Gavin and Stacey edges closer to BBC1

Gavin and Stacey

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BBC Vision director Jana Bannett has given the clearest signal yet that sitcom Gavin and Stacey will transfer to BBC1 this Christmas.

Addressing delegates at the Banff World Television Festival in Canada, Bennett indicated that the Christmas special of the BBC3 comedy would air on the flagship channel.

She said: "We removed it from the glare of ratings – playing the first two series on BBC3 - and it found a devoted following, averaging 1.6m on the digital channel. This year, I'd love to see the Christmas special play out on BBC1."

The sitcom, about a romance that brings together two families from Wales and Essex, won the Audience Award at the Baftas and has long been expected to launch its third series on BBC2.

Bennett also used the platform in Banff to champion the BBC's hands-off approach as key to Gavin and Stacey and other comedy successes like The Office.

"To give you a sense of just how much artistic space we've given these new writer-performers – in the three years since they brought Gavin and Stacey to us there have been nine emails between the BBC and its authors. Just nine emails in three years. Read them and weep," she said.

"Its story is similar to the way in which we have nurtured other new talent and new comedy – that most high risk and fragile of genres. The Office was allowed to grow in a very similar way on BBC2."

Porfolio "critical" for risk-taking

In her speech, Bennett also championed the corporation's portfolio model as "critical" to its ability to take risks.

"The portfolio underpins the ability of channel controllers and genre commissioners to exercise editorial courage – allowing them to stay with a programme into a second series even if it hasn't 'done the numbers' the first time round – in fact not necessarily expecting it to," she said.

"It gives the slow burners room to breathe – shows that in the end may burn very bright indeed."

Her comments follow a call last year by Today presenter John Humphrys and Newsnight frontman Jeremy Paxman to axe BBC3 in a bid to save money.

UK vs US

Bennett also contrasted the stance of the British TV industry to the bigger-budget, risk averse approach of the US.

UK broadcasters "tend towards complimentary scheduling with other broadcasters avoiding the head to head clash of hits seen in other territories," and eek out new series rather than launching them in a glut at the beginning of each season, she argued.

She added that British broadcasters protect shorter runs "ensuring ideas are not overstretched – particularly in factual reality".