Gavin & Stacey is a British romantic situation comedy that follows the long-distance relationship of Gavin (Mathew Horne) from Billericay in Essex, England, and Stacey (Joanna Page) from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The writers of the show, actors James Corden and Ruth Jones, also co-star as Gavin and Stacey's friends Smithy and Nessa. Other prominent cast members include Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb, who play Gavin's parents, Pam and Mick, and Melanie Walters and Rob Brydon, who portray Stacey's mother, Gwen, and her uncle, Bryn.
The show was produced by Baby Cow Productions for BBC Wales. It ran for a total of 21 episodes, broadcast from 13 May 2007 to 25 December 2019, comprising three series and two Christmas specials. Initially, the series was shown on BBC Three, but a growing following meant that it was subsequently moved to BBC One. The final two episodes of Series three formed a significant part of the prime time BBC seasonal programming, and were broadcast on Christmas Day 2009 and New Year's Day 2010. In May 2019, it was confirmed that a new seasonal episode was to be created which was broadcast on Christmas Day 2019. It attracted over 18 million TV viewers.
Series overview
editEpisodes
editSeries 1 (2007)
edit| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [1] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 13 May 2007 | 0.58 | |
|
Gavin Shipman (Mathew Horne) and Stacey West (Joanna Page) decide to meet for the first time in London after talking on the phone for some time, bringing along their best friends, Neil "Smithy" Smith (James Corden) and Nessa Jenkins (Ruth Jones) for support, and the two pairs end up in a hotel together for the night. Afterwards Gavin drives to Stacey’s home in Barry Island and confesses his love to Stacey. | |||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 13 May 2007 | 0.55 | |
|
Gavin and Stacey are happy and in love, until a misunderstanding phone call turns their lives upside down. Gavin decides there is only one thing to do, drive to Barry Island for a second time and explain to her about the misunderstanding phone call. However, when he arrives, Stacey's uncle Bryn West (Rob Brydon) is convinced he is a Jehovah's Witness. Stacey goes to stay at Gavin’s for a couple of nights and he proposes to her at London Paddington station just as she’s about to head back home. | |||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 20 May 2007 | 0.55 | |
|
Gavin and Stacey prepare to tell their friends and families about their surprise engagement. Gavin's parents, Mick (Larry Lamb) and Pam (Alison Steadman), are over the moon, while Stacey’s family have some very big concerns over the announcement, and Smithy refuses to even talk to Gavin. | |||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 27 May 2007 | 0.54 | |
|
The Shipmans travel to Barry Island for a wedding fair. At the wedding fair, Smithy is completely mesmerised by Jammy the stag organiser (Matt Lucas), Bryn is totally sold on a magician for the wedding, and Gavin has to decide whether to go with the horse and carriage Stacey wants for the wedding or the Bentley he wants instead. Meanwhile, Nessa fears she may be pregnant. | |||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 3 June 2007 | 1.74 | |
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It's Gavin and Stacey's stag and hen nights. Stacey is delighted when her brother Jason (Robert Wilfort) returns home but there's bad history between him and Bryn. Meanwhile, Gavin finds out that Stacey has been engaged five times before, and Nessa is in two minds about whether to tell Smithy she may be pregnant. | |||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 10 June 2007 | 1.83 | |
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The wedding day has finally arrived, with Gavin having forgiven Stacey's revelation. Nessa is unable to reveal her pregnancy to Smithy, who makes a fool of himself whilst performing the best man speech. | |||||||
Series 2 (2008)
edit| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [1] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 16 March 2008 | 1.89 | |
|
Newlyweds Gavin and Stacey return from their honeymoon to a big welcome from both families. However, when Smithy joins them for a celebratory meal out, he seems none too happy with his best friend. As Nessa makes a shocking confession, a tearful Stacey realises she's about to leave home and Pam's friends Dawn (Julia Davis) and Pete Sutcliffe (Adrian Scarborough) are distraught over their threeway situation, the entire evening slowly relocates to the restaurant toilets. | |||||||
| 8 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 16 March 2008 | 1.86 | |
