Gavin and Stacey, gave up after 5 minutes

[ssd]

Couldn't see what's funny about it, gave up after 5 minutes.
Bit cringey

I don't think you have to know all the ins and outs if this to find it funny. I can watch a one off programme and be laughing part way through it, I'm never the first to see stuff so always playing catch up. Granted I only watched the first 5 minutes but it was forced and clunky and just not funny. Maybe it got better later on, I'll never know.

Just watch d it. Loved it back in the day, but it’s totally jumped the shark now.

You DO need to know all the ins and outs though. The full back story, in jokes, relationships etc. It's like turning up at a complete strangers' Christmas dinner and expecting to have a great time.

Anyone got a theory for the name Sonia

Sonia Sutcliffe? The Yorkshire Ripper's wife? They do have a theme going with serial killers' names.

Sonia was Peter sutcliffes wife ?

@Piggywaspushed Sonia was the wife of serial killer Sutcliffe

Ah! Makes sense then accio. That's very obscure!! Thank you !

To pronounce a verdict on 5 minutes does seem a bit extreme.

I didn't like A Christmas Carol 5 minutes in but still watched more before I decided it was definitely shit

We loved it! Ness is ace and loved still calling him baby Neil 😁

It was brilliant

Also loved the comment about Chinese Alan’s kids being in vodka rev

I don't think you have to know all the ins and outs if this to find it funny. I can watch a one off programme and be laughing part way through it

Some shows maybe, but the glory of G and S has always been the in jokes and character build ups. So yes, in this case you do need to have seen other episodes.

Dh said he thought it was weak though.

Ah well, if DH says it... Anyone else want to report on a man's opinion?

First half was stilted and rubbish but I enjoyed the second half. They obviously hadn't rehearsed enough I think. It definitely felt rusty.

Agree it felt a bit stilted and rusty. It certainly highlighted for me that there’s a massive difference between a series where the actors all ‘grow together’ and the dynamics become very natural and unforced, and then bringing those same actors back together a decade later after they’ve all gone through different life experiences. G and S has always relied heavily on the relationships between the actors and so doing a one off like this was always a bigger risk. Perhaps easier with other series which rely more on straightforward comedy rather than in jokes and relationship dynamics.

I thought bits were very funny and spot on but it wasn’t consistently brilliant. Really wish the ending had been more true to the characters

I don't think it's fair to tell people who didnt see the original series - 12 years ago - that they're not meant to enjoy the BBC's prime slot Xmas Day programme because they're not meant to "get it".

If it had been well written then a newcomer could have enjoyed it. Instead it relied on too many references to 10 year old "jokes" that aren't really that funny in a one off show. For instance, in the original Christmas show - which was sublime - Nessa gave everyone a solitary Celebrations chocolate and the cast's reactions were very funny. Giving everyone a tap just wasn't funny at all. It wouldn't have been funny 10 years ago and it didn't work last night.

Having a DD who discovered G&S a couple of years ago, I've re-watched all 3 series several times and think it was brilliant. Last night's special was lazy. It needed proper commitment to the writing from James Corden and should have been stretched over one hour on Xmas Day and a concluding hour on New Year's Day.

Didn't like them still calling him Neil the baby. Didn't make sense referring to an 11 year old like this - especially directly ( third person might work) but come on what 11 year old would be happy being called Neil the baby in RL? Could damage their self esteem. Also taking him Carla singing with menaces - real bad parenting.

Overall though enjoyed the show despite it being weak compared to the main series. Didn't like proposal at end - I doubt they can eke out another series if sticking to same old gags.

really bad parenting

You do know it is made up and he is not a real kid with those parents?

Did it annoy anyone else that they kept saying how Gavin and Stacey had been married 10 years, yet Neil The Baby - who Nessa announced she was pregnant with just after the wedding - is 11. It annoys me that simple things like that aren't done properly

Yes, @GlummyMcGlummerson, it did!

I had to pause it in order to have a short rant at my unfortunate relatives.

Also, whilst the reference to Budgie being a grandad and Chinese Alan’s kids being the bouncers in Vodka Revolution were funny, I thought, hang on, that means that Chinese’s youngest kid would have had to be 8 at the time of the last series HOW COME THAT WAS NEVER MENTIONED and Budgie, supposedly late 20s maximum (Russell Tovey’s character) would have had at least one kid aged at least 6 or 7 at the same time in order for Budgie to be a grandad!

The Christmas special comfortably wiped the floor with most Christmas Day TV but wasn’t as good as the older series. I don’t mind though: the relationship between Nessa, Smithy and Neil was lovely.

The worst bit was the karaoke: as they started I said, “oh, they are going to waste 3 minutes making us listen to the song all the way through now”. A few snippets would have been better.

Didn't make sense referring to an 11 year old like this - especially directly ( third person might work) but come on what 11 year old would be happy being called Neil the baby in RL?

Are you Sonia?

LOL@ really bad parenting

It seemed to me that every single thing that was popular in the series was recreated.

what 11 year old would be happy being called Neil the baby in RL?

My niece-in-law is the youngest of the set of cousins (by about ten years) and is affectionately referred to as Baby Sarah by the whole family. She's 18 now and seems pretty cheerful about it.

@PaprikaPringle agree.

I think Corden and Jones write detail brilliantly. Not so good on the main narrative, and some things were just lazy. While a lot of the humour is in the in-jokes, there are other things that are only funny once. So, Nessa giving everyone a single chocolate was brilliant first time round, but giving everyone a tap was just not very funny. I enjoyed it overall and it was definitely one of the (few) decent bits of tv yesterday but I was left with the feeling it could have been better written