Comedy channel Gold has ordered a two-hour documentary to mark 25 years of The Royle Family.
Down The Back Of The Sofa will be a revamp of a show it first aired in 2010 featuring interviews with creators Craig Cash and Caroline Aherne and their co-stars Ricky Tomlinson, Sue Johnston and Ralf Little.
It was the first joint interview the creators gave about the show – and was to be the last as Aherne died of cancer in 2016 at the age of 52.
For the revamped programme, producers Phil McIntyre Television have recorded new interviews with celebrity fans including Diane Morgan, Rosie Jones, Jamie and Natasia Demetriou, John Thomson, Rachel Fairburn, Shobna Gulati, Jack Rooke amd Sharon Rooney as well as the comedy’s producer, John Rushton.
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.’
And Gold channel director 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.’
Royle Family: Down the Back of the Sofa will air on Gold in September.
A spokesperson for Phil McIntyre Television said, "’t’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‘When we originally made this film, we were lucky enough to work closely with Craig and Caroline in what was their first on-screen interview, little did we know that it would turn out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.’
The Royle Family: Down the Back of the Sofa production credits
Produced by: Phil McIntyre Television, in collaboration with Craig Cash
Executive producer: Lucy Ansbro
Producer: Lindsay Jex
Commissioned for UKTV by: Mark Iddon, Jason Dawson, Gerald Casey, and Hilary Rosen
