By the 1980s, working class sitcoms were a staple of the TV landscape.

The elder men in both become moralistic and both quote the old adage Dont gamble!

Only Fools and Horses… also shared some of the originalSteptoe and Sonprops.

The shows share a wonderful pathos as the protagonists struggle with their lot.

He bickers with Kate, hes tactless and has no empathy for her problems.

His confused Landlady is Mrs Lemenski.

In January 1990 his new sitcomOne Foot in the Gravedebuted on BBC1.

Outside in the snow he befriended a robin who was rather vulnerable and ultimately killed by a cat.

A layer of poignancy is suddenly laced into the mix, something Renwick does particularly well.

In another episode, Magarets mother struggles to use her answerphone.

Aherne settled on a naturalistic homespun Manchester setting.

TheRoyle Familyfirst appeared on BBC2 in 1999 and reflected societys obsession with TV to the detriment of family conversation.

Aherne reunitedBrooksidestars Sue Johnston and Ricky Tomlinson as Barbara and Jim Royle.

Jims best mate, the decidedly dodgy Twiggy (Geoffrey Hughes), would make the occasional appearance.

Its often said ofThe Royle Familythat nothing much happens.

Actually, its the keen observations of how a family interacts that really lifts the show.

Birth, death and marriage have all been covered.

A wonderfully warm dialogue between Jim and Denise develops, largely improvised by Aherne and Tomlinson.

Aherne and Cash have honed their skills over the years.

The slightly unsettlingMrs Merton and Malcolmis now a distant memory.

Cash developedEarly Doorswhich was set in a northern pub where little happened save for the regulars banter and drinking.

Cash played Joe and co-writer Phil Mealey was Duffy.

The evocative themeSmall Worldwas by Roddy Frame of Aztec Camera.

Like so many sitcom greats before him, ultimately he was a loser.

He would often cover himself in glory and make a run at live up to his own hype.

His impression of his colleagues and what they actually thought of him were two very different things.

Brents character does eventually develop when he meets a woman he actually cares about.

Super Hans an addled hanger-on friend of Jeremy provided much of the comic relief.