Royle Family New Sofa Review
Well, ok, this episode wasn’t the best ever but nonetheless, it was still pretty funny. It’s had a pretty bad slating all in all which I personally think is harsh; there were some very good moments in it such as David Snr describing how Jocelyn gagged when removing the excrement from his exhaust pipe and Dave using a variety of power tools on the turkey.
I suspect part of the problem with this episode is that they took it out of the Royle’s living room. It seems to be the kiss of death to move characters from their familiar environs and Dave and Denise’s house just didn’t have the hideous décor and comfy feel that we’ve come to know and love about Jim and Barbara’s house.
I did notice however that Jim and Barbara have a new flat screen TV and they’ve been laminated throughout, but they’ve still got the dreadful blue wallpaper in their dining room so that’s ok.
I liked the character of Jocelyn a lot but David Snr wasn’t as funny; convincing as a boring old in-law for sure but not very funny.
I missed our Ant’nee a lot too and baby David. It would’ve been nice to see baby Norma as well but still, I can’t bring myself to slate the show because I love it so much. And as I said earlier, there were still some very funny moments such as Dave dribbling the turkey along the floor, the turkey under the sun bed then Dave bringing the turkey out of the airing cupboard in a t-shirt all made me titter.
And David Snr calling Barbara Barbera was funny, as was the fruit in the punch being a whole banana.
Was it as good as the last Christmas episode? No, it wasn’t, but it was the Royle’s and it was new, so I’ll be watching it a good few times more yet!
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Absolute rubbish.A complete disaster.They must have wrote it in 5 mins.Appalling.
This was one of the funniest episodes I’ve seen, and does not deserve to be called a “disaster”!. The quality of the script was both funny and natural-far surpassing any of the other feeble comedy series today, and most importantly, all the characters are immensely lovable and believable, as despite all their adversities and foibles, they have family values at heart, and it is like dropping in to visit old friends!
I laughed from the first minute, as Jim was watching Jamie Oliver, until the end! I loved Barbara opening Jims present of socks, as he was to lazy to get his present from under the tree, and Jims reaction to havimg a pair for every day of the week! Also Twiggy having just come out of jail for fraud-”nothing too serious”-stating that “12 months is just about right!” His news about ordering a Thai Bride from a catalogue-delivery 6-8 weeks also creased me up.
Defrosting the turkey may have been a joke too far, but I would never have thought of putting it on a sun bed!!
I also loved the way Denise and Dave were trying to follow Nigella’s cooking instructions with raw carrots on the table just pulled from the allotment. I suspect most people would do no better than them!
Whatever anyone thinks, it had a real feel good factor about it, and there was nothing to offend people.
So what if it all seemed rather silly-that’s what people act like at Christmas! It may not have been the best episode ever, with some key characters missing, but I loved every minute!
The whole point of the The Royle Family was that it was so believable. Lots of families do sit around the TV and do nothing else but talk about what they had for tea and who they saw down The Feathers.
This episode though just descended into Terry & June. Yes there was some funny lines, Jim & Bab were stil great, Denise’s ” christams is n’t really for kids ” but the frozen Turkey……..come on … how retarded would you have to be ? A banana in the the punch …… 1 potatoe each… no veg except carrots….
All in all a shame to think this classic may end on such a bum note…
I’d have rather watched a turkey thaw than this
utter garbage from beginning to end, sat down to enjoy what I thought would be a good laugh but found not one!! all the gags were incredibly ridiculous to say the least. I dont imagine there will be another xmas special and if so I wont be watching!!
I think it is completely wrong to say that it was rubbish although it wasnt the best episode it was still a very good one and had me laughing all the way through it was hilarious and so nice to have it back on television after so long. The only problem was it had no nana and no anthony but obviously Nana wouldnt be in it as she died last year and ralph little who plays Anthony has had other work commitments apparently. I think Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash did an amazing job and the script was brilliant although it was a different episode with them not having it all in the royles it was good.
Some of the stuff like twiggys being in jail stuff and Denise’s ” Yeah Christmas isnt really a time for kids is it? ” was hilarious.
I hope they bring back some more. I am a massive fan of the show and have been since it first started i even got all my friends and family hooked on it. Bring it back again i hope!!!!
I thought the Christmas 2008 episode was tragic. Whereas the comedy in all previous Royale Family episodes derived from touching/funny banality of everyday family conversation, this episode just didn’t work. The gags all went on too long. No-one would ever conceivably serve up such a disastrous meal. The set was wrong, the clothes were wrong (especially Caroline Aherne’s) – and Dave simply wouldn’t have had parents like that. Whereas the writers have, in the past, so successfully created believable, empathetic characters with traits everyone can identify with, this was just a parade of grotesques acting out a series of seriously unfunny gags, removed completely from any semblance of reality and truth. The endless ‘joke’ about ‘mingling’ was over-repetitive, and far from orignial, and Tom Courtney’s endless ‘catchphrase’ was just ludicrous. The sofa gag was interminable (would they truly have never seen a reclining sofa before?). Everyone can identify with the vacuous dialogue that was so true, of earlier Royale Family series. But this was like a completly different genre. Tired, unoriginal, lazy writing it pressed no emotional buttons whatsoever, and failed to raise a single laugh. Really, really sad.