Details About The Royle Family – The Queen Of Sheba Revealed!

The BBC Press Office has revealed more information about the storyline for the new 'The Royle Family' one-off special 'The Queen Of Sheba' (contains spoilers!):

The Royle Family – The Queen Of Sheba Unplaced Day and time to be confirmed BBC ONE

It has been nearly seven years since the nation's second most prestigious family sat around the television with a brew and now they are back to grace viewers with their presence for a one-off, hour-long special episode – but how has time changed them?

Has Jim turned into a hard-working, sensitive soul concerned only with the welfare of others? Has Barbara swapped her leggings for a Louis Vuitton bag? Has Dave taken charge of Denise and become the loquacious entrepreneur we all knew was inside him? Has Denise got more on her mind than her nails and watching Jerry Springer? Has Baby David grown up into an A-grade mini genius? Has our Antony jetted off to travel the world and experience new cultures? Has Nana got herself a toyboy and has the hapless Cheryl lost weight and become a footballer's wife?

Well, they have moved with the times but, luckily, not too far from that comfy old sofa and the fag-filled ashtray. The TV is bigger and better with more channels, of course, and although much remains the same one thing has, indeed, changed in the Royle household – Nana has moved in and taken up residence with the dining room as her boudoir.

With Dave reading her saucy books to her and Denise doing her nails, Nana is the centre of attention which Jim is happy to grumble about, especially when she steals his batteries from his remote control for her fan, leaving him forced to watch Location, Location, Location. However, Nana is too busy stirring up family renditions of Johnny Cash songs to notice.

Jim is still picking his nose and setting the world to rights from his armchair throne whilst ranting about how much Noel Edmonds and Graham Norton are on the TV; and when not sneaking off to The Feathers for a few sneaky halves, he is shamelessly making use of the newly installed stairlift. Barbara, when not doing her mam's hair or putting the kettle on, is still putting up with Jim's tantrums and coarse habits but is considering being fully laminated throughout – a prospect that Jim finds appalling.

Denise is pregnant again, sporting some fancy hair extensions and has mastered the use of Sky+ so that she can keep up with Trisha, and Dave is still as verbally dextrous as ever – well, not really, but he's still happy to make the tea. Baby David is now Little David and is a carbon copy of his dad, complete with matching leather jacket. And although his school thought he had attention deficit disorder, it turns out he just couldn't be bothered concentrating, much to everyone's relief.

Our Antony has grown up, is now a suited and booted business man, and pops in on his way to a conference in Milton Keynes. Jim finds his son's success immensely useful for cadging the odd £50.

Meanwhile, Cheryl is trying out some new diets and is now looking for love with an ad in the local lonely hearts column – "male aged any....own vehicle not necessary as father will drop off and pick up" – and brings her new beaux back to the Royle house to meet everyone.

But, as always with the family, the most important order of the day is what's on the telly and who is making the tea...

Jim is played by Ricky Tomlinson, Barbara by Sue Johnston, Denise by Caroline Aherne, Dave by Craig Cash, Little David by Harry Cash, Antony by Ralf Little, Cheryl by Jessica Stevenson and Nana by Liz Smith.

Source - http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/wk44/.

It looks like the new 'The Royle Family' one-off special 'The Queen Of Sheba' will be shown on BBC 1 between Saturday 28th October 2006 and Friday 3rd November 2006. According to rumours, The Royle Family – The Queen Of Sheba will be shown on Sunday 29th October 2006 at 9pm on BBC1.

Amazon.co.uk have put up a picture of the front cover of the 'The Royle Family - The Queen Of Sheba' DVD, which shows what the cast look like now. You can view it at http://www.amazon.co.uk. ITV DVD will be releasing the DVD as Granada/ITV Productions make The Royle Family.

Also, according to reports on the Digital Spy message boards, Emma isn't in this episode, neither is Darren, but the rest of the regulars, like Mary and Joe, are in it. This special also introduces Antony Royle's son.

Source - http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=468684.