Gavin and Stacey - Narrative

Gavin and Stacy like many traditional sitcoms have self-contained episodes in which the story is told within the half an hour. However there is also an overall story within the series, series one is all about will they won't they, the audience are rooting for Gavin and Stacey to get married throughout the whole of the first series. However the first episode is all about the two meeting and if they will really fall for each other in real life and have that spark. Throughout Gavin and Stacey we are wising for the two main characters to be together but this does not distract from the humour or every character within the narrative, each and every character has their moment to make the audience laugh in every episode, even characters such as Mick who are more realistic still manage to make the audience laugh with his snide remarks about his wife.  

Gavin and Stacey also uses omniscient narration which gives the audience more information than some of the characters may know. This on one hand makes the audience laugh as they see the impact of what could happen if told but also builds tension. This is shown perfectly when the audience find out about Stacey's five previous engagements, this is funny as we hear Bryn reel off a list of names of who he likes and who he didn't as well as when Gavin finds out  and Stacey mentions all of her pervious ex-lovers before arriving at the correct name. However this builds tension as we see as an audience that Stacey had lied to Gavin and this could lead to their wedding being called off as Gavin doesn't even think he knows who she really is. This shows how the narrative of the show switches and changes constantly and make the audience want the two to work even more.  

The difference with Gavin and Stacey and most sitcoms is the authenticity of the show. It does not just focus on laughs but tells a story with laughs thrown in, this is doesn't in the way that aside from the caricature characters you could imagien it being real life. For example the simple faces Mick pulls being his wife's back towards Gavin is realistic and doesn’t attempt to be anything more than that but still generates laughs as it is representative of real life. Gavin and Stacey not only makes the audience laugh but can also make them cry through the charming nature and superb acting. The key scene that highlights this is when Bryn and Stacey are heading to her wedding and Bryn reads her father's note to her, this is a completely compelling scene where you can't look away but your eyes fill up ready to burst out into tears, this is extremely authentic as this scene is not broken by any jokes but rather continued to allow the audience as well as the characters absorb the emotion.   

Overall the narrative of Gavin and Stacey is more of a romantic comedy rather than a sitcom. We as an audience relate to each characters in their own way and are striving for Gavin and Stacey to finally get married and be happy minus all the obstacles and bumps in the road that like every liner narrative we know they will overcome and make it work.

Gavin and Stacey - Audience Positioning

Gavin and Stacey's main goal is to make the audience laugh and make them take the preferred reading of the text. Throughout the series ther are many many different ways Gavin and Stacey attempts to make the audience laugh such as one liners, humour through juxtaposition, humour through editing, running jokes, through characters and many more.  

 

One of the main ways in which Gavin and Stacey attempts to make us laugh is through the running jokes of Nessa's past lovers, Gwen's omelettes and Smithy's girlfriend. The main one form these is Smithy's girlfriend who is still in high school and only seventeen, or seventeen and a half in Smithy's eyes. These one liners are extremely unexpected and thrown in in areas where the audience would not expect, for example when Bryn asks for the maps after the wedding Smithy says "I gave them to Lucy she was colouring them in" this line is hysterical and ensures the audience will laugh out loud at Smithy's immaturity as he is surrounded by adults and people building families and lives.  

Another way the TV show attempts to make the audience laugh is through comedic characters. Possibly the funniest characters within the story are Pete and Dawn as they are so outrageous it is impossible to laugh at them. Their shamble of a marriage juxtaposes Pam and Mick perfectly and shows exactly what the audience to not want Gavin and Stacey to turn out like. Their back and forth bickering and spiteful comments about each other are specifically for comedic elements of the show and work perfectly within the narrative.  

It is clear that the audience of Gavin and Stacey took the preferred reading as it had millions of fans tuning in to watch new episodes every week showing the show was a success and did achieve its goal of appealing to an audience and generating laughs and brightening peoples days. This is shown by many reviews of how good the comedy was and the audience begging for more: "Being Welsh this is a typically stereotypical view of the way we live out life in Wales. But we don't mind being the butt of a joke every now and then. Particularly when the joke is as good as this." This shows that although this audience member knows the stereotypical view they have identified with the text and have enjoyed it regardless as it is light hearted showing that the text has achieved its goal of making people laugh.   

However like every media text there are always going to be people who either take the oppositional reading or negotiated reading. This is shown by: "I had to stop watching this after the 3rd episode of the first series, I was cringing throughout at the poor acting, unnecessary over enunciation of the welsh accent and all things welsh and the unrealistic scenes" This is a prime example of how some audience members do not take to the humour of the series and go against the intentions of the shows as it has been to heavily mediated.  

 

Overall Gavin and Stacey positions the audience to sympathise with characters, laugh at them and to simply enjoy the charming nature of Gavin and Stacey's love for each other as well as the love for their families and the love given back to them. Gavin and Stacey is a sitcom that can make the audience laugh until it hurts but also cry and be absolutely heartbroken at times.

