History Series / TheRoyleFamily

** Liz Smith also appeared in several episodes of ''Series/TheBill'', another show watched by Nana.

** Nana watches ''Series/{{Heartbeat}}'', which featured Geoffrey Hughes, who played Twiggy in ''The Royle Family''.

** Nana watches ''Series/Heartbeat'', which featured Geoffrey Hughes, who played Twiggy in ''The Royle Family''.

* CelebrityParadox: In the 1999 Christmas Special, Nana asks what time ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley'' is on. Creator/LizSmith, the actor who played Nana, also played Letitia Cropley in the show.

''The Royle Family'' is an award-winning British sitcom. Famously minimalistic, the show almost entirely takes place in the house of the Royle family, usually in the living room in front of the television. The show lacks any form of laughter track and actual gags are rare, most of the humour instead coming from the characters themselves: Jim Royle (Ricky Tomlinson), [[DeadpanSnarker cynical]] and [[SarcasmMode sarcastic]] [[FatSlob couch potato]]; Barbara (Sue Johnston), his [[TeamMom hard-working and long-suffering wife]]; Denise (Caroline Aherne), their [[SpoiledBrat spoiled]] and [[LazyBum lazy daughter]]; Antony (Ralf Little), their [[ButtMonkey extremely put-upon son]]; Dave Best (Craig Cash), Denise's dim-witted but well-meaning fiancé; Nana (Creator/LizSmith), Barbara's [[MotorMouth talkative]] elderly mother; and next door neighbours Joe (Peter Martin), [[TheBore who's very boring]]; Mary (Doreen Keogh), [[TheDitz who's a bit gone in the head]]; Cheryl (Creator/JessicaHynes), who's always gaining weight; Darren (Andrew Whyment), Anthony's criminal friend and Twiggy (Creator/GeoffreyHughes), Jim's criminal friend.

''The Royle Family'' is an award-winning British sitcom. Famously minimalistic, the show almost entirely takes place in the house of the Royle family, usually in the living room in front of the television. The show lacks any form of laughter track and actual gags are rare, most of the humour instead coming from the characters themselves: Jim Royle, [[DeadpanSnarker cynical]] and [[SarcasmMode sarcastic]] [[FatSlob couch potato]]; Barbara, his [[TeamMom hard-working and long-suffering wife]]; Denise, their [[SpoiledBrat spoiled]] and [[LazyBum lazy daughter]]; Antony, their [[ButtMonkey extremely put-upon son]]; Dave Best, Denise's dim-witted but well-meaning fiancé; Nana, Barbara's [[MotorMouth talkative]] elderly mother; and next door neighbours Joe, [[TheBore who's very boring]]; Mary, [[TheDitz who's a bit gone in the head]]; Cheryl, who's always gaining weight; Darren, Anthony's criminal friend and Twiggy, Jim's criminal friend.

* CelebrityParadox: In the 1999 Christmas Special, Nana asks what time ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley'' is on. Liz Smith, the actor who played Nana, also played Letitia Cropley in the show.

* RealSongThemeTune: "Half The World Away" by {{Music/Oasis}}.

-->'''Antony:''' What about a whiskey at new year, Nana?
-->'''Nana:''' Oh aye, whiskey at new year, a sherry at Christmas and a bottle of stout.

-->'''Nana:''' [[LongList Oh yeah champagne at the wedding, whiskey at new year, a sherry at Christmas and a bottle of stout, that'll do me]].

* CharacterOutlivesActor: Twiggy. He was said to be in prison following actor Geoffrey Hughes' death in 2012.

* SliceOfLife

* SpotOfTea: It's a British show, after all.

* EpunymousTitle
* FeminineWomenCanCook: Inverted by Denise, who gives Dave rudimentary dinners like [[CordonBleughChef Dairylea on toast]] and spaghetti hoops. Initially it's not clear if she genuinely cannot cook or is just [[LazyBum too lazy to bother]], but when she does make the effort to cook Christmas dinner in "The New Sofa", it ends in disaster. They end up eating [[CordonBleughChef carrot crush and gravy]].
* {{Flanderization}}: Dave was not the brightest spark to begin with, but in later episodes he is portrayed as an utter moron.

* AwayInAManger: the season 2 ChristmasEpisode

* RealTime: used in most episodes, with the exceptions of some of the specials.

* SpotOfTea: it's a British show, after all.

* {{Tearjerker}}:
** Everyone cried at the end of ''The Queen of Sheba''. ''No'' exceptions.
** Jim comforting Denise when she's terrified after going into labour.

** Denise is also prone to this, only being marginally better than Jim. They naturally exchange insults over ''[[NotSoDifferent each other's]]'' selfish, idle and obnoxious habits on a regular basis.