Gavin & Stacey are 'lush' (Gavin and Stacey)

Member Name: clumsy221

Product:	Gavin and Stacey
Date:	10/11/09 (43 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fantastic writers and actors

Disadvantages: Only 6 episodes in the series

***Why I watched Gavin and Stacey series 1***

I stumbled across Gavin and Stacey when the re-runs were played on BBC 3, my mother in law to be recommended we watched it because it was in her open hilarious!

Luckily for us the whole of series 1 was being played in one weekend as series 2 was due to start in a couple of days.

Thanks to the pleasure of sky plus we recorded the whole series and spent the afternoon watching all 6 episodes back to back.


***The cast***

Matthew Horne as Gavin Shipman (Teachers, The Catherine Tate Show)

Joanne Page as Stacey (From Hell, Love Actually)

James Cordon as 'Smithy' Neil Smith (Fat Friends, Teachers)

Ruth Joans as 'Nessa' Vanessa Shanessa Jenkins (Fat Friends, Saxondale)

Alison Steadman as Pam Shipman (Fat Friends, The Worst Week of my Life)

Larry Lamb as Mick Shipman (The Bill, Eastenders)

Rob Brydon as Bryn West (Little Britain, 24 Hour Party People)

Melanie Walton as Gwen West (Coronation Street, Hollyoaks)


***Gavin and Stacey - series 1***

The show tells the story of a girl named Stacey from the village of Barry, Cardiff and a boy named Gavin who lives in Essex.

The couple have never met in person but have been flirting outrageously after they met on the phone through the companies they work for.

As the show starts the two have arranged to meet in London for the very first time after speaking to each other online and on the telephone for the last six months.

Joined by their best friends 'Nessa' and 'Smithy' the group enjoy an unforgettable weekend in London for everyone involved! The following the two most part but they have realised they have fallen for each other.

The start of a long distance romance causes full of ups and downs. It is bad enough that Gavin and Stacey have to deal with the fact they live so far away from each other but with family that like to stick their nose in and friends who complicate things further their story is anything but boring.

In Barry, Stacey lives with her mum Gwen who is widowed and fiercely protective of her daughter, in the first episode she warns Stacey when she is planning to meet Gavin for the very first time - "be careful he might be grooming you ... he might be a pedophile".

Across the road is Bryn her guardian uncle, who has taken Stacey under his wing when his brother passed away.

While back in Essex Gavin lives with his erratic mum Pam and laid back dad Mick.

As the series unfolds the couples relationship grows stronger ... but will they make it down the aisle in one piece?



***In my opinion***

I had no expectations whatsoever when I sat down to watch Gavin and Stacey because I had never actually heard of the show but I instantly loved it!

It was only after I watched the series that I realised it was written by two of the lead characters 'Smithy' (James Cordon) and 'Nessa' (Ruth Jones).

The story itself lets face it sounds pretty average but believe me its the characters and the things they do that really sets this show apart from any other comedy I have seen.

The best characters for me are Pam (Gavin's mums) and Bryn (Stacey's uncle), they each have me cracking up with their well timed one liners. I would love to give you more examples of the classic one liners, but I would really get carried away.

I think the is something for everyone, so you can sit down and enjoy this series with your partner, friends, parents and grandparents!

For me this is definitely one of the best comedies I have seen in a long, long time.

The script is in my opinion is very well written and each episode introduces another set of memorable scenes.

If your fed up of watching the usual reality tv programmes and hospital drama's so you want a change, buy yourself a copy of Gavin and Stacey. In my opinion you will not be disappointed because it is genuinely an enjoyable programme.

The funny thing is the more and more I watch it the more things I find to laugh about.

I can understand why it won awards at the 'British Comedy Awards' in 2007 & 2008 and the British Academy Television Awards in 2008 & 2009. 10/10

Summary: Comedy at its best