The Royle Family: Season 1, Episode 1 Bills, Bills, Bills

Well you're definitely not related to Ant Mcpartlin.. you spell your names differently XD

Austin Stratton

I'm not bud 😂 But recently discovered I'm a distant relative

Anthony McPartlan

Are you the guy from PJ and Duncan?

Hey Josh. Love all your reactions. From Father Ted to Phoenix Nights. Been praying for a long time that this show wins a poll as its one of my favourites 😂 As a fellow Anthony I feel sorry for Anthony Royle getting called upon for everything by his family...as I can relate! 😂 It might take a few episodes to get used to the characters but it's worth it. Each series gets stronger in my opinion. So hopefully you'll be able to stick with it. Keep up the great work bud!

Anthony McPartlan

When it was originally pitched, producers were so sceptical about not having a studio audience or laughter track. I think it was one of, if not the first British sitcom to have that. It walked so the office and other ‘hyper real’ shows could run in my opinion. It’s got some beautiful poignant moments throughout the series, not hammered down your throat pathos just a nice feeling of families squabbling but coming together when shit hits the fan.

Jamie Hutchinson

Never seen these but my mum loves them. In fact I seem to remember buying her a Christmas special VHS a long time ago. I look forward to checking them out now :-)

Josh

*1998 :-)

Starlight

This was 1999. if it was 2021 they'd all be on their phones in silence.

James Aston

This show for me was always perfect background noise....nice

mrtheevilmage

Yes, she is, I just looked it up. Well spotted.

Keith Pratt

This is a great show, I might watch a reaction here and there but I still don't think this show suits the reaction format. Still though, I hope you enjoy it Josh, it's quite a comforting show in a way, and very real. I'm not British but I still find it relatable enough. By the way, is "Mary from next door" the same woman Mrs. Doyle had a fight with in the tea shop in Father Ted? think it is.

Ben

Well this show sure has sparked off in the comments. Does show how much it connects to people to be fair. Very sarcastic script and wonderful Jim moments. Just them side reactions and eye rolls from Jim gets me every-time as we’re all thinking it. Look forward to the rest.

A

This show both brings back nostalgic memories of the 90s, but also makes me think, what the fuck did we do to entertain ourselves before the internet!

Adam

This is one of those shows ive always had on in the background on UK gold but never sat down and watched so itll be good to watch along for the first time myself

lee cooper

I get my milk delivered, and so do some of my neighbours. Two bottles in the morning every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They come to collect their money on a Thursday. They do still exist.

Starlight

Josh you will be a well rounded expert on British comedy :)

Mike Doel

We've still got the same kitchen units in our farmhouse 😂

Dave Barratt

Even on Patreon there’s people arguing 😆 I Love this show, I hope you stick with it bud. I will look forward to Thursdays now 😉👍

Ashley Wilcockson

Dave how's ur mate in aderdeen?

OutlawStar

WHO’S BEEN RINGING ABERDEEN?! 😂😂

Lee

Dervently

Ian Webster

Such a great show. Makes me nostalgic for the late-90's. So Josh, little bit of geography. This is all set in South Manchester (Wythenshaw). Phoenix Nights is set in Bolton, which is a 25 minute car ride north of Manchester. Jim and Twiggy are from Liverpool, which is only about half an hour west of Manchester. Pretty good demonstration of how you can have vastly different accents over very small distances in the UK.

Ian Webster

Thanks bud, usually the first episode of a show isn't too great so it is all good. It takes a bit of time to really start liking characters. That is crazy about the laugh track, I think it fits this show to not have one so they for sure made a good choice.

After Work Reactions

Awesome 👍😎

After Work Reactions

Thanks bud much appreciated!

After Work Reactions

Lol that is hilarious, the characters are great so far. They all remind me of people I know so that is great.

After Work Reactions

Awesome man, glad you are enjoying the line up. Lol this show reminded me a bit of my family at times 😂

After Work Reactions

Thanks bud, Im looking forward to the rest of the show. I appreciate that you all will explain a joke that I don't get sometimes so not too worried about that.

After Work Reactions

Awesome bud hope you end up enjoying it!

After Work Reactions

Thanks bud, I did like the theme, I haven't heard that song before. Lol thanks man.

After Work Reactions

Thanks bud I intend to finish it. I have heard great things about this show for a while so I am looking forward to seeing more.

After Work Reactions

That is awesome bud, I am looking forward to the rest of the show, I have heard it is really good.

After Work Reactions

Thanks bud, this for sure reminded me of my family at times lol. Awesome bud I am glad you are enjoying the shows!

After Work Reactions

Thanks bud I am looking forward to checking more of it out. I do really want to check out Spaced, hopefully it wins a poll here soon.

