Gavin & Stacey

BBC3's smash-hit comedy is finally promoted to BBC1. Ahead of this year's Christmas special, here's a re-run of series two, first shown in March. Having scored a massive success with their first series, writers/stars Ruth Jones and James Corden were under immense pressure to create an even better follow-up. This they did with almost annoying ease: witness this opening episode in which, for ten minutes, almost nothing happens. This is fine because the characters are so warm and so funny, it's a joy to spend time with them. And later, as the family reconvene in an Italian restaurant, there's some beautifully orchestrated hysterical farce as the secret of Nessa's pregnancy slowly leaks.

The series about how a nice boy from Essex and a sweet girl from Barry in south Wales fell in love and married has been an astounding success and won a stash of prestigious awards for writers James Corden and Ruth Jones, who also star in the show as Smithy and Nessa.

Following its BBC3 airing this year, BBC1 is giving fans and those who missed this comedy gem first time around the opportunity to view the second series in which newlyweds Gavin and Stacey (Mathew Horne and Joanna Page) return from honeymoon to a big welcome from both families and adjust to married life.

There's still no official word on whether Ruth Jones and James Corden will be able to find time in their fantastically busy schedules to write series three.

But series two of the nation's favourite comedy - previously seen on BBC3 - finally arrives on BBC1 just as the DVD goes on general release.

So can there possibly be anyone left out there who doesn't yet know 'What's occurrin'?'. Even if you've seen it before, the feel-good warmth of Jones and Corden's writing doesn't dim.

Everything you need to know about... Gavin & Stacey

A beginners guide to the series from The Independent.

Ahead of the much-anticipated Christmas special, the big success story of BBC3's comedy output is promoted to the heady heights of BBC1 for a welcome repeat of the just-as-good-as-the-first second series. The more people that see this show the better, as it's absolutely stonking, with Ruth Jones and James Corden's scripts hitting the right note between sweet and subversive. If there's one criticism, Gavin and Stacey themselves take a back seat for much of the series, but blame the writers for creating such a lovable and well-drawn group of characters. Brilliant.

Ruth Jones Interview

No longer just the big gobby sidekick, Ruth Jones is a sharp comic talent who is popping up all over our screens.

James Corden Interview

It's been a heady year for James Corden - a hit sitcom, a rising celeb profile and a rackety night life. Easy to become a bit of a prat, he tells The Guardian - which is why he means to concentrate on the good stuff.

LA Times Review

An American paper reviews Gavin & Stacey as it makes its debut on BBC America.

Brit-Com Gavin and Stacey Arrives on Our Shores

An American article talking about the show arriving in America, complete with a glossary of terms that American viewers might not get (e.g. it's well nice = it's very nice)

James Corden: The big time

A profile of Gavin and Stacey writer and star James Corden