Great Stella Cracker

• Great Stella Cracker Barrel
• Great Stella Crackers

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Stella is a Britishcomedy-drama which aired on Sky 1 and was created and written by David Peet and Ruth Jones, who played the lead role of Stella. The series was largely filmed in Ferndale in the Rhondda Valley in Wales.^[1] Various celebrities made guest appearances as themselves in some episodes. A Christmas special aired on 23 December 2016.^[2]

The sixth and final series began on 13 September 2017 and ended on 18 October 2017.

• 3Cast

Background[edit]

The series is set in the fictional village of Pontyberry in the South Wales Valleys. Stella is a 40-something single mum who earns a living doing the locals' ironing. Most of the time, she's relatively happy with life as she juggles the ups and downs of her family, amid the chaos of her eccentric friends, relatives and children's fathers. Her brood consists of eldest son Luke, who starts the series in prison as a consequence of stealing five cars and a lorry; 16-year-old Emma who's smitten with her first love Sunil; and 12-year-old Ben.

Then there's Stella's best friend, sister-in-law Paula, a functioning alcoholic funeral director. Stella's not-too-bright ex-husband Karl who's now seeing 28-year-old Nadine; not forgetting lollipop man and youth rugby coach Alan, an old school friend of Stella's who's been in love with her since 1984. Finally there's Stella's brother Dai who is an ex-serviceman injured on duty. He doesn't work now but is always willing to help out while enjoying an exciting sex life with his wife Paula.

A running joke of the series is the Daddy character played by Howell Evans who only speaks in an unfathomable language, yet everyone in the village is able to understand him but outsiders cannot. However, Daddy appears in the choir scenes where he appears to sing the same words as the rest of the choir members. In episode 2.7 Ashley Banjo thinks Daddy is speaking Welsh but Paula says Daddy does not speak Welsh. However, in episode 2.10 Aunty Brenda says Daddy can speak Welsh and Punjabi.

A number of main cast members did not return after the second series and exited off screen. Consequently, new cast members were added for the third series.

Catrin Stewart did not return as Emma in the fourth series having departed on screen in the Christmas special but returned in episodes 9 and 10 in Series 5 and the final episode of series 6. Several other cast members also did not return.

In Series 4 Episode 7 Elizabeth Berrington returned as Paula Kosh after having not appeared since Series 2, however her return was only temporary, she departed in Episode 8. She also returned in episodes 7 and 8 of Series 5, because of Daddy's death. She also appeared on the final episode.

Synopsis[edit]

Stella is a warm, funny, down-to-earth family saga starring Ruth Jones in the titular role as a mum juggling the demands of life, love and the next door neighbour's donkey. Stella is a 40-something mum who earns a living doing the locals' washing and ironing. And, most of the time, she's relatively happy with life as she juggles the ups and downs of her family, amid the chaos of her eccentric friends, relatives and children's fathers. Her brood consists of eldest son Luke, a lovely boy who starts the series in prison; beautiful 16-year-old Emma who's smitten with her first love Sunil; the brains of the family 12-year-old Ben and their dog Banjo.

Then there's Stella's best friend Paula, a functioning alcoholic funeral director. Stella's not-too-bright ex-husband Karl who's now seeing 28-year-old Nadine; not forgetting lollipop man and youth rugby coach Alan, an old school friend of Stella's who's been in love with her since 1984. Finally there's Stella's brother Dai who is an ex-serviceman injured on duty. He doesn't work now but is always willing to help out while enjoying an exciting sex life with his wife. Stella's life isn't straightforward. Bagging toy boy Sean and son Luke's release from prison indicated that things were on an upward turn in the first run, but teenage daughter Emma's pregnancy and the untimely return of Stella's first love Rob soon knocked the family off balance. In the last episode, Luke revealed he was emigrating to Canada, although Stella stole the show by confessing to Emma that she was pregnant - but didn't know if Rob or Sean was the father.