After Work Reactions

I think for context it's important to realise how groundbreaking this show was. It changed sitcom forever and without The Royle Family we wouldn't have The Office and all the other sitcoms which followed without a laughter track. The BBC saw the pilot and actually requested the show be made in front of a live studio audience like a traditional sitcom, but Caroline Aherne (who plays Denise and created the show) stood her ground and refused. She sadly passed away in 2016 of cancer, aged just 52.

Matgo Styles

Thanks bud!

After Work Reactions

Lovely to see the wonderful and vital freedom of speech being so dutifully and fervently applied again. Good to see democracy doing it's job also in setting them off as well. Although I did learn this salient truth decades ago. Probably between the ages of 5-7. If you ignore the kid who's just looking for attention. Then more than likely, they get bored and go home. If you don't feed the Audrey II, it'll likely just dry up and rot into the ground or just blow away on a strong wind.

Daryl

I remember on a previous poll from a while ago, people were saying Josh wouldn't like this and I said I just couldn't imagine him not finding Jim Royle funny.

Keith Pratt

Mate, hope you continue with this. Always used to watch it with my mum as a kid and the reason I love it now is because it’s just so accurate to how a British family really acts and talks to each other. Obviously parts are over exaggerated for comedic effect but this has to be one of the most honest to God depictions of British home life

James Waters

glad you enjoyed it Josh, its better than I remember, I forgot my favourite oasis bside was the theme tune! Then supergrass later, lookin forward to a lot more of that soundtrack. the only thing i picked up that you might not have was the fake home and away audio, just taking the piss out of us aussies 😂

Raindog

That always makes me laugh every time! XD

Starlight

True indeed but there was no need for me to try and do what our schooling system has failed at and attempt to show this person common sense… can’t wait to watch the rest of this with Josh as a commentator 😁👍🏼

Terry O'connor

One thing that irritates me is people assuming that Josh won't like a particular show or series. Despite being told what he won't enjoy, he has enjoyed the following:- Come Fly With Me Phoenix Nights He's enjoying (so far): Gavin & Stacey The Royle Family Season 7 of Red Dwarf That's just off the top of my head.

Christopher Horner

Jesus christ this comment section turned into a shitshow pretty quickly. I wish people would just ignore comments that are clearly just to initiate arguments. Some people crave that attention and they want people to respond so they can have an argument and feel superior. The best thing to do is completely ignore them and DON'T give them what they want. I feel sorry for Josh having to read through some of the shit in his Patreon comments lol. I've never got into The Royle Family but it seems ok so far. Glad you enjoyed it Josh, I'm not sure why people keep telling you you won't 'get' or like certain things. You've proven plenty of times that you get most things and those you do struggle with, usually you can grasp it from the context. It's good that you found something relatable in this programme already. Although I didn't vote for this I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes 👍

BelladonnicHazeyJaneII

That gag was truly lost on me actually thank you for pointing it out 😂🤣👍🏼

Terry O'connor

Haven't watched the Royle Family in such a long time so don't remember much about it but that was a decent start to the series and like Josh I don't make a judgement based on the first episode. Edit: Thought I'd better comment on the show itself instead of just replying to Nexus. After all he thinks because someone may have taken a vaccine it can be used as some kind of insult. Though he's not right wing 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Christopher Horner

Just back from a camping holiday with the kids to find League of Gentlemen, Royale Family and Plains Trains and Automobiles in my In-Box. Seriously chuffed! As the Inbetweeners is the most realistic comedy interpretation of teenage boys in the UK, the Royale Family is the most realistic comedic interpretation of working class slobs. I've met so many versions of each of the family members in my life, and I'm even related to a few.

Rob Thompson

One of the main points of the plot and theme is that they're quite a dull "average" family. Jim is a complete hypocrite and two faced. Barbara can't think of any conversation so asks people "what they had for tea" (my mum does that). Absolutely love this series. I also love the way it's filmed in real time and with as few cuts as possible. \

Phil Spicer

Hey Josh. I'm so glad you're reacting to this. It is one of the greatest and most heartfelt British comedies ever made. A couple of translations for you... Mince = ground beef. Owt = anything ("are you doing anything/owt later?) Nowt = nothing (" No, I'm doing nothing/nowt later"). Brew = tea or coffee. It sometimes means beer, but very rarely in the UK. Oh, and northerners (this is set in Manchester, North England) often use the word pants like Americans, for trousers.

Steve Small

Lovely to join back in with Thursdays again. A nice comfy chair gentle comedy for the evening.

Daryl

Nice first reaction Josh. This is definitely a comedy that works on getting to know the characters more than giving the audience easy laughs, which makes the first episode quite difficult to get into. It does get very funny, but not in the tradition of cheap gags and one liners, more in the mannerisms and traits of each character. It's a slow burn, but it really pays off. I seem to remember that the BBC were shit scared of putting this out without a laughter track, because the producers didn't get it in the beginning, due to it lacking the standard easy laughs found in most sitcoms. Thankfully Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash fought to have it aired without a laughter track, which I understand was the first situation comedy to do so.

