Gavin and Stacey - TV-14

Romantic comedy has too much racy stuff for kids.

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TV Rating: TV-14
Network: BBC America
Cast: Ruth Jones, Matthew Horne, Joanna Page
Genre: Comedy

Parents need to know

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.

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?

Message
Violence
Sex
Language

Message

Social Behavior:

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.

Consumerism:

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

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.

Violence

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.

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Emily Ashby

GAVIN AND STACEY is a British comedy series that dramatizes the highs and lows of falling -- and staying -- in love. After six months of getting to know each other through phone calls, Gavin (Mathew Horne) and Stacey (Joanna Page) finally meet face to face and confirm their mutual attraction. Everything seems meant to be, and the two start planning their life together, but it's not long before the proverbial curveballs are hurled into their path. Only time will tell whether their love for each other is enough to see them through life's uncertainties -- and the discrepancies between their personalities.

Is it any good?

It's no accident that this engaging series has garnered multiple awards since premiering in the UK in May 2007. The characters are relatable, the story is believable, the cast is superb, and the writing has a freshness that's surprising in the often-clichéd romantic comedy genre. Unlike other series that overplay romance for the sake of drama, writers Ruth Jones and James Corden -- who also co-star as Stacey and Gavin's quirky best friends Nessa and Smithy -- simply tell the story of two romantics who find each other and are convinced that that's all they need to be happy.

But for all the refreshing simplicity Gavin and Stacey offers grown-up viewers, it's equally full of stuff that's not suitable for kids -- even some teens. Sexual content is extensive and fairly graphic; while there's no actual intercourse, there's plenty of everything else, including references to threesomes and other bedroom habits, nude shots of men's butts, suggestive foreplay (kissing, butt slapping, crotch grabbing, etc.), and unmistakable sounds through bedroom walls. Plus, the characters drink and smoke habitually. Still, once the kids are out of the way, adults will be entertained by the show's take on modern-day romance and the challenges that couples face when they commit to each other.