Series two joins Stella and Sean preparing for their new arrival, while Emma and Sunil adjust to married life. Domestic bliss looks doubtful for both, however, as Rob's business dealings bring him back to Pontyberry and Sunil enrols at a brainy (and boozy) medical school. Elsewhere, Dai begins work at the funeral home with wife Paula, creating untoward problems for the usually adventurous couple. Catch up with lollipop man Alan too, who experiences a run of bad luck when his crossing is replaced by traffic lights. Karl and Nadine's new salon Tantastic Bodies, meanwhile, promises to make the town 'browner and beefier', and they've already got a potential client in Aunty Brenda, a new arrival from Tenerife armed with bags of insults and an appetite to offend.

English lawyer Michael Jackson moves to the house next door to Stella after an acrimonious divorce has caused him to downsize his lifestyle. As he tries to adjust to valley life he soon becomes inextricably linked to Stella's household. When we left Pontyberry at the end of Series 2 Stella had made the life changing decision not to go to Canada with Rob. She also parted ways with Sean and he emigrated to Australia with his new love. As the story picks up for series 3 will Stella have entirely given up on men? Or could new neighbour Michael become the new apple of her eye?

Cast[edit]

Main cast[edit]

Supporting cast[edit]

Former cast[edit]

DVD release[edit]

The complete first series of Stella was released on DVD on 12 March 2012.^[3]

The complete second series of Stella was released on DVD on 18 March 2013.^[4]

Great Stella Cracker Barrel

The complete third series of Stella was released on DVD on 31 March 2014.^[5]

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The complete fourth series and the 2014 Christmas Special of Stella was released on DVD on 13 April 2015.^[6]

The complete fifth series of Stella was released on DVD on 21 March 2016. A series 1-5 boxset was also released.

References[edit]

1. ^Stella filmed in Ferndale
2. ^'Stella 2016 Christmas special filming in Barry Island'.Cite web requires website= (help)
3. ^'Stella - Series 1 [DVD]'. Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 26 February 2015.Cite web requires website= (help)
4. ^'Stella - Series 2 [DVD]'. Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 26 February 2015.Cite web requires website= (help)
5. ^'Stella - Series 3 [DVD]'. Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 26 February 2015.Cite web requires website= (help)
6. ^'Stella - Series 4 + 2014 Christmas Special [DVD]'. Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 26 February 2015.Cite web requires website= (help)

External links[edit]

• Stella at TV.com
• Stella at British Comedy Guide
• Stella on IMDb
• Stella at epguides.com

Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones, MBE (born 22 September 1966) is a Welsh television actress, novelist and screenwriter. She co-starred in and co-wrote the award-winning British comedy Gavin & Stacey and has appeared in many television comedies and dramas, such as Jimmy McGovern’s The Street with Timothy Spall (2009), and starring as Hattie Jacques in Hattie for BBC Four.

She takes the lead role in the comedy drama series Stella for Sky 1 produced by Tidy Productions, the company she co-founded in 2008 with her husband David Peet, who is managing director.

• 4Filmography

Early life[edit]

Ruth Jones was born on 22 September 1966 in Bridgend, Glamorgan, Wales. Her father was a lawyer for British Steel Corporation, Port Talbot, and her mother was a doctor.^[1] She has two older brothers and a younger sister.^[2] Jones was brought up in Porthcawl where she attended Porthcawl Comprehensive School, the same school as Rob Brydon. At school she participated enthusiastically every year in musical theatre productions.^[3] After graduating from the University of Warwick with a degree in Theatre Studies and Dramatic Arts, she trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff.^[4]

