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The Very Best Of The Royle Family [1998]
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Never departing from the house of lazy, good-for-nothing but defiantly sardonic Jim Royle (Ricky Tomlinson) and wife Barbara (Sue Johnston), The Royle Family chronicles the everyday chat and banal comings and goings of this Northern household, which barely qualifies as "working" class, since mostly they are slumped on the sofa in front of the telly in a cathode-induced stupor. Confused viewers waiting for something to "happen" in the conventional sitcom manner will be disappointed. What they'll get instead is an irresistible stream of dialogue that captures unerringly the humdrum cadences of "ordinary" people. These episodes capture the Royles in customary, festive mood--Denise's marriage, Christmas, baby David's birthday party and so forth--which is good, as we get to see more of Liz Smith's magnificent Nana. As each seemingly inconsequential scene vividly illustrates, this is hardly a romanticised family. Denise is an appallingly negligent mother, there's probably never been a green vegetable in the house, most of their friends, including Darren, are well dodgy, and mum Barbara is unfairly put-upon ("Eh, I've been so busy this morning I haven't had time to smoke", she laments at one point). Yet undoubtedly, unlike their regal counterparts, this Royle Family are close-knit, somehow getting by. The family that watches telly together stays together. On the DVD: The Very Best of the Royle Family, disappointingly, has no extra features. --David Stubbs
RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £1.99 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Spanning the three series of this superb sitcom, The Very Best of The Royle Family is a prime taster for those not familiar with the series. Co-created by Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash, who star as Denise and Dave respectively, The Royle Family deserves its own comedic category. They had a hard fight persuading the BBC to leave a laughter track off the show, which would have disrupted its unique ambience and chemistry.
Could have been better
Review date: 2005-01-17 Rating: 6 out of 10
Bit disapointed with the quality of the DVD but the series choosen where fantastic and i have to say made me laugh till the end. If you have not seen all the Series of the Royal Family then this is a good starter for you
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Reviews
A good way to meet the Royles
Review date: 2004-01-24 Rating: 8 out of 10
This DVD has got a mixture of episodes over all 3 series of "The Royle Family" - the wedding episode from the first, 2 episodes from the 2nd (including the Christmas Special) and 3 from the third series (again including the Christmas episode. As I preferred the later series, I think it is a good choice of episodes.
Like the Best of Father Ted selection, it is possible to watch this DVD without having seen any of the other episodes.
This DVD would appeal to anyone who likes character based or observational comedy and would recommend the programme Early Doors to anyone who finds it funny.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Sue Johnston
Craig Cash
Caroline Aherne
Ricky Tomlinson
Peter Martin
Creators:
Caroline Aherne (Primary Contributor)
Peter Martin (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: Granada Media
Manufacturer: Granada Media
EAN: 5014138504571
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2002-11-25
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 180 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1998
Language: English (Original Language)