UKTV channel Gold is to mark The Royle Family‘s 25th Anniversary with a refresh of its original 2010 documentary.
The Royle Family: Down the Back of the Sofa (1×120’) celebrates the much loved and critically acclaimed sitcom, co-created by Craig Cash and the late Caroline Aherne, 25 years after it first aired.
The Royle Family: Down the Back of the Sofa has the original documentary interviews with the core cast, which includes Craig and Caroline’s only ever filmed interview as a pair. In celebration of her legacy, the refreshed documentary will include fresh insights from celebrity fans such as Diane Morgan (Afterlife), Rosie Jones (Rosie Jones’s Disability Comedy Extravaganza), Jamie and Natasia Demetriou (Stath Lets Flats), John Thomson (The Fast Show), Rachel Fairburn (Brand New Bonus Mum), Shobna Gulati (dinnerladies), Jack Rooke (Big Boys), Sharon Rooney (Barbie) and producer of The Royle Family, John Rushton.
The Royle Family: Down the Back of the Sofa is commissioned for UKTV by Mark Iddon, senior commissioning editor for comedy and entertainment and Jason Dawson, commissioning editor, and ordered by Gerald Casey, channel director for Gold and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning. The documentary is produced by Phil McIntyre Television, in collaboration with Craig Cash, with Lucy Ansbro as executive producer and Lindsay Jex as producer.
Jason Dawson said, “A quarter of a century! The Royle Family has without doubt left a permanent mark in television history and we’re delighted to have commissioned this documentary for the 25th anniversary. Working alongside Craig and the brilliant team at Phil McIntyre is such a pleasure, and we hope viewers will enjoy reliving this celebration of one of the nation’s most beloved shows.”
Gerald Casey added, “We absolutely love an anniversary on Gold, and we know our viewers love these nostalgic trips down memory lane just as much as us. It is an honour to have this retrospective documentary airing on Gold this September.”
Phil McIntyre Television said, “It’s a real treat to be able to revisit Behind the Sofa for the Royle Family’s Silver Jubilee. When we originally made this film, we were lucky enough to work closely with Craig and Caroline in what was their first on-screen interview, little did we know that it would turn out to be their last, so we’re very grateful to the team at Gold to be able to re-look at a film that we’re very proud of.”
Royle Family: Down the Back of the Sofa will air on Gold later this year.
Jon Creamer
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