Netflix are bidding for the new ‘Gavin and Stacey’ special, a source has claimed.
Netflix are bidding for the new ‘Gavin and Stacey’ special, a source has claimed
The beloved comedy, which is written by James Corden and Ruth Jones, is reportedly set to return for another one-off Christmas special this year, five years after the first. However, an industry insider has suggested that Netflix is interested in buying the rights to the episode from the BBC.
A source told The Sun: “Obviously the show has a special history with the BBC, and this seems like its natural and obvious home. Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore has spoken to the pair [James and Ruth] and made it clear she wants the show to stay put, but Netflix have also made it very, very explicit that they want to air it.
“The provisional Netflix offer, coming as it does from a global conglomerate, dwarfs anything that the Beeb could offer — but Ruth and James aren’t about the money.
“They simply want to offer fans the best viewing experience possible, and, essentially, get as many bums on seats to watch their baby.
“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.”
The insider also claimed that no one other than James and Ruth, who play Smithy and Nessa, have seen the script.
However, the pair have reportedly floated the special to other cast members, including Mathew Horne and Joanna Page (Gavin and Stacey), who have agreed to the episode.
The source said: “Ruth and James have always maintained they will bring the show back only if they are 100 per cent happy with the script — and they are almost there.
“They rang individual members of the cast to float the idea of a one-off special, and every single person was excited and on board.
“To be clear, no agents were called, and no one bar James and Ruth has seen the script — but there’s a lot of goodwill here.”
Tagged in James Corden Ruth Jones Mathew Horne