But I want to nit-pick it slightly, go into finer detail about my favourite bits and bits I thought need improving.
Right then, I believe that they made a good decision by only having 3 series' because any more and it would have ruined it, there isn't much premise for another storyline other than to see both kids grow up.
The pilot episode has to be one of the best pilots of British TV. You get to see entirely what each main character is like and the contrast between the two families. It opens with 'the phone call' between Gavin and Stacey which sets as the start of every episode (brilliant), we are then introduced to Pam and Mick Shipman. They are all sitting down to tea when Mick notices Pam having 3 steaks as she has substituted her chips and peas for steak as she is on the Atkins. The mocking begins and you immediately see the relationship Pam and Mick have, married forever and still having a laugh. Smithy comes in and we straight away see his character when he is offered 3 steaks by replying with: "I've just had a shepherds pie but I'll certainly take two of them on." In the West household we have a completely different scenario; Stacey's overprotective uncle Bryn is showing her how to use a rape alarm for when she goes to London to meet Gavin. Stacey needs to display force but is unable, so we have her best friend Nessa pinning Bryn up against the wall as the alarm goes off while mother Gwen makes her infamous omelette that feature throughout the show.The couple meet in London and go out for drinks and dance. As they meet this happens:
- Stacey: "Ooh I like your cardi!"
- Gavin: "Thanks it's from River Island"
- Stacey: "Ooh so's my belt!"
The awkwardness but everyday chatter makes it so real and sets the foundation of their relationship.
So at the end of the night, Smithy has sex with Nessa resulting in a toilet brush up his yoo-hoo and Stacey and Gavin confess their love for each other.
They are then engaged, then after a tipple with her 5 engagements, they are married in a ceremony that combines two families from two very different areas and backgrounds. In a Grease medley you see all the dancing and laughing which features in the most realistic, down to earth TV wedding I have seen.
Then Nessa is pregnant with Smithys baby and starts seeing Dave, she gives birth to a boy that is always referred to as Neil: the baby.
Throughout the series Nessa and Smithy have these moments; they both like to order their own food and not share, they love junk food, they like Irn Bru and lets not forget the sweetcorn incident!
The relationship between Gavin and Stacey is a weird one at times. They break up briefly because Stacey is homesick, she hates living in Essex and wants to move back, and gets annoyed at Gavin for excluding her family and acting like they don't matter. - I think this is rubbish, he is the one with the job, she doesn't really try hard enough to get a job, they can't live in Barry because Gavin couldn't work and he makes the money for rent.. She just has to deal with that - her character annoyed me a bit here.
After the Christmas special she went back in my good books, everything was relatively calm for series 3 as Nessa prepares (to not) marry Dave Coaches.
In series 3 we have my favourite scene/episode. Nessa and Stacey join Pam and Mick and their friends Pete and Dawn Sutcliffe for a night in before they go out on girls and boys days. They all get drunk and have a laugh, there's nothing more to it but when you watch it you feel like you are watching an actual group of people who have been friends forever. The song by Madness: House of Fun plays and it is pure. brilliance.
Some of the best traits it has:
- Pam and Mick SHIPMAN
- Pete and Dawn SUTCLIFFE
- Stacey and Gwen WEST
- A phone call at the beginning of every episode
- Neil: the baby
- Omelettes
- Pam as a 'vegetarian'
- "Oh, what's occurring?!"
- "Tidy"
- "Fair play"
- Nessa's work ventures
- Lucy, Smithys never appearing girlfriend
- Pete and Dawn on/off/on
Some lines:
- "My motto is: Glue and speed, fags and weed. But I draws the line at crack." - Dave
- "I just can't believe I'm pregnant by Smithy...out of all the people I slept with...not Nigel Havers, John Prescott...not any of Goldie Looking Chain!" - Nessa
- "She's at a sixth form netball Tournament in Southend, she couldn't get out of it, she's wing attack." - Smithy
- "Oh, it's the menopause it is Stace." - Doris, 80 years old
Some scenes (if you've watched it, a couple of words will do):
- Oven gloves
- Bryn is Daniel Craig
- Oooh sing to me Bryn!
- Airport
Basically, I love it because all these character are real to me. You watch normal people having normal chats about normal things, yet it's funny. You have no fake people, no drama as such and no nonsense!
FABULOUS! (in a welsh accent) - I'll leave you with this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPwoc39BmqE
No comments:
Post a Comment