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James Corden Calls Early 'Gavin & Stacey' Episode His Worst

His critique doubles as a call for risk‑tolerant commissioning that backs character‑led comedy early.

Overview

  • Corden, speaking Thursday at the BBC Comedy Festival, called Series 1 Episode 2 “a very, very, very bad half hour.”
  • He said the pilot’s proposal boxed the writers in and led them to chase set‑piece gags instead of trusting the characters and the show’s comedy‑drama tone.
  • He argued commissioners should order two series to give new comedies time to find viewers, citing Gavin & Stacey’s pre‑launch double order as an example he doubts would be repeated now.
  • He pointed to the show’s later scale in the UK, noting the 2024 Christmas finale drew more than 20 million viewers.
  • He and co‑creator Ruth Jones have moved to Apple TV for The Choir, a new series set to begin filming this year.