The Gavin and Stacey Christmas special is fast approaching, and fans can’t wait! But there’s also an air of melancholy around the episode, as it will be the final time we are reunited with Gavin, Stacey, Smithy, Nessa, and co.
As we look forward to the end of the hit BBC show, here’s an inside look at the final episode, from the “special” way it was filmed to the “funny” final scene.
Special way Gavin and Stacey Christmas episode was filmed
In interviews with the BBC about the upcoming special, the cast and crew opened up about the filming process.
During Larry Lamb‘s interview, he revealed that the episode was filmed in chronological order, which is pretty rare during this day and age!
That means that the final scene they filmed is the final scene in the whole show.
Larry made the revelation when he was asked: “How did it feel to be on set for the last time with everyone?”
“By the end of it, it was all very emotional, because they were filming it in chronological order, so the end of the film was the end of the story. That doesn’t happen very often so it felt really special,” he said.
Other cast members confirmed that the final scene they filmed was the final scene of the whole show.
“The very last thing that we shot is the very last moment of the show,” James Corden also added.
‘Funny’ final scene
Elsewhere, Joanna Page, who plays Stacey, revealed that the final scene in the upcoming special is a funny one.
Speaking about her final day on set, Joanna confessed that she was very emotional and couldn’t stop crying.
“I couldn’t stop crying, because it just felt it was such a huge journey that was ending,” she said. “So I found it very emotional but then in between that, hysterically funny, because the last scene we filmed was a funny one, so I just alternated between hysterically crying and hysterically laughing.”
Documentary filming
The filming of the final episode of Gavin and Stacey has been recorded, which will be aired as part of a documentary on New Year’s Day.
Many of the cast gushed over how special it was to have their final few days on set recorded in a different way.
“I just can’t wait to watch it and see what it was like for everyone, particularly as they’ve got bits from when we first started and our auditions, and for us to be able to see the whole 17 years’ worth of how we started and how much we’ve grown as characters, and also as people. I hope that there’s loads of outtakes!” Jonna gushed.
Uncle Bryn actor Rob Brydon was also complimentary of the documentary being made: “We all just adored being in this series and we were very aware that this was the last time. So I think the documentary will capture that,” he said.
‘Emotional’ last day on set of Gavin and Stacey Christmas special
However, despite the funniness of the final scene, several of the cast members found the final day to be an emotional one.
Describing the last day, Ruth Jones, who plays Nessa, said it was: “Very emotional, and very lovely. Like we were all saying goodbye to it together.”
Mathew Horne, who plays Gavin, also found the final day to be very emotional. “It felt very much like the end of an era, but the love and friendship between the cast – my second family – will not end,” he said.
‘It felt very much like the end of an era’
Rob Brydon admitted that he would find himself tearing up during filming of the episode.
“It would hit me at times when we were filming big scenes with lots of people. We do a fair bit in Pam and Mick’s house, and just seeing everybody there, I would find myself filling up with tears just looking at them,” he said.
Steffan Rhodri who plays Dave Coaches was also emotional, despite admitting he never usually gets so while working on jobs.
“The atmosphere on the last day was very emotional. I tend not to get too sentimental at the end of jobs because we all usually see each other soon on other jobs anyway. But the longevity of this show made it different I think and the tightness of both cast and crew made for a very moving farewell,” he said.
It’s likely safe to say that there will be plenty of tears to come on Christmas Day. Not long to go now!
Read more: Ruth Jones drops Gavin and Stacey Christmas spoiler as she hints beloved character will die
Gavin and Stacey airs on Christmas Day from 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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