Gavin and Stacey is set to return this Christmas for another one-off special episode.
According to a report from industry publication Deadline, the beloved sitcom is heading back to screens over the festive season, with creators James Corden and Ruth Jones set to film over summer.
The original cast also look set to reprise their original roles, with Joanna Page and Matthew Horne set to return as the titular pair. They’ll be joined once again by Jones as Stacey’s best friend Nessa, and Corden as her on-off love interest Smithy.
This also includes the supporting cast: Rob Brydon as Bryn, Alison Steadman as Pam, Larry Lamb as Mick, and Julia Davis as Gwen.
The show, which originally aired between 2007 and 2010, told the story of starcrossed lovers Gavin and Stacey, who meet on a dating app and must overcome immense barriers (notably, the Severn Bridge) to form a relationship despite being from opposite sides of the country (Gav’s from Billericay in Essex, while Stacey is from Barry Island in Wales.
While their pairing is the focus, their friends and family are just as beloved: Brydon’s turn as the manic uncle Bryn, Nessa’s long-running fling with Steffan Rhodri’s Dave Coaches, and married neighbours Pete and Dawn’s long-running feud with each other are just three highlights.
Much to fans’ delight, it returned for a one-off Christmas Special back in 2019, which became the most-watched show in a decade, bringing in more than 18 million viewers. That’s something the BBC is no doubt hoping to emulate this year, too.
That special caught up with the gang a decade down the road: Gavin and Stacey happily married with three children, and Smithy and Nessa attempting to co-parent their son Neil.
It also ended with a cliffhanger, as Smithy proposed to Nessa – something the upcoming episode will hopefully resolve. It also marks Corden’s first time back on screens after finishing his long-running stint as a host on The Late Late Show, which finally wrapped up in April 2023 after a 1,200 episode run.
Last year, he spoke to the RTS Cambridge Convention about “feeling compelled to come home” after years in America, and about working with creative partner Jones. Jones told The Independent last year that “I’m sure James Corden and I will write something together – but it won’t be Gavin and Stacey.”
“I’m really hugely complimented that people love it so much. But it is quite an extraordinary thing,” she added. “It’s almost like you mention the words Gavin and Stacey and people assume it’s back… but it’s not.”
