My views on the Royle Family

You might not care what I have to say about it but what I say might sum up what many of the long-term fans (who dislike the last two specials) views are.

I've just finished re-watching all the Royle Family episodes up to The Queen of Sheba. Series 1 is my favourite. Series 2 is also very good. Series 3 is still a decent watch but the quality has declined. My main problem with series 3 is that you get quite a few moments where someone will ask Dave or Denise a question and you have to sit through the confused answers to the questions eg. they'll be talking about Baby David and someone will ask Denise where/how he is and there's the "Who are you talking about?" response when it's extremely obvious that the question is about Baby David. It gets very repetitive when you watch a few episodes in a row and it also wasn't even funny to begin with.

My opinion of The Queen of Sheba has improved on repeated viewings. It has a very 'final episode' feel to it. I think it would have been a better episode if it had been cut down to about 30-35 minutes. I'd have cut out the parts with Cheryl's boyfriends (the scene with Derek is particularly hard to watch) and also some other parts in which Jim is overacting. Basically I'd keep the first ten minutes and also the final 15 where Nana dies and the scene after her funeral (which includes one of my favourite parts; Twiggy and Cheryl). I'd also keep a few bits in between: the scene where Nana thanks Barbara, the scene where Denise tells Nana she'll hang on until the baby is born and also the following few minutes with the kids performing and the short part just after baby Norma is born. I think that would have been a very good ending to the progam.

I consider The Queen of Sheba to be the final episode. The last two have gone so far from what The Royle Family was originally. I have no problem with other people liking those two episodes and any more that come but I won't watch another new episode. The Royle Family has had it's time and it was a brilliant program in it's prime.