Gavin & Stacey co-creator urges positivity as hit sitcom is inducted into Hall of Fame
James Corden has hailed the British TV industry and the BBC, saying that the world looks to the UK as somewhere that “sets the standard” for creativity.
The comedian, writer, producer and actor gave an upbeat speech to a room full of TV industry workers as he accepted the inaugural Hall of Fame award at this year’s Broadcast Awards.
The prize was launched to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the awards ceremony and each year will see the induction of a show that has made an indelible mark on British life and has been influential and acclaimed within the industry.
Corden and co-creator Ruth Jones’ long-running and beloved sitcom Gavin & Stacey was the first series to be added to the Hall of Fame, with its finale garnering a whopping 28 day audience of 20.9m viewers this Christmas.
The series first aired in 2007 and was commissioned by the BBC, and Corden thanked the broadcaster for backing saying “it was an incredible thing that they did for us.”
The Gavin & Stacey co-creator acknowledged the turbulent period that the industry currently faces, but said he feels lucky to be a creator “in a country which has a glorious respect for creativity and at the heart of that is the BBC.”
He said that he had returned to the UK last year after working in the US for a long period, and that since his arrival “every single day somebody has looked over to me, rolled their eyes and looked up at the grey skies and said I bet you’re glad you came back to all this.”
“I want to shake them and say I wish you could see what Britain looks like from a distance” he went on.
“How beautiful it is, this glorious island. How much the world looks to so many of you in this room and marvels at the creativity in all of you. How much the world looks at the work you’ve created and realises that so much of it sets the standard.”
To cheers from the audience, he added: “I know this is a hard time for our industry and there are difficult times ahead. But I would urge you all to remember how vital you are, how important the stories that you tell are.”
Corden’s co-creator Ruth Jones was unable to attend the event due to scheduling conflicts.
Last night’s Broadcast Awards also saw Mr Bates vs The Post Office receive this year’s Special Recognition Award. As the team behind the hit show received a standing ovation, sub post master Jo Hamilton took to the stage to remind audiences that Alan Bates - along with hundreds of other sub post masters - had still yet to be paid, and urged the industry to keep the pressure on.
The full list of winners from this year’s Broadcast Awards can be found here.
No comments yet