Gavin & Stacey came to an end on Christmas Day, with a finale which received huge viewing figures and was beloved by fans.
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The ending to the series saw Nessa and Smithy finally get married, after Smithy initially looked like he was going to go ahead with marrying Sonia.
The show's creators, Ruth Jones and James Corden, have been adamant that the finale will stay the finale, and it will be the very last time we see these characters together on screen. But why does that have to be the case? Could we not pop in on them in Barry or Essex again in five or 10 years?
Well, now, in retrospective documentary Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell, Jones and Corden have explained why that cannot happen, revealing that it's because "we can never see" Smithy and Nessa's actual relationship on screen.
James Corden, Mathew Horne, Joanna Page and Ruth Jones star in Gavin & Stacey. BBC
"Probably from the first Christmas special that we did, when Dave proposes and Smithy says, 'Don’t marry him', from that moment on it felt like they had to end together," Corden said of Smithy and Nessa.
"And that’s what he says in this last scene, 'I know it’s messy and not perfect, but that’s because we’re messy and not perfect'."
Jones added: "Once Smithy and Nessa got together, that really is the end. Because we can never see them actually living together."
Corden cut in to say, "Oh no, it would be awful", after which Jones suggested "Seeing Smithy put the bins out...", and Corden acted one of them saying: "Babe?"
The documentary included plenty more of Corden, Jones and the rest of the cast speaking about their time on the show, along with archive footage from behind the scenes of filming across the years.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
