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''Gavin & Stacey'' is a British
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
created, written by and starring
James Corden James Kimberley Corden (born 22 August 1978) is an English comedian, actor, writer, producer, singer, and television host. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for co-writing and starring in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom '' Gavin & S ...
and
Ruth Jones Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones (born 22 September 1966) is a Welsh actress, comedian, writer and producer. She co-wrote and co-starred in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' (2007–2010, 2019, 2024), for which she won the B ...
about two families: one from
Billericay Billericay ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Basildon in Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, east of the City of London. The town was founded in the 13th century by the Stratford Langthorne Abbey, Abbot of West Ham, ...
in
Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
, and the other from
Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 195 ...
in the
Vale of Glamorgan The Vale of Glamorgan ( ), locally referred to as ''The Vale'', is a Principal areas of Wales, county borough in the South East Wales, south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf t ...
.
Mathew Horne Mathew Frazer Horne (born 6 September 1978) is an English actor, comedian, singer, television presenter, and narrator. He is best known for appearing on several BBC Sketch comedy, sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably ''Gavin & Stacey'' (as L ...
and
Joanna Page Joanna Louise Page is a Welsh actress and presenter, known for portraying List of Gavin & Stacey characters, Stacey Shipman in the BAFTA-winning television series ''Gavin & Stacey''. She played Dora Spenlow in the David Copperfield (1999 film), ...
play the eponymous characters Gavin and Stacey, while Corden and Jones star as their respective friends Smithy and Nessa.
Alison Steadman Alison Steadman (born 26 August 1946) is an English actress. She received the 1977 Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for ''Abigail's Party'', the 1991 National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress for the Mike Leigh film ...
and
Larry Lamb Lawrence Douglas Lamb (born 1 October 1947) is an English actor and radio presenter. He played Archie Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', Mick Shipman in the BBC comedy series ''Gavin & Stacey'' and Ted Case in the final series of ...
co-star as Gavin's parents Pam and Mick,
Melanie Walters Melanie Walters (born 30 January 1962) is a Welsh actress who has worked frequently in television. She is best known for playing Gwen West in the BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' and Emma, a vampire in the third series of '' Being Human''. Early l ...
plays Stacey's mother Gwen, and
Rob Brydon Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He gained prominence for his roles in film, television and radio. He was appointed Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order ...
plays Stacey's uncle Bryn.
Baby Cow Productions Baby Cow Productions Limited is a British comedy television production company based in London and Manchester, founded by Steve Coogan and Henry Normal. Since its establishment it has diversified into radio, animation and film. According to th ...
produced the
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
for
BBC Cymru Wales BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcasting, public broadcaster in Wales. It is one of the four BBC national regions, alongside the BBC English Regions, BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Scotland. Established in 1964, ...
. The first series, consisting of six episodes, premiered on
BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes for a 16 to 34-year-old target aud ...
in May 2007 to positive reviews and strong ratings. It returned for a second series of seven episodes in March 2008, before being transferred to
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
for a Christmas Eve special, due to the show's growing mainstream popularity. The third and final series aired from 26 November 2009 to 1 January 2010, forming a significant part of the prime-time BBC Christmas programming for 2009. ''Gavin & Stacey'' was directed by Christine Gernon, who had previously directed other BBC sitcoms such as ''
One Foot in the Grave ''One Foot in the Grave'' is a British television British sitcom, sitcom written by David Renwick. There were six series (each consisting of six half-hour episodes) and seven Christmas specials over a period of ten years from early 1990 to late ...
''. Acclaimed as both a hit and a breakthrough show for the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
, it was the most nominated show in the 2007
British Comedy Awards The National Comedy Awards (known as the British Comedy Awards from 1990 to 2014) is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom, celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year. The British Comedy Awards (1 ...
. It won several awards, including the
British Academy Television Awards The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards, are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in ...
(BAFTA) Audience Award, and the British Comedy Awards Best TV Comedy Award, both in 2008. In 2019, ''Gavin & Stacey'' was named the 17th-greatest British sitcom in a poll by ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
''.Fawlty Towers named best British sitcom of all time, beating Blackadder and Only Fools and Horses
''The Independent'', 9 April 2010.
Corden and Jones wrote another Christmas special, which aired on 25 December 2019. With 18.49 million total viewers (11.6 million overnight), the broadcast in the United Kingdom was the most-viewed non-sporting event in a decade and the most-watched comedy in 17 years. The final episode of ''Gavin & Stacey'' aired on 25 December 2024, 17 years after the show was first broadcast. The finale was the most-watched scripted show in over two decades.


Synopsis

The story revolves around Gavin, from Billericay in Essex, England, and Stacey, from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, in south Wales. Gavin lives with his parents, Pam and Mick, and spends most of his time with his best friend, Smithy. Stacey lives with her widowed mother, Gwen, and is frequently visited by her uncle, Bryn, who lives across the road, and by her best friend Nessa. The show follows the key moments in their relationship: their first meeting, meeting each other's families, getting engaged, marrying, looking for a flat, briefly splitting up, looking for new jobs and trying for children. The characters of Gavin and Stacey provide the emotional core of the story, focusing on the situations that arise when their relationship brings their two different families together. As a result, episodes often focus on the key events in life that bring wider families and close friends together such as weddings, christenings, birthday parties and Christmases. However, the show also presents the families interacting in deliberately non-dramatic situations, such as a visit to the beach and nights out. In these scenes, the subtle dialogue between the characters often contains underlying jokes or comedic value. The series also follows the contrasting relationship between Smithy and Nessa. Despite their dislike for each other, they have several one-night stands, leading to Nessa becoming pregnant and having their baby. Whilst Gavin and Stacey are the clear main characters, towards the end of the show's run, the dramatic emphasis switches slightly from them, as they resolve their distance issues, to Smithy and Nessa, as Nessa becomes engaged to another man. Other storylines in the three series include Pam's fake
vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...
ism, Bryn and his nephew Jason's struggle to keep the events of their fishing trip a secret, and the rocky marriage of Pam and Mick's friends Pete and Dawn.


Cast

The surnames of well-known English
serial killers A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...
were used for most of the main characters –
Harold Shipman Harold Frederick Shipman (14 January 1946 – 13 January 2004), known to acquaintances as Fred Shipman, was an English doctor in general practice and serial killer. He is considered to be one of the most prolific serial killers in modern ...
,
Fred West Frederick Walter Stephen West (29 September 1941 – 1 January 1995) was an English serial killer, who committed at least twelve murders between 1967 and 1987 in Gloucestershire, England—the majority with his second wife, Rose West. The vi ...
and
Peter Sutcliffe Peter William Sutcliffe (2 June 1946 – 13 November 2020), also known as Peter Coonan, was an English serial killer who was convicted of murdering thirteen women and attempting to murder seven others between 1975 and 1980. He was du ...
.
Ruth Jones Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones (born 22 September 1966) is a Welsh actress, comedian, writer and producer. She co-wrote and co-starred in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' (2007–2010, 2019, 2024), for which she won the B ...
commented in 2009: "I suppose we were hoping that people wouldn't realise and then when it does come to light, it's even more delicious..."


