Gavin (Matthew Horne) lives in England; Stacey (Joanna Page) lives in Wales. The two have talked on the phone through work for months and exchanged pictures but have never met. Now, they’ve decided to take that step and meet each other in person. Following that meeting is a whirlwind relationship that brings the hilarious idiosyncrasies of their best friends, Nessa (Ruth Jones) and Smithy (James Corden), and their families into close proximity. Now Gavin and Stacey have to get through it all for love.

CRITIQUE

American television shows are now exported readily in Europe, particularly Britain, and British television that reaches our shores is now more than the “Masterpiece Theater” variety. The popularization of the DVD has only increased this, and one recent sitcom hit from the U.K. is hitting DVD here. Appealing and mature, the performances and story of the British sitcom Gavin and Stacey result in a lot of laughs and romance.

Let’s first address the thing most viewers might be concerned with before seeing Gavin and Stacey-- the Britishness of it. Audiences will be used to all manner of English accents by now, so those aren’t a problem, but the bits of comedy that come from the clash of English vs. Welsh culture might go over most American viewers’ heads. That is really the only stumbling block to fully enjoying this show, though. The problems of embarrassing parents and friends or the consequences of past actions are universal themes that all couples will likely relate to.

The romance of the series is its true selling point for me. The development of the central relationship between the title characters is done with a perfect mix of modern social mores (they make love the first night they meet in person) and sweetness (they say “I love you” at the end of the first episode). The fact that you know these two have spoken to each other for months makes believable the quickness of their courtship-- I hope it’s not spoiling anything for anyone for me to reveal that the pair gets married in the final episode of the season. Gavin’s reception speech is an “Aww!” highlight.

That’s not to underestimate the comedy, though. Corden, from the successful theater and film version versions of The History Boys, seems quite natural with humor, and he and Jones aren’t afraid to push it to the edge of propriety at a few moments. They are superb performers, too, a nice foil to Horne and Page’s shininess. The rest of the cast are nothing to sneeze at either. It’s great to see talented Brit vets in the roles of Gavin and Stacey’s parents, especially Alison Steadman, from the revered 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice.

Gavin and Stacey is a genuine romantic comedy, heartwarming and hilarious, with wonderful actors and a fond representation of modern Britain.

THE VIDEO

Gavin and Stacey is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The picture and color are free of problems, so I assume they are well transferred from the original broadcast.

THE AUDIO

Gavin and Stacey is presented in English Dolby Digital 5.1 Stereo. There are no other language tracks offered, and English is the only subtitle offered here.

THE EXTRAS

How It Happened: The success of the sitcom in Britain is the subject of this doc, made up of lots of interviews from the cast and writers. Cast members Corden and Jones, who also wrote the series, give their interview together, as do actors Page and Horn, who play the title couple, and this results in a lot of good info and some laughs. It’s so cute when Page and Horne discuss their audition together, as we see the actual footage as well, and I love how Corden based the idea on a friend of his who actually met his future wife the way Gavin does. This is the best extra on the disc.

Outtakes: This is quite a typical gag reel -- uncontrollable laughter, line flubs, etc. -- but it is still very funny.

Behind the Scenes in Leicester Square: While season one was shooting, this brief assemblage of on-set footage was available to watch on YouTube and features a lot of fun between the cast members while filming the pivotal moment when Gavin and Stacey meet face to face. Worth watching at least once.

Audio Commentary: Three of the six episodes feature commentary tracks from writers/actors James Corden and Ruth Jones, and director Christine Gernon. Corden and Jones dominate the tracks, with Gernon adding input only infrequently, but there is a good, upbeat feel to the discussion. There is a lot of praise for the other actors and we do learn interesting facts about different editing that was considered for certain scenes and things like that. Give these a listen.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Gavin and Stacey is a British romantic sitcom that is just that-- funny and full of romance in just six episodes. The performers are obscenely appealing to watch as well, so not only fans of British television will probably find a lot to enjoy in this series. Many will eagerly anticipate season two. The bonus features on this disc are fun additions, so a purchase won’t be out of the question for some. In any case, though, most adult viewers should give a chance to Gavin and Stacey.