Alison Steadman, 78, takes dig at modern TV as she’s quizzed on whether Gavin and Stacey would be made in PC era

Alison Steadman, 78, has addressed the possibility of whether a sitcom like Gavin and Stacey would be greenlit by TV execs nowadays.

The James Corden and Ruth Jones-created series kicked off over a decade and a half ago and in the years since it premiered, plenty has changed in the world of television.

However, the show’s popularity has cemented it as a timeless classic in the eyes of many, so much so that a 90-minute special episode will air on the BBC on Christmas Day.

Corden and Jones reunited with Steadman and the rest of the cast back in 2019 for what was then teased as the possible finale after the series ended its three-season run in 2010.

But in today’s age of political correctness, Corden and Jones found themselves on the receiving end of complaints in 2019 after a scene involving Bryn (played by Rob Brydon) and Nessa (Jones) showed the two singing unedited lyrics of Fairytale of New York.

The show’s first few series in the Noughties were also no stranger to rather close-to-the-bone humour which arguably wouldn’t fly with some audiences nowadays.

So when quizzed on whether Gavin and Stacey would get off the ground in 2024, Steadman wasn’t too sure given the pressure of today’s PC era.

“I don’t know,” she bluntly surmised when asked by Radio Times before she reflected on the changes she’s witnessed.

She continued: “There used to be a single producer coming up with ideas, now there’s meetings with five or six producers chipping in their two penn’orth.

“When we did Abigail’s Party [1977], a BBC producer saw us on stage at the Hampstead Theatre and within a fortnight of finishing, we were filming it.

“That would never happen now,” she admitted.

Elsewhere, Steadman reflected on saying goodbye to the character of Pam once and for all, admitting: “Nothing goes on for ever, and it’s inevitable that Ruth and James just cannot keep coming up with these amazing stories.”

But does she see herself in the character? “I’m not like Pam at all! But that’s what I enjoy about acting – becoming somebody else.”

She added: “The first scene I read was Gavin [Mat Horne] coming home from work, Pam lying on the couch with cucumbers on her eyes after crying watching little badgers on TV.

“She says, ‘The mother badger was crying because all the little cubs died.’ He says, ‘Mum, I don’t think badgers can cry.’ Then Pam says, ‘I know what I saw.’ As soon as I read it, I could hear her voice.”

Steadman will share much of her screen time with Pam’s other half Mick, played by EastEnders legend and acting veteran Larry Lamb, when the Christmas special premieres.

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And Steadman had nothing but kind words about her on-screen husband, saying: “Me and Larry just click.

“I love the moments when they have a row, then within minutes, she falls into his arms. I think that’s why the audience love it, because there’s that warmth.”

The BBC has remained relatively tight-lipped about the contents of this year’s finale but it has released a brief synopsis for what fans can expect.

According to the Beeb, the finale’s plot read: “In Barry, Bryn’s packing the Picasso in readiness for a trip to Essex; Stacey and Gavin are looking for new ways to spice up their 17-year marriage and Gwen is behaving most strangely.

“Nessa’s started a new business venture and Neil the Baby’s about to begin an apprenticeship with his dad.

“Over in Billericay, Pam is stressing out at the prospect of playing hostess, not helped by a newly retired Mick practicing his golf swings in the living room and there have been more ups and downs in Pete and Dawn’s relationship.

“Join us on the journey to Barry and Billericay as we catch up with the Shipmans and the Wests for the very last time and maybe find out what exactly did happen on that fishing trip.”