Gavin and Stacey

I was never one for soaps. They just don't appeal, and I find that they leave me feeling a little depressed.

I've never really been one for TV, especially given the dire state of my current one (please see previous blog).

But in the last year or so, the Boyfriend and I have got really into watching series. It all started with Family Guy, and then we moved onto Heroes (but gave up partway through series two). We then discovered the InBetweeners (true comic genius, in its barest form - as a friend said, Skins is what you wished you were at school, InBetweeners is what you actually were), and Enrourage. We tried The Wire, and will try it again as we failed to see the attraction, but have been told to persevere.

And then the other day, the Boyfriend surprised me, by stating that he had got the first two series of Gavin and Stacey. It really had not struck me as his cup of tea, and to be honest had not really featured on my radar.

So we watched the first one, and then the second one, and the third, and then we had watched the entire first series in an evening. We are totally hooked. I find it charming, hilarious, heart-warming and real. I can see elements of my family, and friend's families in all of them. They have terrible arguments which end in laughter, they are selfish and grumpy, with smelly feet and bad breath, they are caring and kind and funny and good. There is no attempt to gloss over the imperfections of normal life, but instead they are celebrated and provide the core for some truly brilliant humour.

We've just seen the first Christmas Special. I want Nessa and Smithy to get together. I want Gav and Stacey to live happily ever after in Wales. I want to find out what happened between Bryn and Jason on the fishing trip, and how Doris's toyboy is. I just cannot wait to watch the last series.