Hear, hear! I've been thinking (and occasionally saying) the same thing for months now. It's rather indicative, in a way. And, I fear, may very well be keeping our membercount down.






Hello all......first post on here and all that..... I put the above quote in from Aaron cos I was feeling the exact same for the last few weeks reading the "slatings" and petty arguments this great show has evoked. I'm all for debate and realise comedy is one area of life with HUGE differences of opinion but here's my two penneth on Gavin and Stacey for what its worth.....

G and S has me intrigued. I have loved this programme since episode one and have been waiting for the "backlash" for sometime! And after tonights Bafta success that backlash of seething jealousy will be on in earnest no doubt.

I first started watching it cos I saw Corden plugging it on some other tv show and thought I would give it a go and from the very first episode I was hooked and eagerly recommended it to family and friends alike who without exception all said thanks for pointing them towards the show. The interesting thing here being the fact that no matter who it was I recommended it to - be it my mum in her mid fifties, my best mate a 32 yr old bloke or my younger sister in her late teens they ALL loved it! If that doesn't say something for it as a sitcom I don't know what does!

The key point here being that whilst I love the Smiffy character and his oafish laddish charm, and my Mum loves Bryn and Staceys mum, as well as the whole tone of the show which is totally feel good and my sister enjoys the whole G and S romance cos it isn't forced upon you like some shows do - it kinda feels real. So there's clearly something in it for lots of different demographics. This is not to say they don't enjoy the show as a whole just making the point that because of the great set of characters and the ludicrously realistic acting in the show most people I know who like the show have a "favourite" character which is a helpful tool in creating popularity imo.

I went from loving Smiffy and his stupid Gavlar and Pamalarr stuff and his general interaction with Steadman to quickly thinking by the end of the first series "christ this show is making me feel wierd! It's a comedy and I actually "care" about the characters and what happens to them". Much as I love The Office, Partridge or Curb I couldn't honestly say I gave two hoots about what happened each week - I was simply waiting for Gervais, Coogan or David to make me PMSL by being their usual ignorant/arrogant selves.

I have seen lots of criticism form people saying "so why's it called Gavin and Stacey then when they are not funny and hardly in it sometimes?" Grr who friggin cares what its called! Talk about clutching at straws! The whole premise of both series is the two sets of family and friends interacting who have ALL been brought together by G and S - and I for one LOVE the relationship between G and S. Corden and Jones have the tone of it spot on - not too gushy, not too forced - just a simple love story between two young people who met and fell in love - whilst they have few funny moments this is no problem at all IMO cos they are the catalysts for all the other comedy with Ness, Smiffy, Bryn, Mick and Pamela - who are all excellent in my opinion.

Another well documented reason why it has become so popular is because there is a distinct lack of "malice" in the series and that is soooo refreshing to see. Ok so a character like Bryn is not maybe the most original creation in the world and he has become such a fav with lots of people no doubt because of Brydon but does anyone else notice that the other charatcers in the show laugh "with" him and not "at" him? Humiliation as a comedy tool becomes a little tiresome imo.

The scene with Smiffy's sister and the whole "robot" thing (I fookin' loved it ) has been roundly criticised by forumites as being too Catherine Tate/Little Britain but I simply cannot have this!! I was pmsl at their brother/sister fight as it was like watching a home video of me and my sister fighting from years ago - yet again just another brilliantly observed piece of acting/writing.

I've also seen crticism from people saying that the show has become too "drama" heavy in the last couple of episodes. Again I have to strongly disagree -i think the balance throughout both series has been absolutely spot on - christ surely you are allowed 5 or 10 minutes of serious stuff every few episodes to help take the story along and make you care just that little bit more about the characters in general. If iwant to watch a sitcom with characters I don't care about in the least i'll watch Friends or Two Pints. what some people do not seem to be able to get their heads around is that it is precisely these titbits of real drama that have thrust the show to the forefront of the publics affections - whilst Friends was ludicrously popular with women in particular even the most ardent of fans would be hard pressed to say they were "gutted" at missing an episode because deep down they knew nothing much would happen in the overall story and if they were honest would admit that they didn't really care what happened to the characters cos it was so obviously a make believe world. (Dunno why I keep using Friends as a barometer! think the writing on it was first class btw just too tired to trawl through my memory banks of comedy at the moment.)

My real fear for the show is Corden himself - he seems to polarise opinion. Some people love his cheekiness and others seem to despise him - even tonight on Digital Spy I have seen him described as slimy, obnoxious and boastful! Well my opinion on him for what it's worth is that he's simply quite young and says the wrong thing in interviews sometimes which people then jump on and accuse him of all sorts - really think he's a decent guy with a decent heart - oh yeah and a talent at writing and acting. It's gonna be a similar situation to Gervais I fear with 50% of people jut willing him to fuck up and then droning on about it for eternity - sad but true.

Oh well I could drone on myself about this for a bit more but dont want to blot my copybook first post and all that.

P.S. At the risk of doing just that I have to say to GODOTS ...seriously mate what planet are you on? I am literally scratching my head reading some of your criticisms of the script - are you watching it with the mute button on or something?
 

