Royle Family special tonight

[Wookey]

why was Jim/Nana forced? It showed that despite their constant rows/slanging matches ultimately they just adored each other. That they did have great times as well as the rows and thats what life is about. Its not about middle ground its about the rough and the smooth, the tears and the laughter

I see what you mean, I just thought that he'd been so rotten to her for three series, and to her face, that the scenes where he was hugging her and waving her goodbye on the stairlift seemed to be less about telling the story realistically, and more about preparing us for his being upset when she died - they appeared a bit shoe-horned in, tbh - I think they were needed, but I would have preferred them to be a bit more subtle. I half expected blue-birds and blossoms to come out, and real-life is really not as extreme as all that, imo.

Don't get me wrong, I'm being very picky here...but those scenes said to me: 'nanas gonna die, they're positioning Jim into a place where he can sympathise with his wife and get all upset and we'll believe it' - which we did in the end, but it could have been done with a hand rested on a shoulder, or a more oblique way of indicating that they had a deeper respect for each other, imo....

 

[Wookey]

It was still absolutely not a patch on Denise and her dad in the bathroom on Xmas day, in labour with baby David though.

Killer scene, chairman.

 

[rutabowa]

the royle family is shit and has always been.

 

[Wookey]

the royle family is shit and has always been.

Goodness, what incision. Are you a reviewer or professional of some sort??

 

[rutabowa]

Goodness, what incision. Are you a reviewer or professional of some sort??

pay me per word and i'll tell you exactly why

 

[Wookey]

pay me per word and i'll tell you exactly why

What a whore!!

I come to Urban for free.

 

[Chairman Meow]

Yeah, me too.

Oh I can totally see how it would make you cry - but that's perhaps the reason it made me cringe, as I thought it was just blatantly tugging at heart strings, and I like my sentementality a tad more subtle. I must admit I found it all went a bit Little Nell for me, but then I am an unsentimental old trout.

I'm being really picky here, but I also didn't like them actually showing you that Nana got a kick out of winding Jim up [with the batteries] - I thought it was unneccessary. On the other hand I did like the kids putting on a show,and Cheryl and Twiggy's potential courtship [first date at the Harvester I reckon ). Oh, and Jim poncing the 50 quid.

 

[Schmetterling]

Oh thank God, I was starting to think I was being an unsentimental curmudgeon. The line I cringed at was the one when Nana was getting her hair done. 'Do you remember you used to put a red ribbon in my hair? Oh yes, my mum used to put a red ribbon in my hair etc' - I just felt they were trowelling the sentimentatlity on and it just seemed mawkish to me.

However, seeing nana in her hair extensions and false nails pretty much made up for it. It was still absolutely not a patch on Denise and her dad in the bathroom on Xmas day, in labour with baby David though.

When you KNOW that your mother is dying those are exactly the sort of things you say. Because you want them to know that you appreciated those tiny touches.

Am completely with you on your second paragraph. And Denise being too busy to have long nails?

 

[Schmetterling]

I see what you mean, I just thought that he'd been so rotten to her for three series, and to her face, that the scenes where he was hugging her and waving her goodbye on the stairlift seemed to be less about telling the story realistically, and more about preparing us for his being upset when she died - they appeared a bit shoe-horned in, tbh - I think they were needed, but I would have preferred them to be a bit more subtle. I half expected blue-birds and blossoms to come out, and real-life is really not as extreme as all that, imo.
QUOTE]
I wonder whether Nana going up in the Stanna was meant to be metaphorical - in Jim's mind - for dying/going up into the sky? So a potentially cheese scene was actually very very - what's the word? - dark humour?

 

[Chairman Meow]

Am completely with you on your second paragraph. And Denise being too busy to have long nails?

Yeah, cos they got stuck in the remote control.

 

[Schmetterling]

So, am I the only one who thought it was very good, but not *as* good as before? I just thought that it was a bit forced and obvious at at times. The minute I saw Jim dancing behind Nanna I knew she was going to die, and Chery's unlikely suitors were a bit, well, unlikely [especially Solomon]. I dunno, I was tired and grumpy last night though, maybe I'll watch it again and love it.

My son came in and distracted me so I didn't see what happened to make Jim start dancing with Nana. What happened previously to that?

 

[Schmetterling]

Jim's washed and combed hair!

 

[Poot]

Can I just point out the brilliance of Nana getting that poor bloke with curly ginger hair to sing "The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow"?

 

[Chairman Meow]

My son came in and distracted me so I didn't see what happened to make Jim start dancing with Nana. What happened previously to that?

Nothing really - it was a new scene from what I rmember - seemed a tad forced to me.

Oh god, I'd gorgotten the Annie bit though - classic! Can you *imagine* that being a first date though!

 

[aqua]

I think the Jim and nana at home scene was also supposed to show an insight into what they were like when the rest weren't there (is his wife still working in the shop?)

 

[killer b]

you should bear in mind, any criticisms i had of the show are relative: the royle family is, imo, the greatest british television series ever. so the special had a lot to live up to...

i thought the jim & nana dancing bit was a bit out of place - there was no context for it at all, which lead me to agree that it was purely there to set up jim being upset later.

i liked the bit when jim emptied the crumbs from the toaster onto his lap. dunno why he did it, but it made me laugh...

 

[Chairman Meow]

I agree totally. It was excellent IMHO, just not the total genius of the series. There were definitely a few clumsy touches, but it was still 10 times better than anything else I've seen recently.

 

[Strawman]

Brilliant TV, first time ive cried at the telly in quite some time.

 

[skunkboy69]

It was ok,a bit predictable.It was possibly just way to test the waters for a new series

 

[_angel_]

Bag of wank.

 

[goldenecitrone]

The Royle Family is the most appalling guff I've ever seen. How anyone finds this shite amusing is completely beyond me. Piece of shit, walk away.

 

[rutabowa]

The Royle Family is the most appalling guff I've ever seen. How anyone finds this shite amusing is completely beyond me. Piece of shit, walk away.

yay finally!!

 

[Schmetterling]

The Royle Family is the most appalling guff I've ever seen. How anyone finds this shite amusing is completely beyond me. Piece of shit, walk away.

Philistine!

 

[fudgefactorfive]

It is pure class and one of the best-written TV series ever - but I still don't want to watch it. Comedy laced with pain - rarely in the mood for it. I like my pain titter-free.

 

[dolly's gal]

bit cheesy. tho still v funny in places.

 

[goldenecitrone]

Philistine!

The kind of people who find the Royle Family funny are the same kind of people who wear novelty socks at work.

 

[killer b]

my socks are distinctly lacking in novelty value.

and yet... i still find it funny.

 

[Wookey]

The kind of people who find the Royle Family funny are the same kind of people who wear novelty socks at work.

I think you have to be working class to appreciate a great deal of it.

It's not your fault your mam never sent you to the corner shop for 10 B+H and a Crunchie.

 

[Schmetterling]

The kind of people who find the Royle Family funny are the same kind of people who wear novelty socks at work.

 

[goldenecitrone]

I think you have to be working class to appreciate a great deal of it.

It's not your fault your mam never sent you to the corner shop for 10 B+H and a Crunchie.

Au contraire, dearest heart, au contraire. I just find it painful and deeply, mind-numbingly tedious.