ve got 50 pence worth stuck up me arse.”
This banter set the stage for one of the show’s most heartfelt scenes in the series two finale, when the running storyline of Caroline Aherne’s character Denise’s pregnancy culminates with her going into labour.
In a touching moment on the show, Denise’s typically gruff father Jim shares a tender memory with her, saying: “When your mum put you in my arms and I looked at you…oh God, you were beautiful and I knew… I knew then…I’d do anything for you, anything for you.”
However, the sentiment is shattered by the arrival of Denise’s husband Dave, who she scolds furiously: “Trust you not to be here when me waters broke. You right useless lump of s***e.”
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The Royle Family starred Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash (Image: BBC)
The cast often struggled to keep a straight face during filming due to the humour that unfolded before the cameras. Caroline Aherne, known for her mischievous nature, would play pranks on her fellow actors to induce laughter – even going as far as spiking their tea with alcohol, according to Sue Johnston, who played the role of Barbara.
“We’d get to about Thursday and we’d been constantly filming and on that sofa and she’d suddenly call the producer over and she’d go, ‘John, I think we’ve all gone a bit flat, I think we need champagne.’ And it would come! We’d be drinking champagne in those mugs,” Sue disclosed.
On another occasion, Ricky received an unexpected call from Caroline on his day off, summoning him to the studio. Upon his arrival, she teased him about a wardrobe malfunction that supposedly cost the dearly.
Ricky Tomlinson, who played Jim, recalled: “She said, ‘when we were watching the rushes, one of your testicles was hanging out. One of your testicles was hanging out the side of your underpants!’
“‘It’s cost the a fortune to get it edited out, what do you say about that?'”
The 2009 Christmas special of The Royle Family was also a costly affair, with two days’ worth of footage scrapped due to a camera fault that decapitated everyone on screen. A tiny object in the lens led to a £100,000 reshoot for the entire cast.
Sue revealed the unique way the crew handled the actors’ uncontrollable laughter or tears on set. “We used to have to go and stand in the naughty corner if we cried or laughed,” she said.
By the final series, this ‘naughty corner’ had evolved into a mock prison, complete with bars and flashing lights, courtesy of the props department.
Ricky Tomlinson shared memories of Caroline Aherne, who passed away, noting her penchant for risque jokes. “There’s a million stories but you can’t tell them on the air because Caroline was one for playing pranks, but they were always a little bit rude,” he reminisced. “But she was wonderful and so, so missed.”
The Royle Family, while not royalty themselves, certainly caught the attention of the real-life Royal household. Ralf Little, who portrayed Antony, disclosed that both the late Queen and were among the show’s admirers.
Recalling a past encounter, he said: “Years ago, I happened to be at a party where was.”
“I got talking to a lot of Harry’s mates and one of them was like, ‘All of us love The Royle Family.’ I went, ‘Even the big man? ‘ He went, ‘Loves it. Him and his gran watch it all the time.’ Maybe it’s not true but I like to believe it is. It went from being this maybe being a Northern thing, to maybe it’s a working class thing, to apparently the Queen watching it.”