Recently, I was forced to say goodbye to some very dear television friends of mine.  Gavin, Stacey, Smithy, Nessa, Brin, Gwen, Mick, Pamela, Chinese Alan, Dave Coaches, Budgie, Baby Neil, Doris and so many more.  When pressed, I would find it difficult to find a collection of characters as quirky and magnificent as those assembled in the world of Gavin and Stacey.

Storming out of nowhere and onto BBC America in 2008, I almost didn’t even watch the American premiere of Gavin and Stacey.  Thankfully, at the last minute I tuned in and felt the kind of immediate love for a show that I hadn’t experienced since season two of The Office (U.S.).  Created by James Corden (who plays Smithy) and Ruth Jones (Nessa) in 2007, this BBC comedy followed the lives of two families (formed of blood and friendship) from the oddly separate yet similar worlds of Barry, Wales and Essex, England as they are brought together by the love of Gavin Shipman and his Welsh sweetheart Stacey West.  If you think you can guess how the show proceeds from there, I can assure you you’re quite wrong.

By shrinking their characters’ existence so much, Jones and Corden were able to create an even bigger world for them to play in, one with an endless onslaught of references and minutia lost to the great big world, but utterly Earth shattering to each of them.  From the ordeal of ordering Indian take away to the mastery Gwen put into the art of the omelet, Gavin and Stacey grew larger with each seemingly mundane detail it portrayed.  But what is truly special about this series is what they don’t show.  Some episodes jump months ahead from the previous one.  Jones and Corden have mastered the art of leaving it to your imagination.  Nessa in particular is a character that references past experiences so outrageous they demand explanation, but instead all you get is knowing nods and confirmations from her pals.  In fact, as a viewer, you often feel left out of the joke as these characters display an intimate knowledge of one another usually reserved for the closest of married couples.  Frustrating?

  Surprisingly no!  It is the off-hand remark, the punchline with no set up that is predominately the funniest part of the episode.  Whether by design or not, it is what you don’t know that makes you thirst for more and love this world so much.  In an internet world of complete transparency, Gavin and Stacey is nothing short of refreshing.

Jones and Corden have publicly said they don’t see going any further with Gavin and Stacey, that they have done all they can with the characters.  I find that hard to believe because as a fan, I can see so much more to tell, but I guess they feel the journey is over.  Word is BBC want a 2010 Christmas Special and while Corden has stated special are a possibility given time and the right story, it might not be the best idea for fans to sit around holding their breath.

While I am saddened to leave the world of “hi-ya” and “what’s occurin’” behind, I am extremely grateful for the 20 episodes that do exist and the quality they represent.  I could pontificate on the why’s and how’s all day, but what it comes down to is the show makes me smile.  That wide, giddy happy kind of smile that warms your whole heart.  I love television, and I love a lot of shows, but Gavin and Stacey will take its rightful place in the upper echelon of my all time favorites.  Thank you gang, it was a crackin’ good time.