How BBC's Gavin and Stacey finale teaches streaming services a valuable lesson

There are those who have predicted the death of television, by which, of course, they mean the end of programmed shows, as on-demand streaming services take over. Why would anyone want to wait for a whole week for the next episode, when they could binge-watch an entire series in one go?

However, the average audience of 12.3 million for the Christmas Day finale of BBC sitcom Gavin and Stacey shows the demise of ‘event TV’, as it is known, has been somewhat overblown.

Streaming services create an anti-social pressure for people to sit in separate rooms, with each family member streaming their favourite shows. But the last act of Gavin and Stacey was clearly something that people wanted to watch with others.

The cast of BBC sitcom Gavin And Stacey: The Finale (Picture: Tom Jackson) | Tom Jackson/BBC/PA

And, just as football fans look forward for weeks to derby games, the build-up of expectation – the frustration at not being able to find out what happens until the appointed time – only added to the excitement.

As some streaming services are starting to realise, giving us what we want, when we want, sometimes isn’t what we actually want.