Gavin & Stacey: Series 3 (2009-2010)

On New Year's Day, the third and final series of Gavin & Stacey came to an end with one of this patchy run's better episodes as Nessa prepared to marry Dave Coachs. I've not felt that this series had as much going on, or as much humour as the first two, but there have been brilliant moments, and the supporting cast continue to provide the best laughs.

My problem with Gavin & Stacey is the same as my issue with Will & Grace - the title characters just aren't as interesting or funny as the cast surrounding them. It dawned on my part way through this series that the reason I didn't warm to the show as much as I did previously is because, if I knew any of these characters in real life, I'd run a mile. They're all so chavvy and low brow that they irritate the heck out of me. Stacey is the worst offender, primarily because she's so stupid - not even humourously witless, but out and out ignorant, and, it turns out, manipulating poor Gavin into having a baby. I say 'poor' Gavin, yet he's almost as hopeless. Smithy's ok, but James Corden is getting right on my wick lately. 

Ruth Jones' Nessa is the best of the main four - the character has some mystique about her, and is generally just flat out hilarious, whatever comes out of Jones' mouth. A similar candidate for best character is Rob Bydron's Uncle Bryn, who's ever so slightly creepy, and shows how to do 'simple' well, without turning his character into an unlikable idiot. Alison Steadman does sterling work as Gavin's out-of-touch mother, and Larry Lamb is a good straight man. Melanie Walters, who plays Stacey's omlette-obsessed mother, is quietly brilliant too, although as she's not a household name I think she's often overlooked. 

By far my favourite character of the series is the under-used Doris, Gwen's next-door neighbour, played with foul-mouthed perfection by Margaret John. Her dialogue is the funniest, and delivered to perfection - the juxtaposition of the rude and sarcastic language that comes out of such a (seemingly) harmless old lady works even better than for Catherine Tate's Nan, as here the old lady is real. The best moment she had was when Doris was due to make a salad for one of the events the writers create to bring the cast together. She couldn't be bothered to make the salad, and when asked where it is, she pats herself down, muttering, 'where's your salad? Where's your salad? There's your salad!' and proceeds to flick two fingers up at! Priceless.

It's a shame Doris didn't get a speaking part in the final episode, but she did manage to take Noel from Hear'say to the wedding! An even better piece of stunt-casting was John Prescott, playing himself as a wedding guest - a wonderfully incongrous moment, that made sense when you remember that Nessa once referenced an affair with the former Deputy PM. It felt right that the series should end with the uniting of Nessa and Smithy as theirs was consistently the most intriguing and believable relationship in the whole show. They make for much for interesting characters than those whose names share the title of the programme. My hope is that Gavin & Stacey will continue as hour long specials, as the Xmas special last year worked well, giving the story space to breathe - and the format works well for The Royle Family too, a similar type of sitcom.