2019 Gavin & Stacey Christmas Reunion Special: Premiere Dates & Where to Watch It (+TRAILER)
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Last Updated on December 1, 2019 by Stefanie Hutson
It's been nearly a decade since the BBC3 hit Gavin & Stacey ended. In the years since, there have been endless rumours about a possible reunion episode, but many fans gave up hope completely when James Corden went to the US and became a huge late night talk show star. After all, why would he work for BBC wages when hosts of his level of celebrity routinely ink deals in the range of 10-20 million USD annually?
As the years passed, the prospect of a reunion seemed less and less likely – until today.
James Corden Confirms a Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special
On the 28th of May, James Corden went to Twitter to give fans the great news. It looks as though he and Ruth Jones had been working on the script in secret, and the project is now moving forward.
Ruth Jones and I have been keeping this secret for a while… We’re excited to share it with you. See you on Christmas Day @BBCOne #GavinandStacey pic.twitter.com/gTRa3cp90t
— James Corden (@JKCorden) May 28, 2019
In addition to the Tweet, Corden and Jones released a joint statement about the upcoming Christmas special:
Over the last ten years we’ve talked a lot about Gavin and Stacey – where they might be today and what their lives might look like,” Corden and Jones say in a statement. “And so, in secret we took the plunge and wrote this one hour special. We’ve loved revisiting Barry and Essex again and bringing the characters back together has been a joy. We’re so excited to get the chance to work with our fabulous cast and crew once more and to give fans of the show a festive treat this Christmas. Thank you BBC for helping to make this happen.
The Christmas special will be produced by Baby Cow Productions (producer of the original series) alongside Corden's Fulwell 73 and Jones' Tidy Productions. Director of BBC Content Charlotte Moore and Controller of BBC Comedy Shane Allen commissioned the episode. It will be executive produced by Jones and Corden with Leo Pearlman, Ben Winston, and David Peet.
When Does the Gavin & Stacey Christmas Reunion Special Premiere?
In the US and the UK, the special premieres on December 25th. In the UK, it will air on BBC One as part of their Christmas lineup. In the US, it will be on BritBox. We're not 100% sure about whether BritBox will also offer it to Canadian viewers, but their press email did say “North American Premiere”, so we're hopeful.
To date, they've released a teaser video and an official trailer. We've included both below:
What is Gavin & Stacey?
For those who aren't familiar with the series, Gavin & Stacey is a British comedy about two families coming together after a young couple falls in love. Essex-born Gavin and Welsh Stacey are frequently accompanied by best friends Smithy and Nessa (played by Corden and Jones, the writers). It aired from 2007-2010, and its 3 seasons (plus 2 specials) are much-loved by millions of Brits and British TV fans.
Though the show is called “Gavin & Stacey”, those two characters are just a very small part of what makes the series so special. It's a deftly-written ensemble comedy with an incredible amount of cast chemistry and just enough quirkiness to make it both familiar and entertaining. Veteran actors Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb play Gavin's parents, and Melanie Walters and Rob Brydon represent Stacey's side, playing her mother and uncle.
Where to Watch Gavin & Stacey
As of late May 2019, US-based viewers can find Gavin & Stacey streaming in a couple places:
On December 25th, BritBox will add all the episodes to their library, too.
If you have trouble finding streaming options in your country, I'd recommend getting it on DVD HERE.
Where is the Cast of Gavin & Stacey Now?
Since the series ended in 2010, the cast of Gavin & Stacey has been busy. Here's a look at some of the more recent work of the main cast.
James Corden, aka Smithy
We weren't a bit surprised to see James Corden hosting the Late Late Show in the US. Even if you go back to his early roles in shows like Fat Friends, he's a likable guy. A lot of people talk about “tall poppy” syndrome among British actors and creatives (especially when they head to the US and make the big bucks), but our only lament about Corden's success in the US is that it's pulled him away from doing more comedic writing. He and Ruth Jones were quite a force, and we'd love to see them team up on another series.
