Gavin and Stacey fans divided over ‘sad’ new show with Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb
The series may have delighted fans back in the early 2000s, but it seems that the latest series to spin off from Gavin and Stacey has left fans of the show a bit divided.
There's no shortage of shows which have seen celebrities making off for exotic locations.
Stanley Tucci went to Italy, of course, as did Richard E. Grant on a series where he documented some of the best luxury hotels in the Mediterranean.
Advert
Nice work if you can get it!
The new show on Gold is called Billericay to Barry, and features Gavin and Stacey actors Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb as they do pretty much what the title suggests - travel on a roadtrip from Billericay to Barry.
Instead of Italy, Iceland, or some other exotic locale, however, the series sees the pair retracing the route between the show's two main locations.
According to the Radio Times, the show follows the actors as they 'take a trip down memory lane' to follow the same journey their characters made in the iconic TV series.
Unfortunately, the show seems to have had something of a mixed reception, with The Guardian's Rachel Aroesti calling it a 'mind-bendingly banal failure of a series'.
She added: "Squatting at the show’s core is a sad reality: Steadman and Lamb have absolutely nothing to say to each other."
The Telegraph's Anita Singh described the pair as 'companionable', however, lamented that the show didn't give them 'more interesting things to do'.
Meanwhile, i News' Gerard Gilbert said: "You would have to be a diehard fan to stick with what, even by the sedative standard of the genre, was a bit of a snooze-fest.
"Less a road trip than a crawl along television’s slow lane."
Oh dear.
And some were also left a bit non-plussed about the show.
One person tweeted: "I love Alison Steadman but I think she’d rather be anywhere other than on the road from billaricay to barry with poor Larry Lamb trying to gee her up."
However others were marginally more positive, enjoying the trip down memory lane.
One wrote: "Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb literally played themselves in Gavin & Stacey. Love them. The feel good TV we need right now."
Another said: "Billericay to Barry is cracking viewing, love the friendship they share and all the little Gavin and Stacey trivia I'm learning."
The pair become known for their hilarious bickering and back and forth, often fuelled by Alison's character Pam often dreaming up some disastrous and wholly imagined scenario.
They also shared their thoughts on being a part of such a well-loved show.
On the show, Larry said: "With the popularity of Gavin & Stacey, you're a part of so many people's lives."
Alison agreed and said: "It's lovely to be walking along the street and to have smiling people come up and say, ''I love your show. We watch it as a family'." They're so full of joy and you think, "That's what we need in life!"'
Topics: News, UK News, Gavin And Stacey, TV and Film
Kit Roberts