Main

*
Mathew Horne Mathew Frazer Horne (born 6 September 1978) is an English actor, comedian, singer, television presenter, and narrator. He is best known for appearing on several BBC Sketch comedy, sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably ''Gavin & Stacey'' (as L ...
as Gavin Shipman, the enthusiastic level-headed protagonist and Stacey’s husband from Billericay in Essex *
Joanna Page Joanna Louise Page is a Welsh actress and presenter, known for portraying List of Gavin & Stacey characters, Stacey Shipman in the BAFTA-winning television series ''Gavin & Stacey''. She played Dora Spenlow in the David Copperfield (1999 film), ...
as Stacey Shipman (''née'' West), a woman from Barry who in the first episode works with the same company as Gavin, and later becomes his wife. *
James Corden James Kimberley Corden (born 22 August 1978) is an English comedian, actor, writer, producer, singer, and television host. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for co-writing and starring in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom '' Gavin & S ...
as Neil Noel Edmunds "Smithy" Smith, Gavin's oldest and closest friend, who lives in Billericay. He has a complicated relationship with Nessa. *
Ruth Jones Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones (born 22 September 1966) is a Welsh actress, comedian, writer and producer. She co-wrote and co-starred in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' (2007–2010, 2019, 2024), for which she won the B ...
as Vanessa Shanessa "Nessa" Jenkins, Stacey's oldest and closest friend, who lives in Barry. Nessa has several celebrity connections, such as MP
John Prescott John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott (31 May 1938 – 20 November 2024) was a British politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and as First Secretary of State from 2001 to 2007. A member of the ...
, and later begins a relationship with Dave "Coaches". *
Larry Lamb Lawrence Douglas Lamb (born 1 October 1947) is an English actor and radio presenter. He played Archie Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', Mick Shipman in the BBC comedy series ''Gavin & Stacey'' and Ted Case in the final series of ...
as Michael "Mick" Shipman, Gavin's down-to-earth father. *
Alison Steadman Alison Steadman (born 26 August 1946) is an English actress. She received the 1977 Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for ''Abigail's Party'', the 1991 National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress for the Mike Leigh film ...
as Pamela Andrea "Pam" Shipman (''née'' Gryglaszewska), Gavin's house-proud and over-protective mother. *
Rob Brydon Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He gained prominence for his roles in film, television and radio. He was appointed Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order ...
as Brynfor "Bryn" West, known as "Uncle Bryn"; Stacey's protective, naïve and eccentric uncle, and Gwen's brother-in-law. Bryn's brother and Stacey’s father, Trevor, died prior to the time depicted in the series, and Bryn helped the family cope. He has a difficult relationship with his nephew, Jason, due to a seemingly disturbing incident on their fishing trip. He is also gay. *
Melanie Walters Melanie Walters (born 30 January 1962) is a Welsh actress who has worked frequently in television. She is best known for playing Gwen West in the BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' and Emma, a vampire in the third series of '' Being Human''. Early l ...
as Gwen West, Stacey's caring, kind, widowed mother.


