Aherne exorcised jokes from sitcom

Two early episodes of The Royle Family were dumped - because they were too funny.

Comedy writer Paul Abbott has revealed that Carolne Aherne scrapped the joke-laden shows in favour of underplayed realism.

He said: "The situation is the gag, the lack of dynamic is the gag and the fact that Jim's gags are appalling is the gag.

"But at the time, they must have thought Aherne was barking," he told an online chat with MediaGuardian.co.uk. "She was allowed to experiment because she's powerful."

Abbott has written some of TV's biggest hits, including Clocking Off and Linda Green

Published: 14 Nov 2001