The Royle Family’s 25th anniversary will be celebrated with a new special on Gold.
One-off special The Royle Family: Down the Back of the Sofa will air on the channel and UKTV play this month.
Co-created by Craig Cash and the late Caroline Aherne and first airing in September 1998, The Royle Family starred Aherne and Cash with Ricky Tomlinson, Sue Johnston and Ralf Little,.
The refreshed retrospective documentary gives viewers with another chance to see the original documentary interviews with the core cast, which includes Craig and Caroline’s only ever filmed interview as a pair.
There will be 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.
Royle Family: Down the Back of the Sofa will air on Gold on Thursday, 14 September at 9PM.
UKTV’s commissioning editor 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.”
Producers Phil McIntyre Television added: “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 When we originally made this film, we were lucky enough to work closely with Craig and Caroline in what was their first on-screen interview, little did we know that it would turn out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.”
