Is Gavin and Stacey supposed to be funny?

[merryone]

Gavin and Stacey has just been one of those things that never appealed to me, I can't tell you why, hence never having ever watched an episode and I don't intend to either! Glad it's given a lot of people joy though!

 

[Muttley]

It never appealed to me either, and I don't like James Corden. Everyone telling me you must watch it it's brilliant (guaranteed to make me hate it). But I like Alison Steadman and Rob Brydon so I did try it, thought it was OK at first but as the series progressed really got into it. Its not a 1970s type of comedy but as someone said here more like the Royale Family.

You slowly get into the characters and watch their lives develop. This episode was to wrap things up so would be difficult to get into it if you had never watched it. I'm familiar with Essex and love the way Pam and Mick are portrayed. Pam is not that different to Abigail in Abigail's Party

And the wedding was important because in the last episode he had split up with Sonia and then Nessa proposed so we thought it was their wedding. I loved it and thought it was well written.

 

[Muttley]

I’ve watched all the tv shows and waited, not so patiently, for this final episode. It was put together to follow up on outstanding issues like what was Smithy’s answer to Nessa’s proposal. I loved the finale and wept several times. I can see me watching it more than once. There’s several videos on FB showing people watching the show in places such as pubs and cinemas and a huge cheer goes up when Mick stands up in answer to Smithy’s question as to whether he should marry Sonia.
I’m Welsh, born and bred and have visited Barry many times as a child. Perhaps you have to have lived among the Welsh to ‘get’ it all. Are any of you not Welsh and enjoyed all the shows?

See previous post, most of my family are from Essex and I totally relate to that side of it. Some are even fom Billericay!

 

[PhædrusR]

Not a fan. Saw an early episode or 2 in S1 and the Xmas one-off when she proposed 5years ago.

It's not a sitcom. It's best classed as a Comedy Drama. The 'comedy', if any is observational/wry humour, that people relate to and the situations and comments they make. Recognisable characters like the annoying/weird uncle, the class-aware, snob relatives etc. Situations and characters we may recognise and find 'amusing' or recognisable.

But I think there is an element of taking the p!ss out of 'the common little folk' with their humdrum lives, quirky natures and social and class distinctions.
The actors are being paid to take the p!ss imho, Steadman, Lamb and Wilson/Corden, laughing at us, imho.

 

[donna255]

You are putting too much thinking into it.

You could say the same of the most popular soaps Corrie, EastEnders and Emmerdale.

People who have watched since the beginning (not me, by the way), love the characters.

 

[ohnonotshoppingagain]

I too have never watched a single episode, I think it appeals to a certain mindset, it was and remains one of those things on the programme menu I just keep scrolling glad I'm not alone.

 

[Peppermint Patti]

You are putting too much thinking into it.

You could say the same of the most popular soaps Corrie, EastEnders and Emmerdale.

People who have watched since the beginning (not me, by the way), love the characters.

I've not watched Corrie in over 30 years never watched Eastenders or Emmadale.

 

[historymystery]

I can't stand James Corden and not a fan of Larry Lamb's acting, either. I think he was a disaster when they brought him into the new lineup for New Tricks many moons ago, replacing three excellent actors playing the retired detectives. The programme (one of my favourites) then went downhill rapidly IMO.

 

[PhædrusR]

I didn't mind him too much in New Tricks, which was a well made show, great scripts/story writing, as James Bolam's replacement.

 

[PhædrusR]

You are putting too much thinking into it.

You could say the same of the most popular soaps Corrie, EastEnders and Emmerdale.

People who have watched since the beginning (not me, by the way), love the characters.

I don't know, the soaps have drama and comedy, entertainment, not that I've watched for 30+ years and play it as drama.
G&S seemed to be playing it up and just the characters seemed so deliberately aimed at mocking people like them.

 

[historymystery]

I didn't mind him too much in New Tricks, which was a well made show, great scripts/story writing, as James Bolam's replacement.

Excellent series, and I thought the three original characters really nailed the characteristics of many retired detectives.

I think the problem was that James Bolam, Alun Armstrong and Dennis Waterman were a hard act to follow, and to me the three actors that replaced them just weren't convincing and didn't 'gell' well together. Nick Lyndhurst was particularly out of his depth and wooden, I thought. It wasn't helped by Amanda Redman leaving and her replacement being the woman from EastEnders (name escapes me), who again I didn't find at all convincing in the role of their guv'nor.

