Netflix and the BBC are reportedly facing a potential ‘bidding war’ to air Gavin & Stacey.
The hit sitcom aired a one-off Christmas special in 2019, a decade after it last aired on the BBC.
The series, known for its heartwarming blend of Essex charm and Welsh wit, left viewers hanging with a cliffhanger that has remained unresolved since its last episode aired.
The 2019 Christmas special, which attracted a record-breaking 18 million viewers, left audiences on the edge of their seats as Nessa, the feisty Welsh trucker, proposed to Smithy, the lovable Essex boy.
This week it was revealed a potential new special was in the works, due to film over the summer.
However, the path to the show’s return is not without its hurdles.
Streaming service Netflix is reportedly vying to acquire the rights to the special, challenging the BBC, the show’s original broadcaster since 2007.
A source told The Sun newspaper: “It would be a huge coup for Netflix to steal this flagship British comedy from the nose of the BBC and, indeed, there may be a world in which this happens”
Meanwhile Joanna Page, who plays the titular Stacey in the show, has responded to the rumours of a comeback.
She said at the TV Choice awards “It’s going to be a really busy year.”
“I think we’d all like that. We all had such a fantastic time, but Ruth and James are the only ones who ever know what’s going on. So if there ever was going to be another one, I think I’d hear at the same time as everybody else.”
Star and co-writer James Corden previously said of the show’s potential return: “When we wrote that special we never really thought whether we’d make another one. But it’s so open-ended it would be a shame to leave it there. That’s certainly my feeling, and I think Ruth feels the same.”
For now, watch this space!
Sign up to our newsletter mailing list →
More on: BBCGavin & StaceyNetflix
