Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quite possibly, the best British TV show ever, 15 May 2006
I don't throw words like "the best British TV show ever" around lightly, but The Royle Family really is that good. Especially the first series. The first series was shown on BBC 2 and it stayed somewhat under the radar - it wasn't until the second and third series were shown on BBC 1 that the show became a national phenomenon. Series 2 and 3 are better than anything else out there, but series 1 is what motivates me to praise The Royle Family so much. It's just so realistic - it's as if we are a fly on the wall in the average working class home. Every character speaks and acts like a real person and, if they weren't on the television set in front of you, you'd swear that Jim Royle and co. were people you knew. If you lived on a council estate and you sat in the living room of your next-door neighbours for half an hour, it would be just like this. This is a show that was highly acclaimed and very well received and yet the characters hardly ever leave the dingy old sofa in their living room. That should tell you how well crafted these characters are.
My only minor quibble with the show is that in series 2 and 3, Dave and Denise go from being a streetwise young couple to silly buffoons with no IQ.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Royle are anything but Royal, 25 Jun 2006
This is one of the most genius comedy shows ever to have been created.
The genius in this show is that for the most part, it's almost documentary like - some might feel like they're watching Big Brother.
The show revolves around a family of five - Jim Royle, his wife Barbara, their two kids Antony (who starts out at fifteen) and Denise (who starts out at 25), and Denise's fiance Dave (who she later marries.
Unlike many sitcoms, this is one that has a very realistic feel and you can relate to almost everything and every bit of dialogue in every episode.
The house is never clean, there's always tights hanging over the radiator, or the cups are always chipped and cracked. Barbara's leggings are full of holes, and Jim always looks manky. All they generally do is sit in the living room (only very rarely does the venue change to the kitchen, or bedroom), and watch television.
They talk about what they've had for tea, or television shows, or meaningless topics about clothes or people they know. Their conversations are unintelligent, and pointless. Jim moans about there being nothing on the telly while Barbara blethers on about people at work (and Jim usually isn't listening and doesn't really care). Denise complains about Antony (just for the sake of complaining) and Antony - very much the way of teenage boys) keeps himself to himself at home. Dave just sits there, agreeing for the most part with whatever Denise says.
The supporting characters are just as recogniseable as The Royles, from the slightly dipsy Gran who wants to know if the Chicken Tonight advert is scheduled in the TV listings in the Radio Times, to the slightly chubby neighbour, who yo-yo diets, and Antony's friend, who doesn't have a braincell in his head and just laughs at everything.
It's unintelligent yet pure genious comedy, that leaves you thinking of your family, or someone you know. No matter who you are, you'll find it easy to relate to this show...
Buy it - it's concentration-free comedy and as a box set, worth every penny.
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's a small world!, 15 Oct 2006
This one almost slipped under the radar here in America, only being shown on BBC America for about six months. I never missed an episode. One of my favorites, I had to by all three. It is hard to imagine that Caroline and Craig (Denise and Dave)wrote the shows as their characters are so simple, dim witted and played so well, it must be their real personalities. Jim, Barb, and Antony are no less fantastic at making you feel that these actors are just who they portray.
As my review title implies, the Royles could represent millions of middle class working Americans who's days revolve around work and comming home to gather at the tv to eat, smoke (which is not seen on American tv), and make small talk. The Royles are a family you can live with.
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