Aherne's Royle ambitions for TV return

Last updated at 15:50 07 April 2006


Hit sitcom The Royle Family is returning to the small screen with its star Caroline Aherne, it has been announced.

The rest of the original cast - including Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston - will feature in the new show.

The Royle Family first hit TV screens in 1998 and ran for two years. Mrs Merton star Aherne went on to battle personal problems and has not been seen on television since.

Now she will return as both writer and star of the one-off special, being produced by ITV for the BBC.

Cobwebs will be dusted off the old set, and the groundbreaking scene - a family glued to their TV box - will remain the same.

Announcing the new commission today, Andy Harries, ITV's Controller of Drama and Comedy, said: "We've been talking to her a lot and we knew that she was thinking about doing it. She had started writing it. She'd thought about it but decided not to do it, then she changed her mind. She just had an idea for it and she thought it would work really well.

Great affection

"I think she was touched by the great affection that people have for it.

"Caroline has been very touched by the fact that people like Ricky Gervais talk about the Royle Family.

"The show won't have moved on that much. They'll be talking about different TV shows.

"She's revising the script now and all the principal cast will be involved."

Tomlinson was eager to reprise his role as Jim Royle, Mr Harries said.

"When I rang Ricky and said to him it was just a tentative idea and early days and that we don't want you to get too excited, he said 'I'm coming down right now'."

Mr Harries said Aherne was "absolutely fine, she just looks a little bit older".

He went on: "We will be getting the old set out. Every time I speak to the person who looks after all these sets, he says 'It's costing £5,000 a year to keep it in a dusty warehouse in Reading.

Can we break it up?"'

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