Before he took over the Late Late Show, you could also catch Corden on The Wrong Mans, a short-lived series about a couple office workers caught up in a conspiracy after a nasty car crash.
If you haven't already, you should definitely check out his Carpool Karaoke with Paul McCartney.
Ruth Jones, aka Nessa
After the success of Gavin & Stacey, Ruth Jones quickly moved on to a charming sitcom called The Great Outdoors. It's full of familiar faces, but for some reason it didn't last beyond a single season. It was available to stream very briefly, but at the moment, the only option in the US is to buy the DVD and watch it on a region-free DVD player. You can get it HERE.
After The Great Outdoors, Jones went on to star in Stella, a Welsh dramedy she also wrote (mostly). Though it was on Hulu for quite a while, it doesn't appear to be there at the time of writing. As with The Great Outdoors, your best bet for this one is to get the DVD HERE and watch it on a region-free DVD player.
Joanna Page, aka Stacey
In the years since Gavin & Stacey, Joanna Page has been working steadily. She played a major role in the first season of The Syndicate (also on DVD HERE), a drama about groups of co-workers who win the lottery together. She also starred alongside Tom Ellis (Lucifer) in Gates, a comedy about a young mum and her builder husband as they try to pull away from the PTA crowd. You can get Gates on DVD HERE and watch it with a region-free DVD player.
More recently, Page appeared in the miniseries Breathless, set in a London hospital in the early 1960s. You can stream it HERE.
Mathew Horne, aka Gavin
After Gavin & Stacey, Horne did a number of guest roles before settling down in Bad Education. This school-oriented comedy is currently streaming on Netflix.
More recently, he starred as Roy Silver, the flamboyant PR exec and bff to the titular character Agatha in Agatha Raisin. You can watch Seasons 1 and 2 of Agatha Raisin HERE.
Alison Steadman, aka Pam
Outside of James Corden, Alison Steadman might be the busiest member of the Gavin & Stacey cast. If you watch much British TV, you'll quickly notice she seems to be everywhere. In 2013, she starred in the second series of The Syndicate. She also appeared on Love & Marriage with former Gavin and Stacey castmate Larry Lamb.
Steadman starred in the retiree comedy Boomers for two seasons after that, followed by a brief stint on Orphan Black. She appeared with Anna Friel (Marcella, Netflix) in the controversial miniseries Butterfly, and she's currently working with John Cleese (Fawlty Towers) and Jason Watkins (Trollied) on the sitcom Hold the Sunset.
Larry Lamb, aka Mick
A few years after Gavin & Stacey ended, Larry Lamb teamed up with Alison Steadman again for a dramedy called Love & Marriage. They weren't married this time, but both deliver great performances in this ITV series. The concept? When a woman decides she's tired of her immediate family, she moves in with her unconventional sister. You can get it on DVD HERE and watch with a region-free DVD player.
You can also find Lamb on not one, but two Acorn TV programs. He appears alongside Maureen Lipman in the travel series, Discovering Britain, and he teams up with former G&S star Melanie Walters for the Welsh dramedy Pitching In.
Rob Brydon, aka Uncle Bryn
Rob Brydon has kept busy on the British comedy scene, but his most notable appearance since Gavin and Stacey would have to be The Trip (along with The Trip to Spain and The Trip to Italy). You can stream The Trip to Spain on Netflix, The Trip to Italy HERE, and The Trip HERE. The basic idea throughout the series is that a man is asked to review restaurants for the UK's Observer, and when his romantic partner isn't able to come, a male friend steps in.
Melanie Walters, aka Gwen
Though she hasn't been terribly busy since the Gavin and Stacey days, Melanie Walters has taken on a select few roles. Most notably, she rejoined former G&S castmate Larry Lamb in the Acorn TV Original Pitching In. She also appeared in The Collection, a family drama set in the fashion industry in post-war Paris.
Margaret John
Sadly, Margaret John passed in 2011, not long after the show had ended. On today's episode of This Morning, Larry Lamb indicated that a proper tribute will be paid to this sadly departed cast member.
