Gavin and Stacey

[DB7]

Please help me, but why is this so lauded and given an Xmas Special? It's amiable enough, like a light-hearted Corrie, but 'comedy'? I don't dislike it but neither do I see the appeal.

[Mark O]

Same here to be honest DB7, I only took an interest as it's set in my area,(but definitely not filmed, I know Billericay better than the back of my hand!) but just what is the appeal?

[Tom Bancroft]

I suppose you're both wondering - what's occurin' - tidy!

[MB]

I think it is because people want to see themselves on TV - their own situations etc.. more than media types realise, so when they do, they are prepared to put up with the downsides..The Royle Family has gone slightly surrealist, Eastenders is just bizarre now..like some tragi-pantomime...



I have only watched it in tiny chunks, it hasn't captured my interest, but I know people who love it.



It isn't terrible, it's a bit ham fisted, cliched and try hard.



What is the gay uncle/gay nephew storyline for? We cringed at that bit, bemoaned the array of 'not quite anywhere' accents and came to the conclusion that this James Corden chappie is letting it go to his head..



But, there is a pleasant, easy side to it in other parts..the 'love' story is cute and Rob Brydon and Allison Steadman are entertaining.

[DB7]

The male-bonding Do They Know It's Christmas scene was quite sweet but it's always a giveaway to a weak storyline when the best bit is used in the preview trailer.

[David Challinor]

It's popularist stuff, and I'm as jealous as hell of the writers' success. It's style reminds me of the US's Friends (especially the relationship between the fay boy and Gavin) which really puts me off. Shame Alison Steadman's in this and not something better. At least the BBC's got some judgement left and put the Royale Family in pride of place in the scheduling and not this.

.....G&S has little charm, and worse, no heart, which can't be said of the Royale Family, and its much missed cousin Early Doors - even the harsh digital photography of G&S compared to the softer film used in the Royale Family makes the BBC 3 comedy feel like it's half-baked...

[MB]

I quite enjoyed the Royle family, but I did cringe for Tom Courtenay a bit. Were we supposed to think it was clever the way the dad and Twiggy treated his character? Because I ended up liking him and wishing they'd switch to his living room. But, actually, I hope, for Tom's sake , that he doesn't do it again. I think the Royle Family has its place and so does Gavin and Stacey - but what next? Mark Rylance playing the milkman in Gavin and Stacey? I think a line needs to be drawn somewhere. Better and more work for Tom Courtenay please.

[CaptainWaggett]

name='MB']I quite enjoyed the Royle family, but I did cringe for Tom Courtenay a bit. Were we supposed to think it was clever the way the dad and Twiggy treated his character? Because I ended up liking him and wishing they'd switch to his living room. But, actually, I hope, for Tom's sake , that he doesn't do it again. I think the Royle Family has its place and so does Gavin and Stacey - but what next? Mark Rylance playing the milkman in Gavin and Stacey? I think a line needs to be drawn somewhere. Better and more work for Tom Courtenay please.

Mark Rylance's film and tv profile isn't huge - why wouldn't he want to be in one of the BBC's most popular comedies? Adrian Scarborough has been a fixture at the National Theatre over the last few years and he's quite happy to do it. What is the problem with actors perfoming in roles where you might not expect them? (Ian McKellen in Corrie for example).



I love Gavin and Stacey and am suprised to find anyone suggest it has no heart - IMO exactly the opposite is true for a show that celebrates both friendship and family in an unsentimental way. If you've only watched it in small chunks, it's hard to judge but for me, every character is well-written and quite believable (Bryn's total delight in completely trivial things becomes rather touching after a while) and there's a pleasing darkness about it (the way so many characters are names after serial killers for example). I'm certainly looking forward to the third series.

[MB]

name='CaptainWaggett']Mark Rylance's film and tv profile isn't huge - why wouldn't he want to be in one of the BBC's most popular comedies? Adrian Scarborough has been a fixture at the National Theatre over the last few years and he's quite happy to do it. What is the problem with actors perfoming in roles where you might not expect them? (Ian McKellen in Corrie for example).



