Written by Ruth Jones And James Corden
Directed by Christine Vernon
Nessa (to any character): "What's occurring?"
Over the last few weeks and thanks to both BBC3 and U&Gold, I've been rewatching this series in anticipation for the final episode that ended up breaking rating records on Christmas Day. When this show first debuted in 2007, I'll admit that it didn't instantly grab me. It took me a while to get into it.
There are things about this show's earlier days that have certainly not aged well (one of the main characters dating a school girl being one of them) but as a show, it's got an undeniable charm to it. It's also a show where nearly every character was more entertaining than the titular characters themselves.
That probably sounds a bit harsh because to their credit, both Mathew Horne and Joanna Page do their best as the title couple. After all, the show started with Essex boy Gavin Shipman (Horne) and Welsh girl Stacey West (Page) talking on the phone before agreeing to meet up in Leicester Square to take their romance to the next step.
Over the course of the series, both Gavin and Stacey got married, argued over living arrangements, almost split, tried for a baby, ended up with three kids and resorted to awkward roleplay to put the spice back in their love life. It's a more grounded romance but it was never the real love story of the series.
Nope, that was always their best mates, Neil "Smithy" Smith (James Corden) and Vanessa "Nessa" Jenkins (Ruth Jones) and it definitely wasn't love at first sight between the pair. Still they did the deed in the first episode and by the second series finale, Neil the Baby was born. Of course, there were a few obstacles in their path to true love, including Dave Coaches (Steffan Rhodri) and the rather obnoxious, Sonia (Laura Aikman). Let's just say the latter became a jilted bride that no one was rooting for.
While Smithy and Nessa took seventeen years to finally get together, what about everyone else? The one thing this show absolutely thrived on was it's supporting cast. Gavin's parents Pam (Alison Steadman) and Mick (Larry Lamb), Stacey's mother Gwen (Melanie Walters) and uncle Bryn (Rob Brydon) as well as her brother, Jason (Robert Wilfort) and that fishing trip. We never did get the answer to that eternal mystery. Perhaps that was for the best.
Over the course of 22 episodes split over three series and three specials in a seventeen year period, this show certainly had it's fair share of hysterically funny moments and even some surprisingly touching ones too. Both Corden and Jones could've dropped the ball at the last minute but the way they managed to perfectly capture a satisfying ending to this series needs to be studied. They really stuck the landing.
- Other noteworthy characters included feuding couple Pete (Adrian Scarborough) and Dawn Sutcliffe (Julia Davis) and randy pensioner Doris (Margaret John). The latter often got some biting one liners.
- Yes certain characters intentionally share the surnames of infamous British serial killers. It was deliberate.
- British talent that popped up in this series included Sheridan Smith, Pam Ferris, Russell Tovey, Samuel Anderson, Matthew Baynton, Matt Lucas, Anna Maxwell Martin and Noel Sullivan to name a few.
- Gavin and Stacey's kids were called Harri, Megan and Caitlin. Stacey and Nessa changed careers, though Nessa did have one consistent job.
- Standout music: Stephen Fretwell's Run, the theme tune to the series.
- Chronology: The show aired between 2007 to 2024 and it's also the timeline of the show as well, going from Billericay, Essex to Barry, Wales.
Gavin & Stacey did not start off as show that I thought I'd grow to love but it's a great example that sometimes, it's always a good thing to give things a second chance. This show was definitely worth going back to and with that final episode, it's certainly cemented it's legacy as an iconic British sitcom.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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