Gavin and Stacey - Appeals

 Gavin and Stacey appeals to many of the British public. Due to the fact that the first two seasons were broadcasted on BBC3 showed that the producers assumed that the audience would be young. However, this was wrong as when it was broadcasted on BBC1 it reached over 6 million people showing it was more for the mainstream.  

 

Gavin and Stacey appeals to the mainstream as their core need is for familiarity and security and this is what they are given. Although Gavin and Stacey does not fully conform to a traditional sitcom it has many elements that are traditional within it which is what the mainstreamer would love.  

In addition to this the characters within the TV programme all have something to relate to making this an appeal in itself. This is particularly important as for the audience it is good to relate to a character as you identify with them and either want to be more like them or are exactly like them.  

 

Another huge appeal for the mainstreamer is the fact that with Gavin and Stacey you are guaranteed to laugh out loud and be truly humoured but you also know that through the plot line and the narrative structure that you will be heart warmed through the love of Gavin and his girlfriend Stacey. Even the relationship between Pam and Mick as well as Bryn and Gwen are heart-warming and realistic.  

The humour in Gavin and Stacey is a huge appeal for the audience as this is the main reason why they will be watching the show. This is mainly evident through the one liners "three steaks Pam" and "I gave them to Lucy she was colouring them in". These quick witty lines are what the audience love and want to enjoy. The running jokes of Smithy's seventeen year old girlfriend are particularly funny as they are unexpected and they highlight just how immature Smithy really is. Gavin and Stacey also provides drama which gives the sitcom a different dimension, this is evident when Stacey calls Nessa to ask if she wants an omelette, during this scene all sound stops and the camera tracks forward making it tense and worrying. However, this is all broken by Stacey saying that Nessa does not want an omelette making it humorous for the audience.  

 

The charming nature of each individual episode are things to enjoy with family which is a huge appeal for the mainstream as well as the fact that the TV programme is based around family life that will reflect the audience life style as they live in the domestic. This will make it much easier for the audience to relate to characters and personally identify with them and even if you do not identify with anyone it is common to believe a character is like a person you know, for example the character of Smithy may be like a boy that you know and or the typical 'lad'.  

 

Overall Gavin and Stacey appeals to its target audience as it is all and out British. The sitcom is traditional and consistent, not matter what obstacles Gavin and Stacey face they always pull through and the audience are given a truly heart-warming sitcom that provides both humour and drama.

Gavin and Stacey - Success

Gavin and Stacey was a clear breakthrough. The sitcom was new, vibrant and fun and was a huge success to the British public. In initially the show was broadcasted on BBC3 for the first two seasons suggesting they assumed the target audience were young, however this was wrong and the third series as well as the christmas special were then broadcasted on BBC1 showing that the producers initially got the target audience wrong but then being placed onto BBC1 meant the show was becoming an even bigger success. This is also shown through the viewing figures as season one reached 500,000 and season two reached 1.5 million, this showed how huge the programme really was but this doesn't even scratch the surface as the third season reached 6-10 million showing the broad appeal of the show and how much it really did appeal to the British public.  

In addition to this the fact Gavin and Stacey was such a hit wad the fac tthat it was generically British, there was nothing better than it and nothing could compare to it meaning they hit the nail perfectly on the head. However this could be seen as a failure as there were three American attempts at a remake that all flopped. However this can also be seen as a success as it showed the show is singular and it stands alone, it does not need remakes or spin offs, Gavin and Stacey was good and contained in itself and was a success in this way.  

 

Another way Gavin and Stacey was such a success was the numerous appearances of Smithy. The character of Smithy was reoccurring throughout different mediums and the character continued making appearances on: Sky Sports News, Comic Relief, Sports personality of the year and giving the England football squad a pep talk showing that fans wanted more and more of the characters they know and love.  

In addition the show entered the national consciousness, once again reinforcing the impact the show had on the fans. Gavin and Stacey became quotable "tidy" and "what's occurin" were huge and known by many as well as fans creating their own T-Shirts with the quotes on to keep the show alive.  

 

One of the huge ways that Gavin and Stacey was a success was their Christmas special. Now a days Christmas specials are saved by soaps and there is a battle for peak times due to the huge amounts of families sitting down to watch TV at this time. However Gavin and Stacey bagged the perfect time and the Christmas special was shown on BBC1 generating so many views and even more fans for the third series.  

 

Overall it is clear that Gavin and Stacey was a success as it tapped into what the British public loved and what they needed at that time. Gavin and Stacey was such a loved sitcom and appealed to families due to relatable characters, reliable humour and heart-warming storylines, this is the prime reason why the show is still on TV today and had won two BAFTA's as well as many other awards.