When is the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special on TV?
The BBC sitcom is returning for one last festive episode, but what can fans expect?
Gavin & Stacey fans rejoice. A special, one-off final episode will arrive Christmas Day 2024, with many of the sitcom’s cast returning after a five-year absence.
The new episode was written, as usual, by co-creators Ruth Jones and James Corden — who has more time on his hands since quitting The Late Late Show in the US — and their characters Nessa and Smithy are expected to play a big part in the new storyline.
The BBC comedy was one of the most beloved shows of the Noughties, following Gavin Shipman (Mathew Horne) and Stacey West’s (Joanna Page) love story from over-the-phone colleagues in Essex and South Wales to meeting up, marrying and combining their quirky families.
Gavin & Stacey last made a welcome return for a Christmas special in 2019. But rather than leaving fans satisfied with loose ends tied up, a huge cliffhanger meant there were more questions than answers, which fans could finally see satisfied this Christmas.
When will the Gavin & Stacey 2024 Christmas special be on TV?
The final Gavin & Stacey Christmas special will air at 9pm on Christmas Day 2024 on BBC One and iPlayer. Filming took place in Barry Island, Wales between September and October.
News of the episode was confirmed by the BBC in May 2024 after much speculation. In a statement, Jones and Corden said: Some news… It’s official!!! We have finished writing the last ever episode of Gavin and Stacey. See you on Christmas Day, BBC One. Love Ruth and James.”
Larry Lamb, who plays Gavin’s dad Mick since the show, told The London Standard that the final episode will be extra-long: “All the way through, there’s such funny and such moving stuff in it. Of course, because it’s an hour and a half so it’s like a film-length thing, nobody is in every bit of it.
“So there are bits that you’re in and there are bits that you aren’t in. All I’ve done is read the whole script, I know the whole story but I’ve not seen lots of it because I’ve only seen the bits that I’m in.”
What will happen in the Christmas special?
While the show is called Gavin & Stacey, supporting characters Nessa and Smithy took centre stage for the last instalment five years ago, with their on-off romance reaching a cliffhanger.
The festive episode saw Smithy (Corden) considering getting engaged to a woman who didn’t do much to impress his loved ones by making fun of his weight and not putting much effort into getting to know Neil The Baby, Smithy’s son with former flame Nessa (Jones).
But in a shock final moment after Smithy’s girlfriend Sonia left Barry, Nessa popped the question to on-off lover Smithy — with the credits rolling before he gave his answer.
So what will happen this time around? According to the BBC, the 2024 Christmas special sees Gavin and Stacey “looking for new ways to spice up” their marriage, while Nessa begins a new business venture. It also sees Rob Brydon as Uncle Bryn preparing for a trip to Essex, as his sister-in-law Gwen West has been “behaving most strangely”, while Neil the Baby is set to start an “apprenticeship with his dad”.
Over in Essex, Gavin’s father Michael “Mick” Shipman (Larry Lamb) is upsetting his uptight wife Pamela Andrea “Pam” Shipman (Alison Steadman) as she is about to play hostess. There will also be continued marital problems for Peter Sutcliffe (Adrian Scarborough) and his wife, Dawn Sutcliffe (Julia Davis).
The BBC also hinted it might solve one of the enduring mysteries on Gavin & Stacey. “Join us on the journey to Barry and Billericay as we catch up with the Shipmans and the Wests for the very last time and maybe find out what exactly did happen on that fishing trip,” the corporation said.
Stacey’s uncle, Bryn and his nephew, Jason (Robert Wilfort), allude to the events of the “fishing trip” during the series, but all viewers know is that the two men were close before the incident and rarely spoke after it.
Could there be another series of Gavin & Stacey?
News of the finale puts a firm full stop on any hopes for a new series — but at least we’ll have one final story to enjoy. The third and final series aired between November 2009 and and January 2010.
Gavin & Stacey: The Finale will air at 9pm on 25 December on BBC One and iPlayer