|
Smithy goes AWOL after hearing that he is going to be a father, so Gavin, Mick and Bryn attempt to track him down and persuade him to do the right thing. Meanwhile, Stacey is not pleased to hear of her mother Gwen's (Melanie Walters) new living arrangements, and begins feeling homesick before her life at the Shipmans has even begun. | |||||||
| 9 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 23 March 2008 | 1.49 | |
|
Stacey is still adjusting to life as an Essex wife but perks up when it is time to go home to Barry Island, as Nessa and Smithy see their unborn baby for the first time. Meanwhile, Gwen's neighbour, Doris (Margaret John), makes a surprising proposition to Gavin. | |||||||
| 10 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 30 March 2008 | 1.79 | |
|
Gavin and Stacey start house-hunting while Mick becomes a minor celebrity for the night after he was interviewed for a TV news report after he found a dead body on his way to work. Nessa visits Stacey, and the pair of them, along with Gavin and Smithy, go bowling, where tension between the newlyweds starts to bubble over. | |||||||
| 11 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 6 April 2008 | 1.60 | |
|
Bryn has arranged a special treat for Gwen's birthday, but he can't handle the pressure and Gwen starts to get suspicious. Stacey tells Gavin a decision that will change their lives forever: she's moving back to Barry Island. Elsewhere, Nessa seems to have rekindled her romance with Dave Coaches (Steffan Rhodri) | |||||||
| 12 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 13 April 2008 | 1.40 | |
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While Stacey stays in Barry Island, Gavin goes home alone to Essex. Smithy takes Gavin for a boys' night out while Stacey goes to the bingo, but their mutual feelings become evident. Meanwhile, Bryn fears his fishing trip secret will be revealed as Dave, who he confided in whilst drunk, continues to charm Nessa, and the situation is made worse by Jason's presence in the house. | |||||||
| 13 | 7 | "Episode 7" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 20 April 2008 | 1.35 | |
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Stacey returns to Essex to sort things out with Gavin, but things are not looking good. Over in Barry Island, Nessa goes into labour a month early, leaving Gavin to find Smithy and get him to Barry Island in time for the birth. | |||||||
Special (2008)
edit| No. overall | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [2] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | "Christmas Special" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 24 December 2008 | 7.19 | |
|
It's Christmas and the Welsh contingent have been invited to celebrate the festive season with the Shipmans. So with the help of Dave and his coach, Nessa and the Wests head east. In Essex, Mick's preoccupied with the new love of his life – a handsome Norfolk turkey – and Smithy can't wait to spend his first Christmas with his baby Neil. Pam has laid on a fabulous spread, Bryn's got his mistletoe at the ready, and as the bubbly starts flowing it looks set to be a cracker of a Christmas. Then, Gavin makes a startling announcement that he is moving to Wales, and all hell breaks loose! Pete punches Dave after he makes a comment about Dawn, and Pam challenges a hostile Nessa. Bryn and Jason talk about the fateful fishing trip but are interrupted by Dave before any details are revealed. Dave proposes to Nessa on Christmas Day, which she accepts. Presents are given out, with some choice wrapping from Smithy. Mick plays "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" on his new keyboard as they all sing together on Christmas night. | ||||||
Series 3 (2009–10)
edit| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [2] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 26 November 2009 | 6.41 | |
|
Gavin starts his new job in Cardiff and Stacey is thrilled to be at home again. Smithy comes to terms with life in Essex without his best friend, while Nessa is adjusting to life in Dave's caravan down in Sully. The weekend brings with it a big reunion, as everyone meets up for the christening of baby Neil, where Gavin and Stacey decide to try for a baby themselves. Nessa's father, Neil Jenkins (Ifan Huw Dafydd), makes his first appearance, at the christening. | |||||||
| 16 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 3 December 2009 | 6.04 | |
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Following her and Gavin's decision to try for a baby, Stacey attempts to get a new job to earn extra money and is given a tough mock interview by Bryn. Meanwhile, Nessa takes baby Neil to see Smithy in Essex, which angers Dave who is left at home with Nessa's father. After a drunken night of beer and curry at Mick and Pam's, Smithy and Nessa wake up in bed together. | |||||||
