James Corden has confirmed there were conversations about reviving Gavin & Stacey on Netflix.
Before this year’s Christmas special was officially confirmed in May, rumours were abound that James and co-creator Ruth Jones were in a “bidding war” between the BBC and Netflix for one last episode of the award-winning sitcom.
Back in February, The Sun claimed that the pair had been offered a lucrative deal with the streaming giant, although they later reported they’d turned this down.
James confirmed this to be the case in a new interview with the tabloid published on Friday.
“I think it felt like that probably was something that could have been there,” the former Late, Late Show host admitted. “But I also think it would be very harsh on the place that gave us its first chance, you know?”
James also revealed that, at one point, conversations were had about whether Gavin & Stacey’s final instalment could take the form of a film.
“And then we just thought, ‘I don’t know if these are characters you want to see on a big screen’,” he admitted. “I think they are people that belong in the corner of your living room on Christmas Day.
“So, all that other stuff, the idea of taking it anywhere else, the idea of doing anything else, it didn’t sit right.”
“This show is a very special thing, an extraordinary thing, and I’m just really excited for people to see it,” he added.
While the finale might not be getting a cinematic release, it does look like it will be a feature-length episode, airing on the BBC between 9pm and 10.35pm on Christmas Day.
Earlier this week, new photos from the finale were released, teasing the return of an unexpected old face and hinting at a resolution to the epic cliffhanger from Gavin & Stacey’s most recent festive special.