MAKING A WELCOME return to BBC America this month is Gavin & Stacey, the popular and original tale of modern romance that captivated viewers during its first two seasons on this side of the pond.
The fresh-faced love story with a prominent pop music soundtrack may have given it the sheen of “yoof”, but it’s actually a sweetly old-fashioned comedy of manners with episodes revolving around Gavin and Stacey’s respective families getting flung together for weddings, birthdays and other functions.
Season two ended with the Anglo-Welsh couple at Christmas, as we saw Essex boy Gavin (Mathew Horne) announced that he and homesick Welsh wife Stacey (Joanna Page) were relocating to her hometown of Barry. The new season debuts with Gavin’s first day in his new, Glamorgan-based job. Cue embarrassing personal phone calls undermining his attempts to project professionalism.
This may not sound very promising but the show’s success lies in its adroit modern take on the culture clash between Brits from differents part of the country, different socio-economic backgrounds and different lifeviews. Key to the show’s success is the bumpy relationship between the titular lovebirds and Gavin and Stacey’s big-boned best mates, Smithy and Nessa (the show’s creators James Corden and Ruth Jones), who during a drunken coupling ended up conceiving a baby, Neil. It’s all about how modern Britain flings all manner of people together, and how they learn to cope with it – no matter how many hilarious and embarassing episodes may ensue.
Also slipped into the mix are such racy topics as cybersex. And don’t forget the swearing granny and laddy banter too. Gavin & Stacey is hardly Seinfeld but does have broad appeal, boasting characters of all ages, an ear for domestic dialogue reminiscent of The Royle Family and a script stuffed with quotable catchphrases (“What’s occurring?”, “tidy”, “lush” and “Gav-lar!” will all be familiar to viewers of the first two series.
Gavin & Stacey was created and written by Ruth Jones and James Corden, who also star alongside a cast of top British talent including comedian, Rob Brydon and award-winning actress, Alison Steadman. The guest stars are also a terrific mix of rising new stars and established actors, including Russell Tovey (Being Human), Pam Ferris (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) and Julia Davies (Nighty Night).
Gavin & Stacey – Season 3. Airing Fridays 9:00p.m on BBC America.
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