In November 1989, Jones took her first professional role with Dominic Cooke's company Pan Optic playing the Countess Almaviva in Cooke's adaptation of The Marriage of Figaro which toured the UK for six months. After the tour finished she found it difficult to get acting work, temping as a clerical assistant in the Education Contracts dept of Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council. At this point she considered giving up acting and training as a solicitor. However, in 1990, comedian and pantomime producer Stan Stennett offered her an equity contract shifting scenery and playing a ninja turtle (Michaelangelo!) in Dick Whittington at the Porthcawl Pavilion, where she had performed in school musicals. Her first television job was a non broadcast sketch show for BBC Wales including Rob Brydon and Steve Speirs. Soon after she joined an improv group in Bath; the group also included Julia Davis, with whom Jones would later appear in Nighty Night and Gavin & Stacey.^[4]

Career[edit]

She first worked in TV and radio comedy for BBC Wales in 1991. Theatre roles with the RSC and The National Theatre were followed by her performance in the 1999 hit British film, East Is East.

After this Jones appeared on television as Kelly in four series of ITV's comedy Fat Friends, where she met future Gavin & Stacey co-writer James Corden. She also appeared in several BBC comedies, playing Myfanwy in Little Britain, Magz in Saxondale and Linda in Nighty Night.^[5]

Jones achieved prominence in 2008 with the BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey, which she co-wrote with James Corden, and in which she took a lead role as Nessa Jenkins. The programme became a hit for BBC 3 and moved to BBC 1. Jones has said of it, 'It wasn't as deliberate as us saying, 'Right, we're going to react against cynical comedy'. We just wrote what we wanted. And it just so happens that the show does generate a lot of warmth. People seem to like that, especially when things aren't terribly jolly. It's nice to have your cockles warmed.'^[1] The series won a number of awards, including two BAFTAs and four British Comedy Awards.^[2] Jones and co-star Rob Brydon recorded 'Islands in the Stream' (a song performed by their characters in the programme) as a single for Comic Relief in 2009; the song reached No. 1 in the chart.^[6]

In 2008 Jones featured in the two BBC One television period costume dramas, Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Little Dorrit, as well as two episodes of The Street. In December 2009 Jones starred in A Child's Christmases In Wales. In 2010 she starred in the BBC Four comedy The Great Outdoors alongside Mark Heap, and in December presented the first of four chat shows on BBC Two, Ruth Jones' Christmas Cracker.^[2] In January 2011 she starred as Carry On actor Hattie Jacques in the BBC Four drama Hattie, which tells the story of Jacques' affair with her young driver John Schofield while she was married to Dad's Army actor John Le Mesurier.^[5]

In 2008, Jones co-founded Tidy Productions with producer David Peet. The company produced the series Jones presented on BBC Radio Wales in 2008-9, Ruth Jones' Sunday Brunch.^[1][7] In 2010, the company had comedy and light entertainment production credits with BBC Two and BBC Three. It has made two 90-minute comedy dramas for S4C and light entertainment shows for BBC Wales and the topical radio series called What's the Story for Radio Wales, the predecessor to The Leek.

Tidy Productions also produced 58 episodes of the comedy drama Stella for Sky TV. The first series aired in 2012. It was Jones' first major comedy project since Gavin and Stacey; Jones created, executive produced and storylined the show with David Peet. Jones stars in the title role, and wrote several episodes as well as co- writing episodes with Rob Gittins, Rob Evans, David Peet and Steve Speirs. Jones has stated that she was worried about comparisons to Gavin and Stacey when setting a second programme in Wales and the company originally thought to set it in Bristol, but the decision was made to set it in the Rhondda Valley 'I know people from the Valleys and it is just a joyously colourful place and full of characters.'^[8] A second series of Stella was filmed in summer 2012 and aired in early 2013.^[9] A further four series plus two Christmas Specials completed the run with the final episode of Stella broadcast in October 2017.

In January 2018 Jones took the part of Mandy Haveez in the Radio Wales comedy series SPLOTT written by David Peet and made by Tidy Productions.

In March 2018 Jones worked with director Debbie Issit appearing in the forthcoming film Nativity 4.