Supporting

* David Lloyd Gooch, known as "Dave Coaches" (
Steffan Rhodri Steffan Rhodri (born 1967, in Morriston, Swansea) is a Welsh film and television actor, best known for portraying bus driver Dave Coaches in the BBC comedy series '' Gavin & Stacey''. Early and personal life Steffan Rhodri was born in 1967, i ...
, series 1–3, 2024 special) – Barry's local coach driver, later Nessa's fiancé. He appears in the first episode when Stacey travels to London to meet Gavin. He also announces his relationship with Gwen in the finale aired on Christmas day 2024. * Dawn Sutcliffe (
Julia Davis Julia Davis (born August 1966) is an English actress, comedian, director and writer. She is known for writing and starring in the comedies Human Remains (TV series), ''Human Remains'' (2000) and ''Nighty Night'' (2004–2005). She later worke ...
) – a close friend of Pam and Mick, who frequently has public arguments with husband Pete. * Peter "Pete" Sutcliffe (
Adrian Scarborough Adrian Philip Scarborough is an English actor. He has appeared in films including '' The Madness of King George'' (1994), '' Gosford Park'' (2001), '' Vera Drake'' (2004), '' The History Boys'' (2006), '' The King's Speech'' (2010), '' Les Misé ...
) – a close friend of Pam and Mick, husband to Dawn, with whom he frequently has public arguments. * Doris O'Neill (
Margaret John Margaret John (14 December 1926 – 2 February 2011) was a Welsh, BAFTA award-winning actress, known for her role as Doris O'Neill in ''Gavin & Stacey''. Early life Born in Swansea, as a child she wanted to be a nurse or vet, but she could n ...
, series 1–3) – Gwen's next-door-neighbour and close friend. The 2019 Christmas special refers to Doris as having died aged 84 and left her house to Gavin and Stacey. Nessa is contesting the legacy through the courts. * Jason West (
Robert Wilfort Robert Kenneth Wilfort (born 20 April 1977) is a Welsh actor from Porthcawl, who has made many appearances on British television and film. He is best known for his role as Jason West in BBC's ''Gavin & Stacey''. His other television appearance ...
) – Stacey's gay older brother, who lives in Spain. * Dominic "Dirtbox" (
Andrew Knott Andrew Knott (born 22 November 1979) is an English actor. He is known for portraying Dickon Sowerby in 1993 film adaptation ''The Secret Garden'', based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and as Henry Green in the television drama serie ...
, series 1–3, 2024 special) – a friend of Gavin and Smithy. * Karl "Budgie" Barratt (
Russell Tovey Russell George Tovey (born 14 November 1981) is a British actor. He is best known for playing the role of werewolf George Sands in the BBC's supernatural comedy-drama '' Being Human'', Rudge in both the stage and film versions of '' The History ...
, series 1–3, 2024 special) – a friend of Gavin and Smithy. * Chinese Alan (Dominic Gaskell, series 1–3, 2024 special) – a friend of Gavin and Smithy, he enters a room with his infamous catchphrase "Did someone order a Chinese?" * Craig "Fingers" ( Samuel Anderson, series 1, 3, 2024 special) – a friend of Gavin and Smithy, who has an on/off relationship with Stacey's friend Louise, after they meet at the wedding and have sex in a back room. * Jesus (Daniel Curtis, series 1) – a friend of Gavin and Smithy, whom Smithy insults on Gavin's stag night, claiming he had to get his T-shirt made at the last minute. * Gary Finch (Jason Gregg, series 1–3, 2024 special) and Simon (Daniel Jeffrey, series 1–2, 2024 special) – friends of Gavin and Smithy, who are never just Gary or Simon, though in series 3 an undisclosed event means Gary comes up to Barry alone. * Louise Evans (Ffion Williams, series 1, 3) – a friend of Stacey and Nessa, who has an on/off relationship with Gavin and Smithy's friend Fingers, after they meet at the wedding and have sex in a back room. * Dick Powell (Gwynfor Roberts, series 1, 3) – the only fully Welsh-speaking inhabitant of Barry (aside from the Welsh nationalists in the caravan park), he sells meat on the black market and rarely appears in person. * Ruth "Rudi" Smith (
Sheridan Smith Sheridan Caroline Sian Smith (born 25 June 1981) is an English actress and singer. She came to prominence after playing a variety of characters in sitcoms, including '' The Royle Family'' (1999–2000), ''Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Cri ...
, series 2–3, 2024 special) – Smithy's immature, but loving, younger sister who also likes to be called "Smithy". She works at a
KFC KFC Corporation, doing business as KFC (an abbreviation of Kentucky Fried Chicken), is an American fast food restaurant chain specializing in fried chicken and chicken sandwiches. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, it is the world's se ...
in Billericay. * Dean “Deano” (
Mathew Baynton Mathew John Baynton (born 18 November 1980) is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. He is a member of the Them There collective, in which he wrote and starred in ''Horrible Histories (2009 TV series), Horrible Histories'', ''Yonderlan ...
, series 2–3) – a friend of Gavin and Smithy, who works with Smithy as a builder and appears to be very dim-witted. * Catherina "Cath" Smith (
Pam Ferris Pamela Ferris (born 11 May 1948) is a British actress. She has starred in numerous British television series, including Connie (TV series), ''Connie'' (1985), ''The Darling Buds of May (TV series), The Darling Buds of May'' (1991–1993), ''W ...
, series 3, 2024 special) – Smithy and Rudi's single mother, who suffers from "a mild form of
narcolepsy Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that impairs the ability to regulate sleep–wake cycles, and specifically impacts REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. The symptoms of narcolepsy include excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), sleep-r ...
" (which Pam thinks is a cover for a drinking problem). * Neil Jenkins (Huw Dafydd, series 3) – Nessa's father and bit part actor (he was an extra in ''
Lark Rise to Candleford ''Lark Rise to Candleford'' is a trilogy of autobiographical novel, semi-autobiographical novels by Flora Thompson about the countryside of north-east Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, England, at the end of the 19th century. The stories were ...
''), rarely seen in Barry although it is never disclosed why he does not "show his face in Barry". * Owain Hughes ( Steve Meo, series 3) – Website Manager in Gavin's new job in
Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...
. He has the obscure catchphrase: "Owain Hughes, and before you ask, no I don't." * Angie (Beth Granville, series 3) – a friend of Stacey and Nessa. * Swede (John Grisley, series 3) – a friend of Gavin and Smithy. * Neil "the Baby" Smith (Scarlett Humphreys; uncredited series 2, Lewis Merchant and Cari Kiernan; 2008 special, Ewan Kennedy; series 3, Oscar Hartland; series 3–2024 special, Rocco Romanello) – Smithy and Nessa's son. He is named after Nessa's father and Smithy (who are both called Neil), Nessa's friend from
Hear'Say Hear'Say were a British pop group. They were created through the ITV (TV network), ITV reality TV show ''Popstars (British TV series), Popstars'' in February 2001, the first UK series of the international ''Popstars'' Media franchise, franch ...
(
Noel Sullivan Noel Sullivan (born 28 July 1980, as Noel John Hayes) is a British singer and actor from Cardiff, Wales. He was a member of the British pop group Hear'Say. Like the other members of the group, he won his part through the ITV talent show ''Pop ...
), and Smithy's grandfather Edmond. In the episode of the christening, Gavin jokes that Neil is named after
Noel Edmonds Noel Ernest Edmonds (born 22 December 1948) is an English businessman, and former television presenter, radio DJ, writer and producer. Edmonds first became known as a disc jockey on Radio Luxembourg before moving to BBC Radio 1 in the UK, pres ...
, which annoys Smithy. * Sonia (
Laura Aikman Laura Holly Aikman (born 24 December 1985) is an English actress. She has appeared in an array of television shows including '' The Mysti Show'' (2004–2005), ''Casualty'' (2009–2010), '' Lemon La Vida Loca'' (2012–2013), ''4 O'Clock Club'' ...
, 2019 and 2024 specials) – Smithy's new girlfriend and subsequent fiancée. * Harri Shipman (Gabriel Mitell, 2019 and 2024 specials) – Gavin and Stacey's eldest child, who was born shortly after the third series in 2010. * Caitlin Shipman (Martha-Eve Tregonning, 2019 and 2024 specials) – Gavin and Stacey's elder daughter. * Megan Shipman (Maddison Belle Platt, 2019 and 2024 specials) – Gavin and Stacey's younger daughter.


Guests

Matt Lucas Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English actor, comedian, writer and television host. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Britain (TV series), Little Britain'' (2003–2006) ...
makes a guest appearance in the fourth episode of the first series; his name helped the series to secure the filming locations in Barry.
Noel Sullivan Noel Sullivan (born 28 July 1980, as Noel John Hayes) is a British singer and actor from Cardiff, Wales. He was a member of the British pop group Hear'Say. Like the other members of the group, he won his part through the ITV talent show ''Pop ...
and
John Prescott John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott (31 May 1938 – 20 November 2024) was a British politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and as First Secretary of State from 2001 to 2007. A member of the ...
made cameo appearances in the final episode of series 3.


Episodes


Series 1 (2007)

