Home
App
Inside the festive finale

Inside the festive finale

Gavin & Stacey director Christine Gernon reflects on the moment she called “Cut” for the last time — and Larry Lamb, Alison Steadman, Melanie Walters and Robert Wilfort discuss the tearful reunion.

Wk 49 Gavin and Stacey Christmas Preview

BBC

Stephen Armstrong

4 items

Add Gavin & Stacey to your watchlist

The last time James Corden and Ruth Jones wrote a Christmas Day special of Gavin & Stacey in 2019, 17.1 million people tuned in. It was the most-viewed non-sporting event in years and the most-watched comedy in 17 years, long after its original, three-series heyday in 2007–9. Which means that this year’s 90-minute special – officially the last ever episode of the Welsh-girl-meets-English-boy romcom – comes with some high expectations.

“I am slightly terrified,” confesses Christine Gernon, the show’s director since the very first episode. “I’m feeling pressure like I’ve never felt before.”

And that’s saying something, given Gernon’s CV also boasts Absolutely Fabulous, One Foot in the Grave, The Catherine Tate Show and Jonathan Creek. In fact, she was so successful in UK comedy that for the last decade she’s been working in America on shows like Black-ish, New Girl and the US remake of Ghosts. Gavin & Stacey is the only UK show she comes back for – because it’s a labour of love.

The friendships are absolutely real – I have to beg them to shut up so we can shoot

Christine Gernon, Director

“When Ruth first gave it to me in 2006 I thought, I’ll try the first few pages. Suddenly I’d read the whole thing and I was on the phone begging her to let me direct,” she laughs. “I think fundamentally, it’s a show that’s about love and people who love each other. I’m doing the editing on the Christmas show now and sat there basking in the friendships.

“Those friendships are absolutely real,” she adds. “They’re laughing, they’re chatting, they’re invariably hanging out in each other’s trailers, and Ruth and James delight in getting as many of the cast as possible into every single scene.
I often have to beg them to all shut up so we can shoot.”

She has to remain tight-lipped about the plot of the feature-length special – the BBC will only reveal that Bryn (Rob Brydon) is packing the Picasso for a trip to Essex; Gavin and Stacey (Mathew Horne and Joanna Page) are looking for new ways to spice up their 17-year marriage; Nessa (Jones) has started a new business venture and Neil the Baby’s about to begin an apprenticeship with his dad Smithy (Corden).

“What we wanted to deliver is something for everybody who loves these characters that gives them everything they’ve enjoyed over the years,” she explains. “I was never a fan of the big specials where everyone goes abroad. This is basically a three-episode-long special… that may answer a few long-standing questions.”

The cast bond, she notes, is so strong that they rearranged shooting to make sure the final scene would be shot at the end of the final day on set. It felt important, she says, for everyone to be there when she shouted “Cut!” for the last time. “Everyone was crying,” she recalls. “I mean, Jo was pretty much in tears from day one of filming.”

She pauses. “It really has been fun, you know? It was sad on that final day, realising that we will never get to hang out and do this really, really lovely, fun show again.”

Showing 1 to 4 of 4 results