The Royle Family returns again!

[Dan F]

That's correct

[Dan F]

Looks like they're breaking the mould again, not only are we going to be seeing Dave & Denise's home, we're also going to meet Dave's parents:

From the Daily Mail:

Christmas with the in-laws can be a fraught experience – but it promises to bring festive joy for millions of fans of The Royle Family.

Because in a one-off Christmas Day special of the hit BBC1 comedy, the Royles will be sitting down for their festive feast with David and Jocelyn Best, otherwise known as Dave’s parents.

Often mentioned in past shows, this is the first time the Bests have appeared. And as these exclusive pictures show, the mild-mannered couple with a love of gardening and novelty ties seem no match for the plain-spoken Royles and their own very particular brand of humour.

The Bests are played by Sir Tom Courtenay and Helen Fraser, the first time they have worked together since they starred as Billy and his frumpy fiancee Barbara in John Schlesinger’s classic 1963 film Billy Liar, which launched their careers.

‘It’s wonderful to work with Tom again,’ said Helen. ‘And of course it’s fantastic to work on a show like The Royle Family. It was an absolute joy to do and I’m longing to see it.’

The Bests are slightly posher than the Royles. ‘David drives a Mondeo, of which he’s very proud. He was in the RAF and then he worked at the Prudential insurance company. He likes growing parsnips and rhubarb and we all have to drink his rhubarb wine,’ said Helen, who is in her early 60s. ‘He’s deeply boring but Jocelyn adores him. She’s quite a snob. As she tells everyone, “We’ve got cable TV and we’re Sky Plussing the Queen this year.”’

The Royle Family was first screened ten years ago and ran for three series and three specials. The last special, The Queen Of Sheba, screened in October 2006, saw the death of Nana, played by Liz Smith.

The latest episode is called The New Sofa and for only the second time in its history the action shifts away from the Royles’ front room.

Christmas Eve will be spent at the Royles’ before it switches to Christmas lunch at home with Dave and Denise, played by Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash, who co-write the show. Denise reveals that their two children, Baby David and Norma, are being looked after by her younger brother Anthony, before adding: ‘Well, it’s not a day for kids, is it, Christmas?’

Helen said: ‘It is called The New Sofa because Denise and Dave are so proud of their new leatherette sofa, which reclines. We go to lunch at Denise’s house where we “mingle” because, according to Denise, “that’s what you do at Christmas, mingle”.

‘She’s never done lunch before and, as you might expect, it’s all a bit of a disaster. The turkey isn’t cooked, the potatoes are burnt and I think we end up with not much more than a plate of carrots. For starters, we had tomato Cup-A-Soup and I don’t think I ever want to see another one ever again – I did about 16 takes. And afterwards, there’s no Christmas pudding but Viennetta ice cream instead.’

Helen, who spent eight years playing prison officer Sylvia ‘Bodybag’ Hollamby in ITV1’s Bad Girls, said: ‘When I walked into the Royle Family studio, Caroline Aherne came over and gave me a hug and said she was a huge fan, which was so nice.

‘And then she told me Tom Courtenay was going to play my husband and I nearly fell on the floor. Although we have remained friends, we’ve never worked together since Billy Liar and so it feels as though everything’s come full circle.

‘The only person I knew on the Royle Family set was Tom but it was such a boost. Craig Cash is so naughty. He stuffs his fists in his mouth to try to stop himself laughing and then, once one person does that, well, it’s like school, everyone starts giggling.

‘I’ve done a number of comedies before but Tom hasn’t worked on the light entertainment side of the business before. They all ribbed him mercilessly.

‘Ricky Tomlinson, who plays Jim, kept saying, “I don’t know, how has a knight of the realm come to this? I’m going to call the Queen and tell her to take her honour back.” But Tom took it all very well.’

Whether it will mark a new beginning, rather than an end, remains to be seen. Caroline Aherne had meant The Queen Of Sheba to be the last-ever episode, but now that the Bests have breathed new life into the show, fans are already talking about the possibility of further episodes.

Helen said: ‘I honestly don’t know but it would be brilliant. We’ll have to wait and see.’