49/26
Essex and Wales collide when Gavin and Stacey fall in love, bringing their friends, family and luggage with them. Apart from the scenes filmed on location in London in the first episode, the entire series was filmed in Wales, including the scenes set in Essex. The house used as the Shipmans’ (Gavin’s family) home is in Dinas Powys, a village 1 mile northwest of Barry, where the Wests (Stacey’s family) live. In series 3, Bryn and Gavin’s cars have completely different number plates than in previous series. Gavin’s blue Saxophone has changed from T-reg (MY 1999) to X-reg (MY 2000). Bryn’s green Picasso has changed from CV02 (MY 2002, registered in Cardiff) to HV54 (MY 2004, registered in Portsmouth). The apparently different cars are featured in Gavin & Stacey: Outtakes (2007). Directed by Stephen Fretwell Performed by Stephen Fretwell. It was a nice, short, minimally engaging film that took me two or three days to read quickly. It’s nothing mind-blowing and it’s not a mountain-moving or paradigm-shifting film. Instead, it’s a character study of two (extended) families who come together, one from Wales and the other from England, after the couple’s connection and marriage. It’s a simple, fun, and friendly film. I wish there were more series like this where each of the characters is kind, loving, community-oriented, and thoughtful and expresses love for those in their lives, despite their flaws. It’s not innovative, but it’s not artificial either. It’s an honest slice of life and it’s charming. This is not a laugh-out-loud slapstick comedy, as British comedies tend to be, but rather a character-driven one. Highly recommended.