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Gavin and Stacey

(Rated TV-14, Comedy, Starring Ruth Jones, Matthew Horne, Joanna Page, Where to watch: BBC America, DVD)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 16.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Romantic comedy has too much racy stuff for young kids.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 16–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Supporting characters Smithy and Nessa are hardly role models. Nessa's colorful past includes multiple sexual partners, at least one STD, and drug use. Smithy is quick to judge; upon meeting Nessa, he expresses anger that she's heavy. The series deals with controversial issues like unplanned pregnancy but omits their real-life implications and consequences.

  • Violence:

    Not an issue.

  • Sex:

    No intercourse is shown, but there's plenty of foreplay (kissing, stroking, slapping of butts; in one scene, a woman grabs a man's crotch), sexual banter, and audible sex noises (moans, yells, etc.) from the next room. At least one scene shows a man's naked butt, and women disrobe to their bras. Dialogue often refers to topics like sexual habits (a man tells his friend that his partner "put things in me" during intercourse), unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and having a threesome.

  • Language:

    "S--t" is a popular (and unbleeped) expletive.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Drinking is common and at times excessive. In one episode, adults are shown consuming multiple rounds of beer, mixed drinks, and shots in a pub. Many characters smoke habitually, and there are some allusions to past drug use.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Gavin and Stacey

Parents need to know that this British comedy features plenty of pretty explicit sexual content. Couples are shown making out and undressing (men are shown naked from behind, but women keep their underwear on), and in at least one scene, a couple's sounds of passion are overheard from the next room. Subplots center on things like sexually transmitted diseases (who gave what to whom), unplanned pregnancy, and sexual preferences (a couple seeks out a stranger for a threesome; a man wonders if it's normal that his partner put things in him during intercourse). Drinking and smoking also border on excessive; most of the characters partake with no consequences. That said, adult viewers who can put such behavior in context will be entertained by the series' spin on the ups and downs of life and love.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the real-life consequences of the kind of things the characters on this show do, from drinking to casual sex. Which shows do you know of that glamorize playing the field and "hooking up"? Does that come across as more exciting than being part of a happy, faithful couple? Why or why not? How do you think love and marriage are typically portrayed in the media?
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Parent Reviewer
    Jane Austen fan
    I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 2.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content

    Flag as inappropriate

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