The initial series begins with the lives of the title characters,
Gavin Shipman ''Gavin & Stacey'' is a British television comedy series, following the lives of the title characters Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Stacey (Joanna Page). Stacey lives in Barry, South Wales. Her best friend is Nessa Jenkins (Ruth Jones). Gavin lives ...
(
Mathew Horne Mathew Frazer Horne (born 6 September 1978) is an English actor, comedian, singer, television presenter, and narrator. He is best known for appearing on several BBC Sketch comedy, sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably ''Gavin & Stacey'' (as L ...
) and Stacey West (
Joanna Page Joanna Louise Page is a Welsh actress and presenter, known for portraying List of Gavin & Stacey characters, Stacey Shipman in the BAFTA-winning television series ''Gavin & Stacey''. She played Dora Spenlow in the David Copperfield (1999 film), ...
). Gavin is 28 and lives at home in
Billericay Billericay ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Basildon in Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, east of the City of London. The town was founded in the 13th century by the Stratford Langthorne Abbey, Abbot of West Ham, ...
,
Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
, with his parents,
Mick Mick is a masculine given name or nickname, usually a hypocorism of Michael. Because of its popularity in Ireland, it is often used in the English-speaking world as an ethnic slur for Irish people. In Australia, the meaning also broadened to incl ...
(
Larry Lamb Lawrence Douglas Lamb (born 1 October 1947) is an English actor and radio presenter. He played Archie Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', Mick Shipman in the BBC comedy series ''Gavin & Stacey'' and Ted Case in the final series of ...
) and Pam (
Alison Steadman Alison Steadman (born 26 August 1946) is an English actress. She received the 1977 Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for ''Abigail's Party'', the 1991 National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress for the Mike Leigh film ...
). Stacey is 26, and she also lives at home in
Barry Island Barry Island () is a district, peninsula and seaside resort, forming part of the town of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. It is named after the 6th century Saint Baruc. Barry's stretch of coast, on the Bristol Channel, has the wor ...
,
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
, with her widowed mother,
Gwen Gwen may refer to: * Gwen (given name), including a list of people with the name * Gwen (singer), a member of the Filipino Pinoy pop group Bini * ''Gwen, or the Book of Sand'', a 1985 animated film * Gwen (film), a 2018 horror film * Tropical Storm ...
(
Melanie Walters Melanie Walters (born 30 January 1962) is a Welsh actress who has worked frequently in television. She is best known for playing Gwen West in the BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' and Emma, a vampire in the third series of '' Being Human''. Early l ...
), with her uncle, Bryn (
Rob Brydon Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He gained prominence for his roles in film, television and radio. He was appointed Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order ...
) living over the road. The two, along with their respective best friends Neil "Smithy" Smith (
James Corden James Kimberley Corden (born 22 August 1978) is an English comedian, actor, writer, producer, singer, and television host. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for co-writing and starring in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom '' Gavin & S ...
) and
Nessa Jenkins ''Gavin & Stacey'' is a British television comedy series, following the lives of the title characters Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Stacey (Joanna Page). Stacey lives in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Barry, South Wales. Her best friend is #Nessa Jenkins, ...
(
Ruth Jones Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones (born 22 September 1966) is a Welsh actress, comedian, writer and producer. She co-wrote and co-starred in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' (2007–2010, 2019, 2024), for which she won the B ...
), meet for the first time in
Leicester Square Leicester Square ( ) is a pedestrianised town square, square in the West End of London, England, and is the centre of London's entertainment district. It was laid out in 1670 as Leicester Fields, which was named after the recently built Leice ...
in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. The night ends with Gavin and Stacey returning to a hotel room and sleeping together, as do Smithy and Nessa. Gavin and Stacey become infatuated with each other, but Smithy and Nessa are happy to forget their drunken
one-night stand A one-night stand is a single sexual encounter in which there is no expectation that there shall be any further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single night performanc ...
and make little contact with one another afterwards. In the rest of the series, Gavin and Stacey continue their long-distance relationship before becoming engaged and getting married on 6 April 2007. The series ends with Nessa going to inform Smithy that she is pregnant with his child but she changes her mind at the last minute.


Series 2 (2008)

The second series begins with the newlyweds arriving back from their honeymoon in Greece. The in-laws meet again at the Shipmans' house in Essex, where Nessa has some shocking revelations – especially for Smithy, who is the last to learn that she is pregnant with his baby, and although he makes it clear that he thoroughly dislikes the woman, he is generally civil and supportive towards her about their child. Meanwhile, Gavin and Stacey, living at Pam and Mick's house, run into trouble when Stacey struggles to find a job and becomes homesick for Barry Island and her family. The couple try to overcome their problem by looking for an apartment or house in Essex, but Stacey is still dissatisfied and is considering moving back to South Wales to be with her family. In the final episode of the series, Stacey removes her wedding ring, much to the upset of Gavin, but this is interrupted by the news of Nessa unexpectedly going into labour a month early. Pam, Mick and Stacey hurry across to Wales, whilst Gavin rushes to find Smithy with Smithy's sister, Rudi (
Sheridan Smith Sheridan Caroline Sian Smith (born 25 June 1981) is an English actress and singer. She came to prominence after playing a variety of characters in sitcoms, including '' The Royle Family'' (1999–2000), ''Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Cri ...
), eventually finding him in the pub watching football. They arrive to find that Nessa has given birth to a boy,
Neil Neil is a masculine name of Irish origin. The name is an anglicisation of the Irish ''Niall'' which is of disputed derivation. The Irish name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", "victory", "honour" or "champion".. As a surname ...
, named after Nessa's father and Smithy since they share a first name. Gavin and Stacey decide to put their differences aside and are together once again.


Christmas special (2008)

An extended Christmas special involves Stacey's family, along with Nessa and her partner, Dave Coaches (
Steffan Rhodri Steffan Rhodri (born 1967, in Morriston, Swansea) is a Welsh film and television actor, best known for portraying bus driver Dave Coaches in the BBC comedy series '' Gavin & Stacey''. Early and personal life Steffan Rhodri was born in 1967, i ...
), spending Christmas with Gavin's parents. Gavin reveals that he has found a job in Cardiff, which at first causes upset for Pam and Smithy, but they both learn to accept it. Gavin later admits to Smithy that he is moving to Barry Island with Stacey in order to save his marriage. Smithy also gets upset when he feels that Dave, who lives with the baby, Neil, is replacing him as a father. Smithy is furthermore unhappy after Dave proposes to Nessa, with the ring enclosed in a cigarette packet, and she accepts.


Series 3 (2009–2010)

Gavin begins his new job in Wales and his parents and Smithy travel to Wales for Neil's christening. In the next episode Gavin and Stacey, and Nessa and her child Neil, spend the weekend at Pam and Mick's, and after a drunken night, it is believed that Nessa and Smithy may have once again had sex after waking up in bed together the next morning. Gavin and Stacey begin trying for a baby and Stacey is upset and disappointed when she learns that they may not be able to have children. Gavin becomes depressed and preoccupied with this issue, and in an attempt to cheer him up, Pam, Mick and Smithy arrange a surprise trip to Barry beach on a sunny bank holiday. Nessa and Dave also run into trouble after Dave learns about her alleged sexual intercourse with Smithy, but the two decide to go ahead with the wedding. In the final episode, Stacey discovers she is pregnant after all, and the couple are overjoyed. Smithy shows up at Nessa and Dave's wedding ceremony with Neil, pleading for her not to marry him, and accusing her of not loving Dave. Dave, much to everyone's surprise, agrees with Smithy that Nessa does not love him, and the ceremony is called off. The series ends showing the four (Gavin, Stacey, Nessa and Smithy) six months later on Barry beachfront, with a visibly pregnant Stacey.