I love Gavin and Stacey and am suprised to find anyone suggest it has no heart - IMO exactly the opposite is true for a show that celebrates both friendship and family in an unsentimental way. If you've only watched it in small chunks, it's hard to judge but for me, every character is well-written and quite believable (Bryn's total delight in completely trivial things becomes rather touching after a while) and there's a pleasing darkness about it (the way so many characters are names after serial killers for example). I'm certainly looking forward to the third series.

Well, in my opinion, The Royle family and Gavin and Stacey are, basically, two sets of working class comedy actors putting on TV what many people experience in their real lives and it getting laughs. Which is fine, I like it for these reasons - I recognise some of it and I love that aspect. But they aren't genius comedy. It's just nodding head humour - Oh I recognise that - oh yeah my nans like that..'



But, Tom Courtenay was in Doctor Zhivago and Billy Liar, I bet he took your breath away a couple of times watching him and I bet you couldn't take your eyes off him in 'Little Dorrit' - he is a superb actor and mysteriously underused and here he is surrounded by toilet humour.



Gavin and stacey - yes, it appears to have a heart..and I like that about it too. I think it's great when you get to see people shown sympathetically who are, normally, just ignored or looked down on.



I just think that there are degrees and shades of everything - Coronation street, at different times, has been beautifully written by some of the finest writers we've had and I wouldn't blame anyone for wanting to appear in those episodes. But maybe not one where the actor playing Dev is hamfisting his funny acting skills all over the place - that would make me cringe too.

[CaptainWaggett]

I've never seen The Royle Family so I can't comment. But Gavin and Stacey doesn't have any lavatory humour (though who knows? Maybe Tom Courtenay goes for that sort of thing. Plenty of people do. Alfred Hitchcock was not entirely guiltless of it) and if Alison Steadman can be a regular in it, I'm guessing 99% of the British acting community would be glad of a part in it.

[cully]

Not a patch on Early Doors but I'll watch anything with Alison Steadman in it!



Why wasn't the lovely Sheridan Smith in the Christmas Special??

[DB7]

name='cully']

Why wasn't the lovely Sheridan Smith in the Christmas Special??

Isn't she in the new Jonathan Creek? Probably a filming clash.

[CaptainWaggett]

She was in the Christmas Lark Rise to Candleford too and she does a fair amount of stage work as well as about 340 episodes of Two Pints... a year. I would imagine it's pretty hard to book her.

[cully]

name='DB7']Isn't she in the new Jonathan Creek? Probably a filming clash.

Yeees, she is! (rubs hands and salivates...)

[batman]

[Owlett]

Gavin & Stacey is typical BBC3 fare. Turgid, soapy and humour-free; I can't distinguish this from '2 Pints'..or Hollyoaks for that matter.

[batman]

name='Owlett']Gavin & Stacey is typical BBC3 fare. Turgid, soapy and humour-free; I can't distinguish this from '2 Pints'..or Hollyoaks for that matter.

Another voice in the wilderness .... I have to agree with that appraisal.

[cully]

name='batman']

Ah...lovely jubbly!

[Dame Starry]

name='DB7']Please help me, but why is this so lauded and given an Xmas Special? It's amiable enough, like a light-hearted Corrie, but 'comedy'? I don't dislike it but neither do I see the appeal.

I have to agree 200% - I hadn't watched it before this series.



The first one was quite funny. The second one was rather similar to the first - then, as the series went on, I realised that it is just a conveyor belt of the same in-jokes and phrases - you can anticipate every one of them in the end!



After watching about three episodes, I reckon anybody who can string two words together could write the next script.....and nobody would be able to see the join!

I prefer my comedy a bit more cerebral than that.



DS x.

[Red Ray]

I have never managed to catch a full episode of G & S but made a particular point of watching the Christmas special. I thought it was OK probably a 6 out of 10 with not many laugh out louds, but fairly easy watching and Rob Brydon is always excellent. I lke Matthew Horne & James Corden, but I thought Ruth Jones's character was a bit OTT - she was much better in Saxondale - and when is that coming back??



Bit disappointed with The Royle Family. Badly missed Ralf Little & Jesica Stevenson, and thought Tom Courtenay was just irritating. Denise's Christmas lunch disaster was well done,(literally in the case of the 6 Mary Pipers!),, but I thought the sum of the parts was greater than the whole. Give me Lead Balloon any day!



Fair point well made?