"aye, a little baby" (The Royle Family - Series 2 (DVD))

Member Name: bruffyboy

Product:	The Royle Family - Series 2 (DVD)
Date:	15/12/08 (51 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: the dialouge is more authentic than in season 1

Disadvantages: none

This review is specific to season 2. For my general comments on the show, see the last paragraph.

Season two focuses on Dave and Denise expecting a baby, but of course that doesn't change the format of the show; the whole family still spend every episode sat in front of the telly, chatting and smoking.

As I said in my review of season 1, the comedy comes not in set gags or jokes, but in the dialogue and relatabililty of what is going on. In season two we see more depth added to the father daughter relationship of Jim and Denise. At the end of season one, on the wedding day, there was a very moving moment between the two, and season two is no different.

The star of the season is Nana, who is developed in this series to take a more active role. A selfish woman, all she wants to do is to move in with Jim and Barbara, but Jim is defiantly opposed to this. This leads to some excellent verbal battles between the two, which many men will delight in whilst thinking of their own mother in laws.

One of the reasons I think the show is so popular is because of how it presents us with the characters' weaknesses and flaws. It is refreshing to watch TV and see someone who is far from perfect, and makes no apology for it. Dave is stupid, Denise is lazy, Barbara and Jim are grubby, Cheryl is fat, Anthony is quiet and shy, Nana is selfish and Joe is prosaic to the point of coma. There is something about seeing someone who is flawed (like David Brent in 'The Office') and here we have a show that is full of such people. The result: comedy gold.

About the show: The Royle Family is a TV sitcom which focuses on the lives of the Royles, a working class family from Manchester. Series 1 is made up of 6 half hour episodes. It is shot with one camera, and has no studio audience or canned laughter. The basic idea behind it is that each episode takes place in the Royle's house, where the family sit around watching TV and chatting. In a nutshell: nothing really happens. The major strength of the show is found in the dialogue, which is extremely witty.

Summary: watch it!