Christmas special (2019)

Eleven years have passed since Gavin and Stacey went to Billericay to spend Christmas with the older Shipmans and the Wests. This year, since everyone is in Wales for the festivities, Bryn is cooking the dinner for over 13 people. Pam would secretly prefer to spend Christmas in Essex, as she finds Gwen's house a bit lacking. The deal has always been that they alternate every year, and this time it's the turn of the Wests to host Christmas. Gavin and Stacey are now parents of three children: Harri, Caitlin and Megan; but Stacey is worried that their relationship has lost the excitement of the early days. Smithy, too, continues to commit to his fatherly role, making the journey to Barry Island on at least alternate weekends to see a now 11-year-old Neil. At the end, Nessa confesses to Smithy that she is in love with him, getting down on one knee to propose, ending the programme on a cliffhanger. The episode is dedicated to the memory of Margaret John, who played Doris, who died in February 2011.


The Finale (2024)

This episode follows on five years from the events which occurred in the 2019 special. Smithy is preparing for his wedding. It emerges he did not respond to Nessa's proposal and proceeded to get engaged to Sonia. The episode centres on the respective
stag A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) a ...
and hen parties, both of which fall flat. The episode ends with Smithy leaving Sonia at the altar, after which Smithy and Nessa get married.


Documentaries

Behind-the-scenes documentaries were aired after the 2019 and 2024 Christmas specials, titled ''12 Days of Christmas'' and ''Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell'', respectively.


Production

The idea for the show occurred to actor
James Corden James Kimberley Corden (born 22 August 1978) is an English comedian, actor, writer, producer, singer, and television host. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for co-writing and starring in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom '' Gavin & S ...
during a wedding reception, and he then developed the idea with co-writer
Ruth Jones Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones (born 22 September 1966) is a Welsh actress, comedian, writer and producer. She co-wrote and co-starred in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' (2007–2010, 2019, 2024), for which she won the B ...
, whom he had met during the filming of ITV drama ''
Fat Friends ''Fat Friends'' is a British drama that aired on ITV from 12 October 2000 to 24 March 2005, consisting of 25 episodes over four series. Set in Leeds, the series explores the lives of several slimming club members, with a focus on the various ...
''. Corden claims to have been inspired by the story of his own real life best friend Gavin, who met his wife over the phone at work, and arranged to meet. They presented it to the BBC as a one-off play entitled ''It's My Day'', but the BBC instead asked for a full series. The roles of Gavin and Stacey were cast through an auditioning process, but were almost immediately given to Mathew Horne and Joanna Page on the strength of their chemistry together. The roles of Nessa and Smithy were written by Corden and Jones for themselves. Some roles were written with certain actors in mind: Uncle Bryn was written specifically for Rob Brydon, who had attended school with Jones; whilst Pam was written specifically for Alison Steadman, who had also worked on ''Fat Friends''. Jones had worked with Julia Davis in her sitcom ''
Nighty Night ''Nighty Night'' is a BBC black comedy television sitcom starring Julia Davis. It was first broadcast on 6 January 2004 on BBC Three. Notorious for its dark humour, the show follows narcissistic sociopath Jill Tyrell (Julia Davis) alongside h ...
'', and the role of Dawn was written with her in mind. Additionally, Corden had appeared with Adrian Scarborough in the Alan Bennett-penned play and film, ''
The History Boys ''The History Boys'' is a play by British playwright Alan Bennett. The play premiered at the Royal National Theatre in London's West End on 18 May 2004. Its Broadway debut was on 23 April 2006 at the Broadhurst Theatre where 185 performances w ...
'', which led to him being cast in the role of Pete. An audition process was used to cast the roles of Mick and Gwen, whilst the roles of Gavin's friends were given to Corden's co-stars in ''The History Boys''. The three series were shot largely in Cardiff (which acted as parts of Billericay) and in Barry and the surrounding area, including
Dinas Powys Dinas Powys (; also spelt "Dinas Powis" in English) is a town and community (Wales), community in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. Its name means "fort of the provincial place" and refers to the Dinas Powys hillfort, Iron Age hillfort which ...
, Sully and
Penarth Penarth ( , ) is a town and Community (Wales), community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, approximately south of Cardiff city centre on the west shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay. Penarth is a Seaside resort#Brit ...
. The show's popularity has been credited with boosting the tourist trade to Barry and its popular seafront of
Barry Island Barry Island () is a district, peninsula and seaside resort, forming part of the town of Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. It is named after the 6th century Saint Baruc. Barry's stretch of coast, on the Bristol Channel, has the wor ...
, through visitors wishing to visit the various filming locations. Gavin's house (address "23 Limetree Avenue") was set in Billericay but was actually filmed on location in Laburnum Way, Dinas Powys in Wales. The opening episode features location shooting in
Leicester Square Leicester Square ( ) is a pedestrianised town square, square in the West End of London, England, and is the centre of London's entertainment district. It was laid out in 1670 as Leicester Fields, which was named after the recently built Leice ...
in London, which was filmed in 2006. After the debut of the show on
BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes for a 16 to 34-year-old target aud ...
, a second series was soon commissioned. Speaking about the second series, Corden said, "It's the show that we wanted to make. If people like it, they like it; if they don't, they don't. That's a nice feeling, that's quite freeing... There's more of a journey and more of a story. We hope the viewers will feel like they've been taken on a little trip by it." Jones said, "Series one had a very specific storyline to it, boy meets girl and it ends in a wedding. We don't have the same type of storyline in the second series. It's now girl lives with boy's parents in Essex and the joys that might entail." There was initial uncertainty over whether a third series would be produced. In an April 2008 interview, Jones said, "We never intended to write a second series, let alone a third. We don't want it to become predictable. We will see how the Christmas special goes and take it from there." Corden added: "We will write one if we can make it better. We have to be true to ourselves." Corden and Jones completed the final draft of the Christmas Special by September 2008, although they ruled out writing the third series at the time due to pressures of other work, and repeating the wish not to produce a sub-standard script. Corden and Jones eventually announced there would be a third series produced, on 21 December 2008 just before the 2008 Christmas special aired, as Jones performed her final
BBC Radio Wales BBC Radio Wales is a Wales, Welsh national radio station owned and operated by BBC Cymru Wales, a division of the BBC. It began broadcasting on 13 November 1978, replacing the Welsh opt-out service of BBC Radio 4. As of August 2022, the stat ...
''Sunday Brunch'' radio show to a live audience on Barry Island. In May 2019, a second Christmas special was announced by Corden which aired on Christmas Day 2019. In February 2024, a third Christmas special was rumoured for Christmas 2024; however, co-creator Jones dismissed the claim, stating that it was "sadly a rumour". However, shortly afterwards Jones said that there were no plans "set in stone", causing confusion as to whether or not there was another special planned. On 3 May 2024, Corden announced via his social media channels that he and Jones had completed writing the final episode of the show, to air on Christmas Day 2024 on BBC One. Jones later criticised the fact that news of the show had been leaked, saying, "James and I wanted to give everybody a nice surprise and I think it was really mean that they leaked it." Filming of the final episode began on 2 September 2024 and wrapped on 8 October. Aikman's involvement in the special was concealed from the public prior to broadcast.


