Bob Odenkirk on ‘The Royle Family’: ‘This Is a Beautiful Piece of Art’

As part of Variety‘s 100 Greatest Television Shows of All Time issue, we asked 12 of our favorite creators of television to discuss the series that inspire and move them. Check out all the essays, and read our full list of the best TV shows ever made.

Almost nothing happens in “The Royle Family.” Over the course of 25 episodes, we occasionally pop into two other rooms of the central family’s house in Manchester, England — the dinner table, and a tiny kitchen loaded with dirty dishes. But most of the action takes place in the TV room, as everybody sits around, enabling each other’s weaknesses and shortcomings.

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The Royles, led by parents Jim and Barbara (Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston) are a deeply dysfunctional family. The characters on this show would not understand the idea that they’re supposed to help each other grow — they wouldn’t recognize the use of the word “grow” for anything outside of a plant, or mold.

TV provides comfort — and usually in an artificial, forced way. People are happy to take any kind of comfort they can, and I don’t blame them. But “The Royle Family” is more challenging. There’s real feeling here. There are rare moments where Jim gives comfort to somebody, but even that gesture is complex — it’s not easy for him to allow feeling to come out. The connectedness and warmth on this family sitcom comes out in small behaviors and side glances. This is a beautiful piece of art — as complex as a film like “Ordinary People” or “The Graduate.” It’s an examination of a family dynamic that is horribly broken and awful and yet protective and, somehow, loving.

When my son was 12, my family had some challenges we were dealing with. And he loved comedy, so I decided to show him “The Royle Family.” Watching this show, for a 12-year-old kid who grew up in L.A., was hilarious and comforting. It showed a family making subtle allowances for the ways in which they’ve been hurt — and they push back, but they never break apart. They’re so rude. They’re so awful to each other. And then Jim pulls out a banjo and sings, and suddenly there’s this sweetness that came out of nowhere. It’s a confounding and, simultaneously, a beautiful thing.

Watching the whole series with my son was such a great bonding experience, even though, weirdly, this is my family watching a family that are constantly arguing. And yet there’s a forgiving connectedness to it. Since we first watched the series, I’ve watched it two more times, and we started it again a few weeks ago.

You can watch “The Royle Family” now on Amazon Prime. But one tip: Turn the subtitles on.

Bob Odenkirk is the star of “Better Call Saul” and the co-creator of “Mr. Show with Bob and David.”

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