Netflix is said to be in a bidding war with the BBC after it was revealed there would be another Gavin and Stacey Christmas special.
It was claimed yesterday by Deadline that stars and writers of the show, Ruth Jones and James Corden, were finalising the scripts and filming would begin in the coming months.
There has also been talk that Jones and Corden have called their fellow co-stars about the prospect with all of them being on board with the idea.
Gavin Shipman (played by Matthew Horne) will likely return alongside Stacey Shipman (Joanna Page), Smith (Corden), Nessa (Jones), Pamela Shipman (Alison Steadman), Michael Shipman (Larry Lamb), and Bryn West (Rob Brydon).
However, there has been talk that Netflix is looking to steal the show from the BBC after the show's continued success over the years.
A source claimed: “On a bleak February morning, this is the news that every Gavin and Stacey fan wanted. 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.
Gavin and Stacey was last seen on screens in 2019
BBC
“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.
“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 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,” they told The Sun.
The 2019 Christmas Special ended with Nessa proposing to Smithy
BBC
Netflix’s CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters are said to be “extremely excited” at the prospect of landing the show and gaining a new and loyal audience.
The source continued: “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.”
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It is said the whole cast will be returning for Christmas 2024
BBC
The last Christmas special aired in 2019 and saw Nessa get down on one knee and ask Smithy to marry her – despite their on-and-off friendship with one another.
The thrilling scenes left fans desperate for more and theorising what the possible outcome could be, with Page teasing fans during the TV Choice Awards earlier this week.
She said: “It’s going to be a really busy year. 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. I think they’re probably in Spain, closely followed by Gavin and Stacey because they’re like family! That would be quite a cushy job, wouldn’t it?”
The BBC may be put off entering a big-money bidding war with the global streamer as the corporation is currently in the process of cutting costs.
It's already axed long-running soap Doctors, sold the EastEnders set, and scaled back Newsnight among several other measures.
GB News has contacted the BBC for comment.