Awards

The show was nominated for, and won, several awards throughout its run, with two notable wins being the
British Academy Television Awards The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards, are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in ...
Audience Award, and the
British Comedy Awards The National Comedy Awards (known as the British Comedy Awards from 1990 to 2014) is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom, celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year. The British Comedy Awards (1 ...
Best TV Comedy Award, both in 2008. In the 2007 British Comedy Awards, the show won Best New British TV Comedy, losing in the Best New TV Comedy category to ''
Peep Show A peep show, peepshow, or, a peep booth is a presentation of a live sex show or pornographic film which is viewed through a viewing slot. Several historical media provided voyeuristic entertainment through hidden erotic imagery. Before the devel ...
''. James Corden and Ruth Jones won Best Male and Female Comedy Newcomer respectively, with fellow cast members Mathew Horne and Joanna Page having also been nominated in the same categories. The show was also named Best New British TV Sitcom in the 2007 ''The Comedy.co.uk'' Awards. In April 2008 the show won two awards in the BAFTAs, the Audience Award, and Best Comedy Performance for James Corden. In December 2008 the show won Best TV Comedy in the 2008 British Comedy Awards. In the 2009 BAFTAs Rob Brydon was nominated for Best Comedy Performance as Bryn. In the
National Television Awards The National Television Awards (often shortened to NTAs) is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and begun in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted o ...
in January 2010, Gavin and Stacey won the award for Best Comedy. In January 2020, the series won the "Impact Award" at the
25th National Television Awards The 25th National Television Awards were held at The O2 Arena on 28 January 2020, and was the only time to be hosted by David Walliams. Performances *Pet Shop Boys – " Monkey Business" Awards Programmes with multiple nominations Pr ...
. It also won the 2020 British Academy Television Award for Virgin TV's Must-See Moment ("Nessa proposes to Smithy").


Critical reaction

Immediately after the end of series 2, in April 2008 ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' described the show as "BBC Three's biggest breakout comedy hit since ''
Little Britain Little Britain may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little Britain'' (TV series), a British radio and then television series ** '' Little Britain USA'', an American spin-off * "Little Britain", a song by Dreadzone from the 1995 album ''Second ...
''", while Deborah Orr wrote that the show was "amiable, unpretentious, well-scripted, nicely acted and archly amusing. It's a good series, taking its place in a well-worn comedic progression, stretching back to ''
The Liver Birds ''The Liver Birds'' is a British sitcom, set in Liverpool, North West England, which aired on BBC1 from April 1969 to December 1978, and again in 1996. The show was created by Carla Lane and Myra Taylor. The two Liverpudlian housewives had me ...
.''" Just before the third series aired, ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' described how the show had developed from a respectable début on BBC Three to an award-winning show with mainstream popularity after the
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
Christmas special, although it noted a perception from some that the show shouldn't "get above itself". With its mainstream acceptance, however, it was of the opinion that the show had all the ingredients to become an "audience-pleasing family sitcom in the tradition of ''
Only Fools and Horses ''Only Fools and Horses'' (titled onscreen as ''Only Fools and Horses....'') is a British television sitcom that was created and written by John Sullivan (writer), John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Ki ...
'' and ''
The Royle Family ''The Royle Family'' is a British sitcom produced by Granada Television for the BBC, which ran for three series from 1998 to 2000, and specials from 2006 to 2012. It centres on the lives of a television-fixated Manchester family, the Royles, com ...
'' – churning out series after series and Christmas special after Christmas special", although by then, the writers had already ruled out future full series. In 2019, ''Gavin & Stacey'' was named the 17th-greatest British sitcom of all time in a poll by ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
''.


Other appearances

Characters from the show have appeared outside the series' episodes in aid of various charitable causes.


''Barry Islands in the Stream''

In the fifth episode of the second series (6 April 2008), for Gwen's birthday barn dance, Bryn and Nessa perform a duet of " Islands in the Stream". On 21 February 2009, this was adapted into "Barry Islands In The Stream", a musical mini-sketch aired for
Comic Relief Comic Relief is a British charity, founded in 1986 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry in response to the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The concept of Comic Relief was to get British comedians to make t ...
. In a storyline that sees Bryn and Nessa invited to compete in the World Karaoke Championships in
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, Nessa bumps into her old friend
Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer *Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...
, who joins them on stage, and the sketch also features Bee Gee
Robin Gibb Robin Hugh Gibb (22 December 1949 – 20 May 2012) was a British singer and songwriter. He gained global fame as a member of the Bee Gees with elder brother Barry and fraternal twin brother Maurice. Robin Gibb also had his own successfu ...
. Also released as a
charity single A charity record, charity album, or charity single is a recording with most or all proceeds raised going to a dedicated foundation or charity. In 1956, The Lord's Taverners released a 78 rpm disc which contained six tracks donated by popular artis ...
, it debuted in the number one spot on the UK Singles Chart on 15 March 2009. For
Red Nose Day 2009 Red Nose Day 2009 was a fund-raising event organised by Comic Relief, broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Two from the evening of 13 March 2009 to early the following morning. It was part of the "Do Something Funny For Money" campaign. It was held ...
on 13–14 March, the main telethon event for Comic Relief, a second sketch was aired where James Corden, in character as Smithy, has a chance encounter with the
England national football team The England national football team have represented England in international Association football, football since the first international match in 1872. It is controlled by the Football Association (FA), the governing body for football in Eng ...
and proceeds to give them some advice on tactics and teamwork. "Barry Islands In The Stream" was also performed live for the ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...
2009 Red Nose Day'' special.


''Smithy''

