Hall of Fame: Gavin & Stacey

Since its launch in 2007, Gavin & Stacey has garnered a dedicated, cross-generational and nationwide following that few sitcoms in the last 30 years have achieved. It has also spawned a chart-topping cover of Islands in the Stream, made stars of its cast and creators and broken BBC viewing records.  

On the surface, the show told the sweet, sometimes unconventional love story of Essex boy Gavin (Matthew Horne) and Stacey (Joanna Page), from Barry Island in Wales, who meet in the opening episode for the first time after six months of online dating. But it’s so much more than that.

Viewers might have come for the titular couple, but they stayed for their brilliantly quirky family and friends (a stellar cast including Alison Steadman, Larry Lamb, Rob Brydon, Melanie Walters and Julia Davis) – not least Smithy and Nessa, played by the show’s creators James Corden and Ruth Jones, whose on-again-off-again relationships kept viewers guessing right up until the final episode. 

In an age where many producers are encouraged to think about their show’s global appeal, with an eye to international distribution, Gavin and Stacey has become an increasingly rare thing – a show which depicts and celebrates the idiosyncrasies of specific areas of Britain and British life to explore universal themes of love, family and friendship.  

From a strong start, when it was the most-nominated show at the 2007 British Comedy Awards, the sitcom has only gained momentum across three series and three Christmas specials. The 2019 Christmas outing set a BBC scripted record of 18.5m over 28-days. This record was smashed by the 2024 Christmas finale, which became the UK’s highest-rating scripted show since records began in 2002, with 20.9m after 28 days (and an overnight audience of 12.3m).  

With its enduring popular, critical and ratings success, Gavin & Stacey is a cracking inaugural inductee to Broadcast’s Hall of Fame.