Wow - long post!

I just didnt laugh....and I didn't see where I should have. It wasnt that I didnt find the gags funny, there just weren't any.

If you get a copy of the script and highlight the funny sections you would be hard pushed.

As an example - at one point someone calls someone and asks "are you at work" to which the response is "you called my work number" - is that supposed to be charming interaction between two people or is it suppose to be funny? I just don't get it (or see what I am suppose to get).


Oh, and I watched Friends in my late teens and for me and my mates missing an episode was unheard of - think you are being a little hard to suggest it was for women and no one cared about character. Ross and Rachel was an iconic pairing.
 

Welcome Crazyeyeskilla! Long, and very thoughtful post. I think I agree pretty much entirely, and hadn't even considered previously a couple of the points you raised.

Regarding the Catherine Tate/Little Britain accusations, I can't see anything of that at all. Seems to be people justifying hatred of one show by comparing it something they already dislike.


And to M Lewis, do you like The Office?
 

---

Aaron
BSG Forums & DVDs Editor
Half man, half Internet, half TV.
(Loyal follower of The Magical Aura of Laura.)

 

I am entirely liking Gavin & Stacey, and I'll tell you for why. The comedy arises naturally for the most part from the characters, and the characters drive the plot rather than the other way round. The characters are people you can imagine actually existing in real life, rather than the grotesques you'd find in Two Pints.

Incidentally, Sheridan Smith - the female Neil Fitzmaurice? Discuss.
 

---

I voted Obama.
 

Quote: Aaron @ April 21 2008, 10:35 AM BST

And to M Lewis, do you like The Office?

View original

To summarise:

I like Catherine Tait, i just don't like it being ripped off for no point - the scene i saw had the bloke that always has his shirt done up all the way (has he had a tracheotomy?) pull over so his mates sister could do an "am i bovered" sketch for no obvious reason.

I like The Office.

I think Ricky Gervais is a bit of a tool....but find him funny. (i would listen to him talk but wouldn't want to dine with the guy - i think he uses the "we are laughing AT the person being insensitive" as a defence for just laughing at minorities. In 2007 in the UK if you have a gag of a bloke laughing at a disabled person you KNOW 50% of your viewers are laughing AT the disabled person, so irrespective of what you THINK you are achieving, for a lot of people you are just doing spastic gags...which is fine, but don't get high and mighty about it)

I like the fat guy that wrote Gavin and Stacey - seems like a laugh, i would dine with him (donuts i expect)

Its not that i think G&S is bad.... But i dont get it...or see what i'm missing. In last nights show there was no laughs until Rob Brydon showed up with an ipod (and that's more down to him that the script)

Quote: Graham Bandage @ April 21 2008, 10:57 AM BST

The characters are people you can imagine actually existing in real life, rather than the grotesques you'd find in Two Pints.

View original

I agree - but making them natural doesnt make them funny.

Seriously, if someone posted the script for the first 5 mins of last night in the critique forum it would be ripped apart for being unfunny.
 

As would the script of The Office. That's the nature of these "realistic" shows. Remember Gervais and Merchant had to find the cash to film their own pilot (IIRC), in order to convey what they were trying to do? The format and basis of the show meant it didn't work on paper, and I'm pretty sure you'd find the same with much of the Gavin and Stacey scripts. If you don't find the show funny, and can't see what is meant to be funny (much like myself with The Office), then that's fine. It's just not appealing to your sense of humour. But don't start ripping apart the script as written, because the same and more could be said of programmes.
 

---

Aaron
BSG Forums & DVDs Editor
Half man, half Internet, half TV.
(Loyal follower of The Magical Aura of Laura.)

 

The Office pilot was funded by the BBC and the scenes that they shot to get there were done by Merchant as a homework project for his BBC course....anyway, i see your point about the office script but it is still obvious where the humour should be whether you find it funny or not.

This isnt so much like or dislike...i just dont see whats funny. Maybe last nights was a bad example but the first 5 mins just had no attempt at a laugh....i dont mean there were laughs that i didnt find funny....there were just no laughs attempted.
 

I haven't seen the last episode yet, but well done on winning the BAFTA. I've always liked the show and always found it funny. The fact that people some people think it should be a comedy-drama proves that they don't get the many jokes that are made (not all punchline ones), they obviously just go over people's heads. To those that get the jokes and don't find that funny, well that's the beauty of humour. Its subjective and we all have different tastes.

To be fair there isn't much competition at the moment either, but I was surprised they weren't up for best sitcom - having been best comedy. Weird.
 

---

Some people may call me a genius but I haven't met any yet.
http://containsnuts.wordpress.com/
 

lol - it didnt go "over my head"...i understood where all the humour was, i was just surpised at the lack of it.....and bearing in mind it wasnt full of funny i was a bit disapointed at some of the easy lines. For example, girl jumpping over car roof was superb...getting in and saying "i always wanted to do that" was lazy. Smithys "well done" when they all walk in at the end and disturb him and fat lass was class...the whole "neil" thing was lazy.
 