There have been two charity episodes depicted as a "spin-off" of ''Gavin & Stacey'' called ''Smithy'', starring James Corden as the title character. For
Sport Relief 2010 Sport Relief 2010, was a fund raising event organised by Sport Relief, broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Two from the evening of 19 March 2010 to early the following morning. It was held on Friday 19 March and Saturday 20 March 2010 from 7:00pm t ...
on 19 March 2010, Corden appeared again as Smithy in a long sketch about coaching, where he meets
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
footballers such as
David Beckham Sir David Robert Joseph Beckham ( ; born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City. Primarily a right winger and known for his range of passing, cross ...
,
John Terry John George Terry (born 7 December 1980) is an English professional Coach (association football), football coach and former Association football, player who played as a centre-back. He was previously captain of Chelsea F.C., Chelsea, the En ...
and
Rio Ferdinand Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-back, and is now a television pundit for TNT Sports. He played 81 times for the England national team between 1997 and 2011, and ...
. Corden had previously recorded a live 9-minute segment during the December 2009
BBC Sports Personality of the Year The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of just a single award of the same name. Several new awards have been introduced, and cu ...
awards ceremony. It sees Smithy being presented with the Coach of the Year Award for his unsung coaching influence on several British sports stars. As he jokes with the audience, he declares he can't accept the award and goes on to rant at the assembled sporting stars for having 'lost their way' and focusing on celebrity, ending on a rousing appeal to get back to basics, leaving hosts
Sue Barker Susan Barker (born 19 April 1956) is a British former television presenter and professional tennis player. During her playing career, Barker won 15 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including a major at the 1976 French Open. She reached a career- ...
and
Gary Lineker Gary Winston Lineker ( ; born 30 November 1960) is an English Sports broadcasting, sports broadcaster and former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. Lineker is the only player t ...
in mock tears. As a backstory, sketches are shown of how Smithy coached
Tom Daley Thomas Robert Daley (born 21 May 1994) is an English retired diver, YouTuber and television personality. He is an Olympic champion in the men's synchronised 10-metre platform event at the 2020 Olympics and double world champion in the FI ...
,
Andrew Flintoff Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff (born 6 December 1977), is an English television and radio presenter and former international cricketer. Flintoff played all forms of the game and was one of the sport's leading all-rounders, a fast bowler, middle-ord ...
,
Andy Murray Sir Andrew Barron Murray (born 15 May 1987) is a British former professional tennis player and coach. He was ranked as the List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players, world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professio ...
,
Jenson Button Jenson Alexander Lyons Button (born 19 January 1980) is a British racing driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Jota. Button competed in Formula One from to , and won the World Drivers' Championship in with Brawn; ...
,
David Beckham Sir David Robert Joseph Beckham ( ; born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City. Primarily a right winger and known for his range of passing, cross ...
and the
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
team. On 19 December 2010, Corden appeared as Smithy in the live ceremony for the
2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award The 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, held on 19 December, was the 57th presentation of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards. Presented by Sue Barker, Jake Humphrey, and Gary Lineker from the LG Arena in Birmingham, it was ...
s, announcing that Sport Relief had raised over £44 million, expressing his doubts that England manager
Fabio Capello Fabio Capello (; born 18 June 1946) is an Italian former professional association football, football manager (association football), manager and player. As a player, Capello represented SPAL, AS Roma, Roma, AC Milan and Juventus FC, Juventus. H ...
would win the coach of the year award, and giving the 15 times Darts World Champion Phil Taylor his backing as a candidate for the main award, praising his dedication to training by going down the pub every night sinking pints. There was another episode of ''Smithy'' for the 2011 Comic Relief appeal guest starring
Lenny Henry Sir Lenworth George Henry (born 29 August 1958) is a British Jamaicans, British-Jamaican comedian, actor and writer. He gained success as a Stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian and impressionist in the late 1970s and early 1980s, culminating in ' ...
,
Richard Curtis Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis (born 8 November 1956) is a British screenwriter, producer and director. One of Britain's most successful comedy screenwriters, he is known for romantic comedy-drama films, including ''Four Weddings and a Funeral' ...
,
George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...
,
Dermot O'Leary Seán Dermot O'Leary (born 24 May 1973) is a British-Irish broadcaster. He presented the television talent show ''The X Factor'' on ITV from 2007 until its final series in 2018, with the exception of 2015. Since 2021, O'Leary has presented ITV' ...
,
JLS JLS (initialism for Jack the Lad Swing) are a British boy band consisting of members Aston Merrygold, Oritsé Williams, Marvin Humes, and JB Gill; Williams formed the band. They initially signed with Tracklacers production company New Tr ...
(
Aston Merrygold Aston Iain Merrygold (born 13 February 1988) is a British singer, songwriter, actor, dancer and television presenter. He is known for being a member of the British boy band JLS, who were the runners-up to Alexandra Burke in the fifth series ...
,
Marvin Humes Marvin Richard James Humes (born 18 March 1985) is an English singer-songwriter, disc jockey, radio host, television presenter, and former actor. Before rising to prominence as a member of the British boy band JLS, he had an acting role in Hol ...
,
Oritsé Williams Oritsé Jolomi Matthew Soloman Williams ( ; born 27 November 1986), professionally as Oritsé, is a British singer. He is best known as the founding member of the boy band JLS, who were runners-up to Alexandra Burke on the fifth series of ''T ...
and
JB Gill Jonathan Benjamin Gill (born 7 December 1986), also known professionally as JB Gill, is a British singer, television presenter and farmer. He is best known as a member of the boy band JLS, who were runners-up to Alexandra Burke on the fifth se ...
),
Davina McCall Davina Lucy Pascale McCall (born 16 October 1967) is an English television presenter. She has presented various television shows for Channel 4, including ''Streetmate'' (1998–2001, 2016), ''Big Brother (British TV series), Big Brother'' (2 ...
,
Rupert Grint Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint (; born 24 August 1988) is an English actor. He rose to fame for his role as Ron Weasley in the ''Harry Potter'' film series, for which he was cast at age eleven, having previously acted only in school plays and ...
,
Tom Felton Thomas Andrew Felton (born 22 September 1987) is an English actor. Born in Surrey, Felton began appearing in commercials and made his screen debut in the role of Peagreen Clock in ''The Borrowers'' (1997). He portrayed Louis T. Leonowens in ...
,
Sebastian Coe Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe, (born 29 September 1956), often referred to as Seb Coe, is a British sports administrator, former politician and retired track and field athlete. As a middle-distance runner, Coe won four Olympic medals, incl ...
,
Gordon Brown James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. Previously, he was Chancellor of the Ex ...
,
Robert Winston Robert Maurice Lipson Winston, Baron Winston (born 15 July 1940) is a British professor, medical doctor, scientist, television presenter and Labour peer. Early life Robert Winston was born in London to Laurence Winston and Ruth Winston-Fox, ...
,
Roger Lloyd-Pack Roger Anthony Lloyd-Pack (8 February 1944 – 16 January 2014) was a British actor. He is best known for playing Trigger in ''Only Fools and Horses'' from 1981 to 2003, and Owen Newitt in ''The Vicar of Dibley'' from 1994 to 2007. He later star ...
,
Rio Ferdinand Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-back, and is now a television pundit for TNT Sports. He played 81 times for the England national team between 1997 and 2011, and ...
,
Keira Knightley Keira Christina Knightley ( ; born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films and Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters, particularly Historical drama, period dramas, she has received List of awards and no ...
,
Richard Madeley Richard Holt Madeley ( born 13 May 1956) is an English television presenter and writer. Alongside his wife Judy Finnigan, he presented ITV's '' This Morning'' (1988–2001) and the Channel 4 chat show ''Richard & Judy'' (2001–2008). Madeley ...
,
Clare Balding Clare Victoria Balding (born 29 January 1971) is an English broadcast journalist and author. She currently presents programmes for BBC Sport and Channel 4, and previously for BT Sport. She also formerly presented ''Good Morning Sunday'' on BBC ...
,
Tom Daley Thomas Robert Daley (born 21 May 1994) is an English retired diver, YouTuber and television personality. He is an Olympic champion in the men's synchronised 10-metre platform event at the 2020 Olympics and double world champion in the FI ...
,
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
and surviving
Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
and
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
. Corden appeared as Smithy again on '' Michael McIntyre's Christmas Roadshow'' on BBC One on 25 December 2011. The sketch showed Smithy in a dating-show style spoof with
Miranda Hart Miranda Katherine Hart Dyke (born 14 December 1972) is an English actress, comedian and writer. She has won three Royal Television Society awards, four British Comedy Awards, and four BAFTA nominations for her self-driven semi-autobiographical ...
as her TV alter ego. He again appeared at Comic Relief, this time in 2013, in the live studio itself. He went on to rant about all the world's issues and his opinions on them. Corden appeared as the character again for 2016's Sport Relief, where Smithy campaigns to be elected as Sepp Blatter's replacement as the president of FIFA.


