Gavin & Stacey most-watched Christmas Day TV programme in 23 years

Although a big comedy fan wouldn't watch Gavin & Stacy if you paid me. Never liked the show for obvious reasons. And yes, Ruth Jones is "Welsh" and co-wrote the series along with James Corden, but I find she was playing to the Welsh stereotype to please her largely English audience. Best Welsh comedy in my opinion by was High Hopes co-written by the brilliant Boyd Cack & Kirsten Jones , and directed by the late great Gareth Gwenlan of Only Fools & Horses fame. Also, was a fan of their first series Satellite City too that appeared on our screens in 1995, if my memory serves me correctly. Vastly underrated show. I know producer Gareth Gwenlan who was once interviewed and admitted that both sitcoms never got a network release because the hierarchy at the BBC in London were , and I quote his very words. "Anti-Welsh". I rest my case. Sadly both Satellite City & High Hopes show never got an official DVD release too unlike other so-called comedies. It took a fan petition to get Satellite City released on DVD, and only then you had to contact directly BBC Wales to have copies of Satellite City printed & burned onto DVD. Then a few years later copies appeared briefly in HMV to my surprise. High Hopes on the other hand has never had a DVD release even though a fan favourite and had a similar online petition signed thousands calls for such a release. Although you can watch episodes on YouTube. But that's not good enough. It deserves better. I find both Jones & Corden portrayed Wales in Gavin & Stacey and our nuances from our perspective not an English idea that we are untrustworthy , thick and can't wait to leave Wales. High Hopes & Satellite City were show that laughed with us not at us like Gavin & Stacey did. Oddly enough, I met both late Islwyn Thomas who played Gwyn (Boyd Clack) father Idris & Margaret John (Mam) back in the late 1990s. Both were very kind and approachable. Got to shake the hand of actor Islwyn Morris (Idris) who by this time unbeknownst to me health was failing. He was very frail. I was in a cemetery of all places laying flowers for my late father and he his late wife. A very quiet and graceful man, who I might add, actually lived in Wales. Hafod in Swansea, I believe. He didn't abandon Wales for London like Ruth Jones & Rob Brydon. And ironically I met the actress Margaret Thomas , who also lived in the city, shopping at Tesco's with my family in 1998. I was catnapping in the car when my brother said there was someone here to see you. What a friendly lady. We chatted for a few minutes. She signed a taxi card that I had in my wallet, and before we parted ways even insisted on taking my home address, later sending me in the post a official signed High Hopes cast card. I don't think James Corden or Ruth Jones would have ever done that. Too full of their own self importance.