Posts Tagged ‘Royle Family’

Don’t buy the Radio Times! Here’s our guide to the pick of Xmas TV

Thursday, December 20th, 2012

In these cash strapped times there really is no need to hand over your hard-earned dosh for a copy of Radio Times (other listings magazines are available), because we’ve bought a copy and have worked out which are the best shows over the holidays. It’s our Xmas gift to you.

QI: Jingle Bells

Stephen ‘National Treasure’ Fry hosts a Christmassy edition of the show with guests Sarah Millican, Danny Baker, Phill Jupitus and regular sidekick Alan Davies. Go on, admit it, the show has now been on TV for so long that most of the things you know you learned from QI.

Friday 21st December BBC2 10PM

The Snowman And The Snowdog

Altogether now: ‘We’re walking in the aaaaair. With a dog’. The long-anticipated sequel to The Snowman features a snowman and his dog. Or something. We’ve not properly looked into it because we don’t want the surprise spoilt. It’ll be ace whatever happens.
Monday 24th December Channel 4 8PM

Friday Night Dinner

Christmas with the Goodmans – a truly nerve-tingling proposition. Robert Popper’s magnificent sitcom gets its first festive special, if you’ve not got into FND yet this is the perfect opportunity.

Monday 24th December Channel 4 10.30PM

Doctor Who

You’d have thought it impossible for Doc Who’s producers to replace Karen Gillan but they seem to have done a fantastic job with Louise Coleman. Here she makes her debut proper in a storyline that sees her and the doctor take on some funny/ fearsome-looking snowmen.
Tuesday 25th December BBC1 5.15PM

Call The Midwife

Miranda Hart, Jessica Raine, Jenny Agutter et al are back for some Xmas midwifery antics. TV’s most visceral period drama follows the midwives of 50’s East London as they deliver a load of post war sprogs called Carol and Noel. Probably.
Tuesday 25th December 25 BBC1 7.30PM

Downton Abbey

Xmas. Downton. Downton. Xmas. Was there ever a time when these two words were not synonymous? One day they will stop making Downton Abbey. Now there’s a thought to chill the soul.

Tuesday 25th December ITV1 8.45PM

The Royle Family

Let’s be honest, the Royle Family Xmas special has always been a bit hit and miss. But we’ll all still be sat in front of it in the hope that it’s a vintage year. After all, it’s the Royle Family, innit?

Tuesday 25th December 25 BBC1 9.45PM

Miranda

Oh look, it’s Miranda Hart again. This time not in period costume and not delivering babies but talking to camera and falling over a lot. At Christmas.

Wednesday 26th December BBC1 9PM

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BBC and ITV confirm their Christmas Day schedules

Tuesday, December 4th, 2012

Although these days there are a million TV channels and programmes can be recorded or viewed on catch-up with ease, there is still a great deal of interest in what the BBC and ITV have got planned for us on Christmas Day. Well today we found out.

The BBC lead with the now-traditional Doctor Who special ‘The Snowmen’ at 5:15PM (featuring the introduction proper of new assistant Jenna-Louise Coleman) and then a special edition of Strictly Come Dancing.

The big clash of the night is at 8:45 when the BBC have put a festive edition of Call The Midwife against the Xmas Downton Abbey. Downton will win that one.

Then everyone will switch back to BBC1 at 9:45 for the Royle Family Xmas special, which apparently feature Dave (Craig Cash) pitching an idea on Dragons’ Den.

Earlier in the day ITV have a cartoon double bill either side of the Queen’s speech with Toy Story and Tangled. And then a You’ve Been Framed Christmas special and something called Paul O’Grady’s For The Love Of Dogs, which sounds awful.

Elsewhere, the BBC have Boxing Day Xmas specials of unfunny comedy Miranda and even-unfunnier Mrs Brown’s Boys and the final ever Merlin will be shown on Christmas Eve.

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Geoffrey Hughes, best known as Coronation Street’s Eddie Yeats, passes away

Monday, July 30th, 2012

Geoffrey Hughes RIP

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Geoffrey Hughes RIP
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The actor behind one of the best-loved Coronation Street characters has passed away. Geoffrey Hughes, who played lovable rogue Eddie Yeats from 1974 to 1983, died over the weekend after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 68.

Geoffrey brought a charm and likeability to the character of Eddie and his partnership with Stan and Hilda Ogden, with whom Eddie lodged, was responsible for some of the most memorable character comedy in the soap’s history. It was Eddie who created Hilda’s ‘muriel’ on which was mounted her famous flying ducks and he was always to be found trying to earn a dodgy crust by selling suspect goods while working as a window cleaner or bin man.

As well as Eddie Yeats, Geoffrey is remembered for his turns as Ounslow in Keeping Up Appearances, as Vernon Scripps in Heartbeat and as Twiggy in the Royle Family. In an early role he even provided the voice of Paul McCartney in the Yellow Submarine animated film.

Away from acting, Geoffrey owned a small holding, ran a wood supply company and was even made Deputy Lord Lieutenant of the Isle Of Wight, where he lived with his with Sue.

Here are some classic clips of Geoffrey in action.

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Is a member of Royle-ty about to join Coronation Street?

Wednesday, March 7th, 2012

There are rumours circulating that former Brookside and Royle Family star Sue Johnston may be about to sign a deal to appear in Corrie. Sue did appear in a few episodes of the soap in a minor role in the 1980’s before she landed the role of Sheila Grant in Brookie but it looks like she may be heading to Weatherfield to play Rovers landlady Stella Price’s mum.Sue Johnston

 

She is probably best known for playing Barbara in the sitcom The Royle Family, something that apparently excited this ‘Corrie insider’: “Everyone is thrilled. She’s a brilliant actress. We can’t wait to have a member of the Royle Family walking down those famous cobbles and enjoying a drink in the Rovers.”

 

If it happens it would mean, of course, that the Rovers will be housing a former Eastender (Michelle Collins), a former Emmerdale star (Catherine Tyldesley) and Sue is an ex-Brooksider. Is it slowly turning from a back street Manchester boozer into a soap star refuge?

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