It's ok but it tries to rip off Peep Show etc and fails. Rob Brydon is funny because he's a funny guy. The Fat girl is just annoying (playing a hard nut), and the Welsh (portayed as cute and funny)tries my patience after the 18th joke.

PULLING is soooo much better!!
 

Quote: Aaron @ April 21 2008, 12:09 PM BST

As would the script of The Office. That's the nature of these "realistic" shows. Remember Gervais and Merchant had to find the cash to film their own pilot (IIRC), in order to convey what they were trying to do? The format and basis of the show meant it didn't work on paper, and I'm pretty sure you'd find the same with much of the Gavin and Stacey scripts. If you don't find the show funny, and can't see what is meant to be funny (much like myself with The Office), then that's fine. It's just not appealing to your sense of humour. But don't start ripping apart the script as written, because the same and more could be said of programmes.

View original

That isn't true at all. The office scripts are on-paper-funny. They don't require Gervais to take off. It's also a myth that the show was a slow burn. I saw the first episode when it was first broadcast and liked it immediately and you all know what i think of Gervais (He's a cunt). The first scene of the first episode contains a joke. I posted it a long time back when Chapman said there were no obvious jokes in the show (there are lots and lots). G & S is a ground-breaking show, because even people who like it admit that it isn't funny - much. But they still like it. I've taken against it only at a script level. I don't think old crazy-eyed corden can write comedy very well. But it seems that only M Lewis agrees with me.
 

Godot....EXACTLY my view!

And spot on about The Office scripts...the UK version opens with Brent on the phone to the guy and asks about his wife...who it turns out left him (funny or not its an obvious stab at humour) Likewise the US version re-jigs it to have Scott on the phone to get a sale and mistakes the female caller for a bloke ("must be a smoker"). While Gervais and Carrell take those lines to new levels its obvious they written for funny.
 

Smithy's sister was a dreadful, and entirely unfunny, addition to the script - it was so derivative i almost can't believe it. I don't find the show to be laugh a minute...which is fine in itself, but I don't think this is deliberate. An awful lot of the jokes fall flat. For me, I can at times 'hear' two different voices in the writing...and unless I'm mistaken this would be the first time that Jones and the fat lad have written together. Mixed.
 

Quote: M Lewis @ April 21 2008, 9:30 AM BST

Wow - long post!

I just didnt laugh....and I didn't see where I should have. It wasnt that I didnt find the gags funny, there just weren't any.

If you get a copy of the script and highlight the funny sections you would be hard pushed.

As an example - at one point someone calls someone and asks "are you at work" to which the response is "you called my work number" - is that supposed to be charming interaction between two people or is it suppose to be funny? I just don't get it (or see what I am suppose to get).


Oh, and I watched Friends in my late teens and for me and my mates missing an episode was unheard of - think you are being a little hard to suggest it was for women and no one cared about character. Ross and Rachel was an iconic pairing.

View original

Like i said i did admire the writing in Friends, razor sharp at times which is good going over so long a period but by the 6th 7th 8th seasons i really couldnt care less about missing an episode - just my thought.

It does make me smile this criticism people have about GS not being "funny" enough - i smiled at the "you phoned my work number" line it obviously was not meant to be split your sides laughing! it was just another well observed line slotted in there which myself and many other people would recognise as having happened to them sometimes - that's it! nothing more nothing less. I think it just maybe disappoints you from the point of view that if you were a huge fan of Friends then they used to hatchet in a couple of their "big" gags at the start and end of the show - i think largely because they went for an ad break in the States straight after the credits!

If i did get the script i would have no trouble whatsoever highlighting the funny parts - the whole script is simply "laced" with an undertone of smut throughout both series which is part of the appeal for me hehe
just trying to see when and where they slip these gags in and if my missus "gets" it.

last night's funny bits included "Barry's Island, Four fingers or five, I could speak for the Welsh, I thought your name was Colin, Don't want another Fatwah......." etc etc I've only watched it once but they are some of the lines i remember.

Anyways - as always it is each to their own, does intrigue me the amount of people who come onto this thread to run it down as not being funny though EVEN after it beats the flipping Apprentice (comedy gold itself at times and friggin popular show) to win a viewers award!! A fucking viewers award after being shown on BBC3!! Christ almighty WHAT more proof do the critics of the show need to realise that the show must be doing something right???
 

Quote: M Lewis @ April 21 2008, 12:22 PM BST

The Office pilot was funded by the BBC and the scenes that they shot to get there were done by Merchant as a homework project for his BBC course....anyway, i see your point about the office script but it is still obvious where the humour should be whether you find it funny or not.

View original

Sorry, but to me it's no more or less obvious in Gavin and Stacey than The Office. I really think it comes down to taste in a show like this. There aren't traditionally obvious gag gags or comedy moments in that sense. It's the overall atmosphere which fuels things. Having said that, I've not got around to watching the past few episodes, so don't have direct reference to the specific scene(s) you're noting.
 

---

Aaron
BSG Forums & DVDs Editor
Half man, half Internet, half TV.
(Loyal follower of The Magical Aura of Laura.)