The Royle Family
Double episodes Friday at 9pm
Chronicling the utterly mundane existence of a working class family, The Royle Family is a rare mix of grit and wit – a sitcom set in Mike Leigh-land. And while Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash deserve applause for their pitch-perfect scripts, it's Ricky Tomlinson who owns the programme as Jim Royle – a man motivated solely by television, food, and his much-discussed bowel movements. Lovely.
-
Are you a superfan of Jim Royle?
He probably doesn't move as much as he should, but Jim's still a comedy hero.
-
Ricky Tomlinson profile
Ricky Tomlinson has come a long way from poor wartime beginnings to TV and cinema star.