| 17 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 10 December 2009 | 6.53 | |
|
Smithy and his friends travel to Wales for a weekend of fun with Gavin, leaving Bryn's house overcrowded. Meanwhile, Stacey fears she may not be able to have children. | |||||||
| 18 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 17 December 2009 | 6.68 | |
|
Gavin and Stacey visit the doctor where they learn that Gavin has a low sperm count. Pete and Dawn renew their vows with Smithy giving Dawn away, and Smithy jokingly offers to have sex with Stacey in order to be a sperm donor. Smithy and Dave have a confrontation at the reception, and Smithy tells Dave that he slept with Nessa. | |||||||
| 19 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 25 December 2009 | 10.00 | |
|
When Pam and Mick arrive in Wales, everyone hits the beach. Smithy makes an unexpected appearance and declares a truce with Dave regarding Nessa. Gavin and Stacey decide that they will keep trying for a baby until the New Year, and if they are unsuccessful they will look into other options. | |||||||
| 20 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 1 January 2010 | 10.25 | |
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Nessa and Dave's wedding day arrives. Stacey has some exciting news for Gavin – she's pregnant at last. Smithy walks in on the wedding and tells Nessa that she should not marry Dave because he knows the only reason she wants to marry Dave is so Neil has a father, which he's already got in Smithy. Dave admits that he knows Nessa never loved him. The two of them shake hands, and Dave leaves the church. The episode cuts to 6 months later, where we see that Stacey is heavily pregnant, and Smithy is living in Barry Island with Nessa and Neil. | |||||||
Special (2019)
edit| No. overall | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [3] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | "Christmas Special" | Christine Gernon | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 25 December 2019 | 18.49 | |
|
It has been nearly 10 years since we last went to Billericay to spend Christmas with the Shipmans and the Wests. This year we're off to Wales for the festivities, where Bryn is cooking dinner for over 13 people. Understandably he's tense. Pam would secretly prefer to spend Christmas in Essex, as she finds Gwen's house a bit lacking. But the deal has always been that they alternate every year, and this time it's the turn of the Wests to host Christmas with everyone under one small roof. Gavin and Stacey are now proud parents of three children, but Stacey worries their relationship has lost the excitement of the early days. Smithy, too, continues to commit to his fatherly role, making the journey to Barry at weekends and every second Wednesday to see 11-year-old Neil the Baby. Nessa, on the other hand, adopts her own brand of Nessa-style mothering, whilst Pam, Mick and Gwen have become the epitome of doting grandparents. On Christmas Eve, Dawn makes a shocking discovery about Pete that jeopardizes their marriage (again), and a visit to the pub that night is an eye-opener in more ways than one. | ||||||
Special (2024)
editOn 3 May 2024, Corden announced via his social media channels that he and Jones had completed writing the final episode of the show, which will air on Christmas Day 2024 on BBC One.
| No. overall | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | TBA | TBA | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 25 December 2024 | TBD |
Ratings
editGavin & Stacey : UK viewers per episode (millions)
Audience measurement performed by Broadcasters' Audience Research BoardBARB
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
| Series | Episode number | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||
| 1 | 0.58 | 0.55 | 0.55 | 0.54 | 1.74 | 1.83 | – | |
| 2 | 1.89 | 1.86 | 1.49 | 1.79 | 1.60 | 1.40 | 1.35 | |
| Special (2008) | 7.19 | – | ||||||
| 3 | 6.41 | 6.04 | 6.53 | 6.68 | 10.00 | 10.25 | – | |
| Special (2019) | 18.49 | – | ||||||
Other media
editOuttakes special
edit| Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Outtakes" | David Lambert | James Corden & Ruth Jones | 1 January 2010 | |
|
Stars and writers Ruth Jones and James Corden look through the best outtakes from all three series and the 2008 Christmas Special. | ||||
References
edit- ^ a b "Weekly top 10 programmes - BARB". barb.co.uk.
- ^ a b "Weekly top 30 programmes - BARB". barb.co.uk.
- ^ a b "Four-screen dashboard". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.