Jay

It's often viewed as a northern working class comedy, but even as a middle class southerner I always liked The Royle Family and found it pretty relatable. I think the two classes both share more thoughts and anxieties and frustrations and the humdrum of day-to-day existence than either would care to admit. My white collar dad always complained in exactly the same way as Jim did about the phone bill, or the electricity bill, just with a different accent. It's got this great universality and I'm really looking forward to seeing how it translates for an American viewer.

Charlie

This show was never about any "story arc" it's about Caroline ahearnes memories, in the north of England we all grew up in houses like this

Stu 79

Must admit I was sceptical about how well this show would do as a reaction. That said, I empathise (as I'm sure many do!) with Josh and the show's take on simple, working class life that a lot of us were raised in. It's crazy to think that even as a kid born in the late 80s that we still had weekly visits from the coal man and used to share bathwater and beds together. To kids these days that must seem mad. This is such a cosy spot between the madness of League of Gentlemen and Del and Rodders' latest exploits- love it!

Joe Gardiner

Reminds me so much of the northern England branch of my family. So many households and neighbourhoods like the Royles. Barbara so much like my aunties from Blackpool and bone idle Denise so much like my sister too. The voices, mannerisms and tendency to smoke too much. I think that's why I also love Fools and Horses, as the comment above mentioned. The characters so relatable.

Phil Spicer

So glad you got on fairly well with the first episode, Josh! I don't think this show is inaccessible in terms of references or jokes or even relatability; my main concern was the lack of plot. Some people need more than just dialogue, but this show is so very well written and so much is said without the characters even speaking (Jim especially), that it absolutely thrives without a plot and indeed, the lack of story is the entire point really - it's about a family who don't move. It's supposed to be static and almost a bit claustrophobic or at the very least, insular. Jim is definitely the one with the best lines in this opening episode and I would say he continues to get them throughout the series, but you will really fall in love with all of the characters as the show goes along. The premise is really relatable, particularly if you grew up in a working class family I think. The name of the show - the family's surname - is fairly obviously ironic as they are as far removed from the actual Royal family is it is possible to be, but every bit as British! :D Hope you continue to enjoy! It isn't a show that will have you rolling about with laughter but as you said when you were watching the first series of OFAH, you don't need every comedy to be in-your-face, belly-laugh funny. When the characters are well drawn and relatable, they can carry the show. They did in early OFAH (and the show also got even funnier as it went along), and they will I'm sure here for you too. :D

Ash Jeffries

Well, there is an overarching plot in the background culminating at certain points.

Alexander Bond

And your suggestions would be?

Terry O'connor

Never really watched it when it was on tv but maybe that’s cos I was too young to get it? I think I remember tho that the entire show is based inside that one home and nobody is ever shown outside the house…?? I am looking forward to watching this for the first time throughout like this and I’m glad you thought it was okay too 👍

Terry O'connor

To be honest this show doesn't really change as it goes on its supposed to be like real life just sitting at home watching tv

Stu 79

I think your analysis was spot on, it’s like hanging out with a regular “lower class” family in the North of the UK and the characters are so accurate! I’m glad you seem to get the humour, it’s another show with a lot of heart and some beautiful moments but for the most part, very funny and down to earth. I think with Gavin & Stacey, Only Fools and this, you now have my favourite TV show line up you’ve had so far :)

Sam Owen

A beautifully and very tightly written comedy - mostly written by Caroline Aherne who played Denise, sadly she died in 2016, and Craig Cash who plays Dave. It’s part of a British tradition of super naturalistic film and TV and it’s so true to what much of working class life is like in Britain. You might recognise Jessica Stevenson (now Hynes) who plays Cheryl, from Shaun of the Dead - hopefully Spaced will get voted in eventually because I think you’ll really enjoy that, and that was written by Jessica and Simon Pegg who also star in it.

Kieran B

It's wash and go. You've seen the advert on the telly, the one where the bird washes her hair then pisses off. 😆

will doyle

Northern monkey shite! A form of torture in some countries. Imagine being in that family, I would murder the lot of them,i don't envy you with this one, patience of a Saint needed. Que the soy-tards....

NEXUS

This would count as a spoiler to many people. Maybe think of removing it. Saying an episode is particularly sad, or has a twist etc etc all give people enough to work out a good idea of what's coming ahead of time.

Paul Hunn

A subtle joke you missed, and that I did for 5 minutes, was them sending Anthony (the son) to the shops to buy them cigarettes (at this point as an audience we don't know how old he is) before a few lines later him asking if he can buy some for himself and his mother chastising him for not being able to smoke until he's old enough to buy them himself (what they've just sent him to do)

Steve King

Hope u keep watching It gets so much better as it goes on

james b