I was supposed to write through the Next Big Event in Book 2 of the trilogy, but it's late and, per usual, I have been procrastinating by watching my new TV obsession, Gavin & Stacey.
Rumo(u)r has it they are bringing a version over to the States, and if they do it right, it will be a sight to see. Gavin & Stacey follows the story of an average boy and an average girl who fall in love over the phone at work (he does something with computers in Essex, she does something with accounts in Wales... it really doesn't matter). In the pilot they meet, followed swiftly by I Love Yous, Engagement, Wedding, and Living Happily (?) Ever After. Simple enough, right?
Alas, behind the simplicity is the genius. Gavin & Stacey was created by James Cordon and Ruth Jones, who do not play Gavin and Stacey. Instead, they play his and hers friends, respectively, leading a shockingly hilarious cast of secondary characters (his parents, her widowed mother, her uncle, as well as various friends scattered about). As Vanessa ("Ness"), Ruth Jones is easily the highlight of the show, often dispatching wisdom based on life experiences (she is ageless, seems to have been married at least three times, had an affair with the former Deputy Prime Minister, been a producer for the BBC, and now works at the ticket counter at an amusement park...), while Smithy ("Smiffy") is a bumbling oaf of a man who is absurdly possessive of Gavin, and who lives his life to try every beer in existence.
Like How I Met Your Mother, which uses Allison Hannigan and Neil Patrick Harris (indeed, the better-known cast members) in supporting roles, the use of the show's creators and writers as non-titular characters is perfect-- it gives them the perspective to move away from the simplicity of the plot and delve deeply into hilarious character study.
I could easily go on for days about this show and how fantastically developed each of the characters is (except, ironically, for Gavin and Stacey themselves... they aren't one dimensional, but they are definitely the least interesting of the lot). I won't go on and on and on, though. I'll just say, get thee to BBC America.
Or come over and we'll watch it on iTunes when I get home.
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