Nessa

Ruth Jones read
BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...
's
Shipping Forecast The ''Shipping Forecast'' is a BBC Radio broadcast of weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the British Isles. It is produced by the Met Office and broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The for ...
in the voice of Nessa, to mark the forecast's centenary, on 1 January 2025.


''Channel 4 Comedy Gala''

On 30 March 2010, Corden and Jones appeared in character as Smithy and Nessa as part of ''
Channel 4's Comedy Gala ''Channel 4's Comedy Gala'' is an annual British comedy benefit show organised by Channel 4 in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. The show is filmed live at the O2 Arena in London, and then broadcast later by Channel 4. An inaugura ...
'', held at the
O2 Arena O2 Arena may refer to: *The O2 Arena, London * O2 Arena, Prague *The 3Arena, Dublin, formerly known as The O2 *The Uber Arena, Berlin, formerly known as O2 World *The Barclays Arena Barclays Arena (originally known as the Color Line Arena an ...
in London in aid of
Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital Great Ormond Street Hospital (informally GOSH, formerly the Hospital for Sick Children) is a children's hospital located in the Bloomsbury area of the London Borough of Camden, and a part of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Found ...
, broadcast on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
on 5 April 2010. Following on from the events of the final episode, they arrive in London on a day trip from Barry Island, with Neil the baby in tow.


Home media

The decision was made by
BBC Worldwide BBC Worldwide Ltd. was the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the BBC, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in January 1995. The company monetised BBC brands, selling BBC and other British programming for broadcas ...
to release the full DVD box set of series three on 7 December 2009, in time for the Christmas rush, despite not all of the series having aired in the UK. There was some criticism, with
Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties have usually followed liberalism as ideology, although they can vary widely from very progr ...
media spokesperson Don Foster saying it devalued the
licence fee A television licence or broadcast receiving licence is a payment required in many countries for the reception of television broadcasts or the possession of a television set. In some countries, a licence is also required to own a radio or rece ...
. Despite this release, subsequent episodes still saw some of the show's highest viewing figures.Weekly Top 30 Programmes
Broadcasters' Audience Research Board


DVD and Blu ray releases


International broadcasts

''Gavin & Stacey'' has aired on
BBC Entertainment BBC Entertainment was an international television channel that broadcast comedy, drama, light entertainment, reality and children's programming (some regions only) from the BBC, Channel 4 and other UK production houses. The channel broadcast re ...
,
BritBox BritBox is a British Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Video on demand#Subscription models, video on demand Streaming television, streaming service founded by BBC Studios and ITV plc, ITV which operates in eight countries across Australi ...
,
BBC America BBC America is an American basic cable network that is owned by AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary series). Unlike the BBC's ...
and
BBC Canada BBC Canada was a Canadian English language specialty channel that mostly broadcast television series originally produced by the BBC, the public-service broadcaster of the United Kingdom. The channel was owned by Corus Entertainment (80% & managi ...
channels. Also screened in Australia (
Seven Network Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...
, 7TWO,
ABC2 ABC Family is an Australian free-to-air television channel owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and part of its ABC Television network. The channel broadcasts a range of family and teen entertainment programming. The channel oper ...
and UK-TV),
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
/
Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
( Acht),
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
( HOT V.O.D and Yes Stars Comedy),
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
(
RTÉ Two (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Republic of Ireland, Irish Public broadcasting, public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, television, RT� ...
), in
The Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
(
RTL 8 RTL 8 is a Dutch free-to-cable television channel that was launched on 18 August 2007 replacing Tien, previously known as Talpa. RTL 8's main target audience consists of women. It broadcasts soap operas, talk shows, films and reruns of programm ...
),
Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
(
Stöð 2 Stöð 2, literally Station 2, was an Icelandic subscription television channel. Founded in 1986, it was the first privately owned television station in Iceland following the lifting of the state monopoly on television broadcasting. Sister chan ...
),
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
( TV ONE),
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
(
RTP2 RTP2 (''RTP dois'') is a Portuguese free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP). It is the company's second television channel, and is known for broadcasting cultural ...
),
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
( SVT) and Spain/
Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
(3XL).


Adaptations

Various adaptations have been attempted but have not matched the success of the original.


NBC (2008)

In March 2008, it was reported the American network
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
had bought the rights to produce an American remake from Baby Cow Productions. Initial ideas according to Corden were to have Gavin coming from
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
and Stacey from
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
, meeting up in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. In December 2008 however, Jones stated "There was a script written for NBC. They optioned it, but then that went away. I read the script and it wasn't great to be honest with you. But now
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
are looking into writing a pilot and hopefully that will work out". At the time, both Corden and Jones were reportedly acting as executive producers of the ABC version, while interviewing other people for the job of writing the adaptation.


ABC pilot (2009–10)

In September 2009 it was reported that ABC had ordered a
pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
for an American remake, to be written by Stacy Traub and Hayes Jackson, and produced by
BBC Worldwide BBC Worldwide Ltd. was the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the BBC, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in January 1995. The company monetised BBC brands, selling BBC and other British programming for broadcas ...
. The series was not picked up.


Fox (2013–14): ''Us & Them''

On 8 May 2013,
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
announced that an American remake, ''Us & Them'', would be broadcast in the network's 2013–14 schedule. Thirteen episodes were ordered. On 11 October 2013, it was revealed that only six episodes would air after production went into early hiatus, before being halted altogether. In June 2014, Fox announced that the six episodes would not air on the network.


Notes


References


External links

*
BBC Archive site

''Gavin & Stacey''
at
BBC America BBC America is an American basic cable network that is owned by AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary series). Unlike the BBC's ...

''Gavin And Stacey''
at British TV Comedy
Radio Times – ''Gavin and Stacey''
* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gavin and Stacey 2000s British sitcoms 2010s British sitcoms 2020s British sitcoms 2007 British television series debuts 2024 British television series endings BBC Cymru Wales television shows BBC television sitcoms Television shows set in Wales Television shows set in Essex 2000s British romantic comedy television series 2000s British romance television series 2010s British romance television series 2010s British romantic comedy television series 2020s British romance television series 2020s British romantic comedy television series Barry, Vale of Glamorgan