Caroline Aherne

The Royle Family: Barbara's Old Ring

Christmas is coming but Barbara is not happy. Not only has she lost her wedding ring but Jim has won on a scratch card she found down the back of the sofa whilst looking for the ring and has kept quiet about his hundred pounds winnings. Nor is he especially sympathetic about Dave's impotency problem, though the entire Royle family unite to help recently widowed Joe from next door enjoy a restaurant-style evening in their house with the equally scatty Philomena, whom he has met through a want ad. On Christmas Day Barbara lashes out at Jim for his laziness and juvenile antics - though his description of a busty barmaid cures Dave's problem. However she is in for a pleasant surprise when she discovers just how he spent his scratch card winnings.

The Royle Family: Joe's Crackers

It is Christmas Day in the Royle household and Barbara is up to her eyes in it, as Jim is out of action following an unfortunate incident in the precinct while Dave and Denise are feeling the effects of the recession the most, and worry that Anthony's lavish gifts will eclipse their gift of a fridge magnet.

The Royle Family: The New Sofa

Festive special edition of the hit family sitcom. Inspired by Nigella Lawson, Denise decides to cook Christmas dinner for the family. Jim provides the yuletide log and, much to his dismay, Dave's mum and dad are invited to join the festivities.

The Security Men

A group of night security guards working at the fictional Whittington shopping centre in Greater Manchester must create an elaborate scheme to hide a robbery that has taken place on their watch.

VIZ: Oh, Lordy! It's The Fat Slags in Blue Honeymoon

The Yo-yo knickered slags get the blues when randy romeo Baz marries their love rival Thelma. But it's during their disastrous honeymoon at the sinister Paradise Park that the action really turns blue!

The Royle Family - Down the Back of the Sofa

A refreshed version of the 2010 documentary, this 2023 programme features new interviews from celebrity fans to link in with the 25th anniversary of the sitcom.

The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa

Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash discuss the creation of The Royle Family, with a look behind the scenes at the production of the show and interviews with the cast.

The Golden Egg Cup

On Jim and Barbara's wedding anniversary, Jim is frustrated because Barbara wants to celebrate abroad. However, she ends up settling for a stay at a caravan park in the 'Pearl of Prestatyn.' The trip is full of mishaps but…… is it about about The Golden Egg Cup.

The Royle Family: Barbara's Old Ring

Christmas is coming but Barbara is not happy. Not only has she lost her wedding ring but Jim has won on a scratch card she found down the back of the sofa whilst looking for the ring and has kept quiet about his hundred pounds winnings. Nor is he especially sympathetic about Dave's impotency problem, though the entire Royle family unite to help recently widowed Joe from next door enjoy a restaurant-style evening in their house with the equally scatty Philomena, whom he has met through a want ad. On Christmas Day Barbara lashes out at Jim for his laziness and juvenile antics - though his description of a busty barmaid cures Dave's problem. However she is in for a pleasant surprise when she discovers just how he spent his scratch card winnings.

The Royle Family: Joe's Crackers

It is Christmas Day in the Royle household and Barbara is up to her eyes in it, as Jim is out of action following an unfortunate incident in the precinct while Dave and Denise are feeling the effects of the recession the most, and worry that Anthony's lavish gifts will eclipse their gift of a fridge magnet.

The Royle Family: The New Sofa

Festive special edition of the hit family sitcom. Inspired by Nigella Lawson, Denise decides to cook Christmas dinner for the family. Jim provides the yuletide log and, much to his dismay, Dave's mum and dad are invited to join the festivities.

The Security Men

A group of night security guards working at the fictional Whittington shopping centre in Greater Manchester must create an elaborate scheme to hide a robbery that has taken place on their watch.

VIZ: Oh, Lordy! It's The Fat Slags in Blue Honeymoon

The Yo-yo knickered slags get the blues when randy romeo Baz marries their love rival Thelma. But it's during their disastrous honeymoon at the sinister Paradise Park that the action really turns blue!

The Royle Family - Down the Back of the Sofa

A refreshed version of the 2010 documentary, this 2023 programme features new interviews from celebrity fans to link in with the 25th anniversary of the sitcom.

The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa

Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash discuss the creation of The Royle Family, with a look behind the scenes at the production of the show and interviews with the cast.

The Golden Egg Cup

On Jim and Barbara's wedding anniversary, Jim is frustrated because Barbara wants to celebrate abroad. However, she ends up settling for a stay at a caravan park in the 'Pearl of Prestatyn.' The trip is full of mishaps but…… is it about about The Golden Egg Cup.

The Fast Show: Just a Load of Blooming Catchphrases

Bono estente! It's been over 25 years since quickfire sketch show classic The Fast Show first hit our screens, and what better way to celebrate its enduring success than with a two-hour extravaganza of archive clips, cast interviews and rarely seen footage?

British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves

Documentary celebrating the British sitcom and taking a look at the social and political context from which our favourite sitcoms grew. We enjoy a trip through the comedy archive in the company of the people who made some of the very best British sitcoms. From The Likely Lads to I'm Alan Partridge, we find out the inspiration behind some of the most-loved characters and how they reflect the times they were living in.

Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings

The comedienne stars in this festive sketch show, alongside a host of celebrity guests.

The Fattest Man in Britain

Georgie Godwin is the fattest man in Britain. A tourist attraction, thanks to greedy 'agent, cabbie Morris. Devoted neighbour Janice is Georgie's only other regular outside contact until he meets Amy, a pregnant teenager fleeing a violent boyfriend ,whom he takes in as a lodger. Amy tries to help Georgie change his lifestyle, but Morris is more than keen to stop her ruining his tourist attraction.

Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy

The unique life and talent of Caroline Aherne is celebrated in a new Arena film, featuring unseen photographs and contributions from a cast of her lifelong friends, including Steve Coogan, John Thomson, Craig Cash and producer Andy Harries.

Caroline Aherne at the BBC

Actor and comedian John Thomson looks back at the life and work of his friend and comedy colleague, the late and greatly missed Caroline Aherne. From rarely seen early routines from Caroline’s days on the Manchester stand-up circuit, through to some favourite moments from The Fast Show, Mrs Merton and The Royle Family, John is our guide as we wallow in a special selection of clips, characters and magic moments. To misquote Mrs Merton’s famous line to Debbie McGee – this is a collection that reveals exactly what it was that first attracted us to one of British television’s best-loved writers and performers.

Ricky Tomlinson Remembers... The Royle Family

Ricky Tomlinson sits back in his chair and takes a fond look back at the much-loved comedy series The Royle Family, sharing his memories of playing head of the family Jim Royle and his experiences working with the show’s co-creator Caroline Aherne, who, as well as writing the show with co-star Craig Cash, also played Jim’s daughter Denise. Ricky talks about how a chance encounter helped him get the part of Jim, recounts what it was like filming some of the show’s most iconic moments, and tries to get the bottom of the origins of Jim’s famous, below-the-belt catchphrase.

Parkinson

Michael Parkinson returns for a second run of his iconic talk show.

An Audience with...

An Audience with... is a British entertainment television show produced by London Weekend Television, in which a host, usually a singer or comedian, performs for an invited audience of celebrity guests, interspersed with questions from the audience, in a light hearted revue/tribute style.

Strange Hill High

Mitchell, Becky, and Templeton set out to discover their school's many mysteries and secrets, along the way encountering monsters, paradoxes, and timely winery nonsense as they try to avoid the headmaster and Mitchell's worst enemy, Mr. Abercrombie.

The Frank Skinner Show

The Frank Skinner Show was a television chat show hosted by comedian Frank Skinner, which lasted nine series on British television between 1995 and 2005. As well as celebrity interviews, the shows included an initial stand-up routine, various sketches throughout the episode and usually concluded with a comedic song featuring Frank and the guest stars. The Frank Skinner Show became notorious over the years for the unconventional nature of the interviews, including some shocking revelations from the guests. The programme ended in 2005 after nine series. It was screened on BBC One from its first episode on 10 September 1995 until 3 June 1999. In 2000, the show moved to ITV. The programme was nominated for a Royal Television Society Award in 2001.

The Fast Show

The Fast Show is a multi BAFTA award winning sketch comedy show written and produced by Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson.

The Royle Family

The Royle Family is a British sitcom created by Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash, and produced by Granada Television for BBC Two (series 1) and BBC One (series 2 and 3). It centres on the lives of a television-fixated Manchester family, the Royles, comprising lazy patriarch Jim, his hard-working wife Barbara, their entitled daughter Denise, their put-upon son Antony, and Denise's lad fiancé–later husband–David.

Gogglebox

Gogglebox is an entertaining television review programme in which some of Britain's most opinionated and avid telly viewers comment freely on the best and worst television shows of the past week, from the comfort of their sofas.

The Mrs Merton Show

The Mrs Merton Show is a mock chat show starring Caroline Aherne as the elderly host Mrs Merton. It ran from 10 February 1995 to 2 April 1998 and was produced by Granada Television and aired on the BBC. The writers included Aherne, Craig Cash, Dave Gorman and Henry Normal. Prior to TV success, Aherne's Mrs Merton character appeared on Frank Sidebottom's album "5/9/88", then made her TV debut on the 1991 Channel 4 gameshow Remote Control, hosted by Anthony H Wilson. The chat show was followed up by a sitcom, Mrs Merton and Malcolm, based on Mrs Merton and her son Malcolm, who was played by Craig Cash.

Sunshine

Sunshine is a three-part comedy drama that began on 7 October 2008 on BBC1 from the co-writers of The Royle Family and Early Doors. These co-writers, Craig Cash and Phil Mealey, also appear in the series.

Frank Sidebottom's Fantastic Shed Show

Frank Sidebottom's very own TV show, broadcast from the converted shed that functioned as his showbiz HQ. Also featuring diminutive sidekick Little Frank, the shows include Frank’s take on Crimewatch, Timperley’s contribution to Manchester’s Olympic bid, pioneering rocket science in the back garden, and even a staging of Live Aid 2!

The World of Lee Evans

The World of Lee Evans was a BAFTA nominated TV show written by and starring Lee Evans and a range of actors, it followed Lee around getting stuck in tight situations and originally aired on Channel 4. The series was released on Channel 4 DVD in 2006 and features all episodes. The humour, which differs greatly from Evans' later stand-up humour, contains many elements of slapstick, and the show is similar in style to Mr. Bean. The series was a Granada Production in 1995 for Channel 4, and as Granada had adopted a new endboard cap at the end of their programs at this time, The World of Lee Evans was amongst the first ever shows to use the endboard. The series was quite popular though has had a very mixed reception in retrospect, some critics and Lee Evans fans saying the series is not as good as his other work. The series' slogan is If Lee Evans "needs to get from A to B, he starts at Z...".

Mrs Merton and Malcolm

Mrs Merton and Malcolm was a six-episode BBC One sitcom produced by Granada Television, and transmitted by BBC One in 1999. The series was written by Caroline Aherne, Craig Cash and Henry Normal. Network DVD published the series on DVD in 2008.

The Dead Good Show

TV sketch comedy featuring Caroline Aherne, John Thomson, and Steve Coogan.