Life of Riley (UK TV series)

Airing

The first episode aired on 8 January 2009, and was shown on Thursdays at 8:00pm on BBC One. Each episode of Life of Riley also aired in high-definition on BBC HD. Series 2 was shown on Wednesdays at 7:30pm from 17 March 2010. Series 3 was shown on Wednesdays at 8:30pm from 13 April 2011.

Development

The six episode series was commissioned by Lucy Lumsden, BBC Controller, Comedy Commissioning. The show is produced by Catherine Bailey Productions Limited for BBC Scotland, and is distributed by Outright Distribution Ltd. The show is written by Georgia Pritchett, and it is filmed at Pacific Quay Studios in Glasgow, Scotland and on location (for example at Joppa, North-East of Edinburgh). Also briefly filmed on 75 Park Avenue South.

The theme music is a cover version of The Lightning Seeds' song, "The Life of Riley".

Plot

Jim (Dudgeon) and Maddy Riley are newly-weds, Jim has two children from a previous relationship, teenagers Katy and Danny, whilst Maddy also has a child of her own—primary schooler Ted from her previous marriage—and baby Rosie with Jim. Jim and Maddy also try to compete with their next-door neighbours, the Weavers; this basic plot is in most episodes and usually makes the Rileys look like The Addams Family. As well as the Riley family, the Weavers also play principal characters in the sitcom.

Series 1 was released on DVD on 29 March 2010. Series 2 was released on DVD on 18 April 2011 along with the transmission of the new series. Series 3 was released on DVD in late 2011.

Cast

Critical reception

Reviews for the first series were almost universally negative. The Herald described it as "a palpable flop" and "unfunny in any age". The Daily Telegraph noted that it was "another half-hour firmly on Planet Sitcom: that strange world where people behave not like anybody in real life, but merely like people in other sitcoms". The Daily Record called it a "lazy insult of a comedy". The Northern Echo observed that "there was something missing for a comedy – jokes"; The Daily Mirror comments that there are "some witty moments but these are drowned out by more regular unfunny happenings, so unimaginative and staid it's embarrassing". The Independent headlined its review of the opening episode by calling it "a marital comedy divorced from wit". Most vehemently the Sunday Mail called the show "about as funny as inflamed piles".

The second series of the show has been well received by audiences, with viewing figures reaching nearly 6 million, a much higher proportion of the viewing public than the BBC usually receives in this time slot. However, it has again received regular negative reviews from critics. The Sun called it bland and dull, whilst The Herald declared that 'it lacked any of the basic ingredients of good sitcom'. The Guardian described the show as a "tired effort" The Scotsman reviewed it by noting that it "feels like a parody, this time of the kind of bland, mechanical, family sitcom they supposedly don't make anymore".

The final series garnered still more negative press comment. Metro (British newspaper) said that the programme was "like a cereal advert that has been spun out into a full-length TV comedy", and that its inoffensive nature felt like being "smothered by cushions"[1]

Series 1 (2009)

Life of Riley's first series comprises six episodes, each of which are thirty minutes long.

Series 2 (2010)

In May 2009, it was confirmed that the Life of Riley & The Old Guys will have a second series. It began airing on 17 March 2010 and The Old Guys returned on 9 July 2010.

Series 3 (2011)

A third series had been in production from October 2010; it began airing on 13 April 2011.

International broadcast

The series is currently airing on RTÉ One on Sundays in an early morning time slot.