 

[Muttley]

Excellent series, and I thought the three original characters really nailed the characteristics of many retired detectives.

I think the problem was that James Bolam, Alun Armstrong and Dennis Waterman were a hard act to follow, and to me the three actors that replaced them just weren't convincing and didn't 'gell' well together. Nick Lyndhurst was particularly out of his depth and wooden, I thought. It wasn't helped by Amanda Redman leaving and her replacement being the woman from EastEnders (name escapes me), who again I didn't find at all convincing in the role of their guv'nor.

I think it was Tamsin Outhwaite who played the new boss, I thought Amanda Redman was absolutely brilliant in the role.

 

[PhædrusR]

I think it was Tamsin Outhwaite who played the new boss, I thought Amanda Redman was absolutely brilliant in the role.

I thought Tamsin Outhwaite was an excellent replacement. Good actress, as a career DI. And gave more plot about home life. I was watching the repeats on uktv U&Drama.

I think the Nick Lyndhurst character, whose name escapes me, was played deliberately 'wooden' because he'd lost his wife and was a carer for his daughter(?), so had personal detachment issues. Also, he was not a main line DC, but was ex Parliament/Diplomatic squad, sort of ex Special Branch, I think(?) so played the character with an air of superiority. I thought they were all good and played the parts convincingly.

I think adding the gay aspect to Lamb's character was a bit of a curve ball and probably didn't help him, but again, that might cause a bit of friction/tension in the team, so you could argue he played it like that.

 

[historymystery]

I think it was Tamsin Outhwaite who played the new boss, I thought Amanda Redman was absolutely brilliant in the role.

Completely agree. Amanda was so good and I loved the way she delivered her dialogue and kept the three detectives in line, such dry wit. I think Tamsin Outhwaite was out of her depth in the role when she took over, as Amanda was a tough act to follow.

 

[Muttley]

Completely agree. Amanda was so good and I loved the way she delivered her dialogue and kept the three detectives in line, such dry wit. I think Tamsin Outhwaite was out of her depth in the role when she took over, as Amanda was a tough act to follow.

Do you remember the first episode when they put the team together. She had been redeployed for shooting a suspects dog in a police raid. She complained "you shoot one bl oody dog and..."

 

[stratobuddy]

I just watched the DOCUMENTARY about the making of the final episode of G&S, with lots of look-backs at the earlier series.

It now makes a bit more sense to me, although the docu was actually funnier than the show - well worth watching if you are a fan.

 

[historymystery]

Do you remember the first episode when they put the team together. She had been redeployed for shooting a suspects dog in a police raid. She complained "you shoot one bl oody dog and..."

Yes - great humour! And I remember the episode where the three detectives were investigating the death of a museum's paleontologist, and the comment was made about 'working with fossils'. Amanda was standing behind her three colleagues, and muttered 'that's what I do, too'!! (or words to that effect). Her comic timing was perfect. I loved the way Amanda's colleagues got in little 'digs' about her accidental shooting of the police dog - it was something you listened out for in the different episodes - their chance to get a crafty dig in at 'the Guvnor'! A couple of police officers in the family loved the programme, too. Said it captured the humour (often a bit childish) that goes with the job and is sometimes a form of release from the nastier side of what they do. As one of the family members said 'if you can't take a joke, don't join the police'!

 

[stratobuddy]

I hadn't realised Amanda Redman was in it (of Abigail's Party fame) but I knew the voice was very familiar.

 

[PhædrusR]

I hadn't realised Amanda Redman was in it (of Abigail's Party fame) but I knew the voice was very familiar.

Errr, are you confusing her with Alison Steadman who played Pamela in G&S. I don't think Redman has been in G&S, afaik.
But yes, Redman was the first DI in New Tricks, I believe, before Outhwaite took over and Redman went to India to star in The Good Karma Hospital with Neil Morrissey.
@stratobuddy

 

[No1sanddancer]

I watched alot of the original series, loved Nessa, hate James Cordon thought so it was never a must watch for me. Althought the older actors are all well known and respected, it never quite jelled for me. Did not even think about watching any specials because I just don't care about what happens to any of them. BUT I loved Vengance Most Fowl and would watch that again.