In April 2018 Jones's first novel Never Greener was published. Based on a screenplay she’d written in 2004, Never Greener tells the story of a rekindled affair and the dangers of taking second chances. She signed a two-book deal with Transworld after a bidding war between ten publishing companies. The novel went into the Sunday Times bestseller list at no 7 after just three days of sales, before reaching the number one slot for two consecutive weeks.

In April 2020, Jone's second novel, Us Three, is due to be published, discovering the story of three friends whose futures become unpredictable, when there is an unexpected turn in events. ^[10]

In October 2018 Ruth Jones will be returning to the stage after a twelve-year absence in a new play The Nightingales by William Gaminara, produced by Jenny Topper and Bath Theatre Royal.

Recognition and awards[edit]

Jones was judged the Best Female Comedy Newcomer at the 2007 British Comedy Awards, and was also nominated for Best Television Comedy Actress.^[11] She was also recipient of the Ultimate Funny Woman award at the annual Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Awards in November 2009.^[12] In July 2013 Jones received an honorary degree from the University of Warwick.^[13]

Jones was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to entertainment.^[14][15]

Jones was awarded the BAFTA Cymru Sian Phillips Special Recognition Award in 2009. In 2013 Stella won three BAFTA Cymru awards for best drama, best writer and best editing. Jones received a BAFTA nomination at the London awards for best actress for her role as Stella in 2013.^{[citation needed]}

Filmography[edit]

Films[edit]

TV[edit]

Guest appearances[edit]

Writing[edit]

Books[edit]

Great Stella Crackers

Production[edit]

• Gavin & Stacey (Series 1, 6 episodes: BBC3 and BBC2 2007)
• Gavin & Stacey (Series 2, 7 episodes: BBC3 2008)
• Gavin & Stacey (Christmas Special: December 2008)
• Gavin & Stacey (Series 3, 6 episodes: BBC1 2009,2010)
• Ar Y Tracs Exec. Producer Tidy Productions S4C 2009)

Music[edit]

• Islands in the Stream (cover version for Comic Relief)

Personal life and charity work[edit]

In 2010, Jones took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London on 30 March.

In January 2019 Jones was the guest for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. Her favourite music track was 'Smooth' by Santana featuring Rob Thomas. Her choice of Bible was a family Welsh Bible, her own book choice was Halliwell's Film Guide and her luxury item was the back catalogue of The Archers.^[3]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abc'Ruth Jones: 'Gavin & Stacey generated a lot of warmth. It's good to warm your cockles''. The Independent. London. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
2. ^ ^abcWilson, Sophie (13 December 2010). 'Ruth Jones: I have been fortunate to play parts that have not just been, 'Oh, you need a fat person''. The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
3. ^ ^ab'BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Ruth Jones, actor and writer'. BBC. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
4. ^ ^ab'What's occurring with Ruth Jones?'. BBC South East Wales. 3 December 2009. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
5. ^ ^ab'Ruth Jones profile'. BBC Wales Arts. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
6. ^'Comic Relief single (Barry) Islands In The Stream tops charts'. The Telegraph. London. 16 March 2009. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
7. ^'Sunday Brunch programme page'. BBC Radio Wales. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
8. ^Cadwalladr, Carole (1 January 2012). 'The Observer : Ruth Jones: queen of comedy'. The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
9. ^'Ruth Jones' comedy Stella to have second series'. Wales Online. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
10. ^ ^ab'Us Three by Ruth Jones Waterstones'. www.waterstones.com.
11. ^'The British Sitcom Guide – News'. Retrieved 7 November 2007.Cite web requires website= (help)
12. ^'Cosmo's Ultimate Women of the Year Awards 2009'. Retrieved 24 December 2011.Cite web requires website= (help)
13. ^'Warwick honorary degrees for stars of Gavin & Stacey & Hustle, RSC & Royal Court Artistic Directors, scientists, historians, philanthropist & a US government adviser'. University of Warwick. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2013.Cite web requires website= (help)
14. ^'No. 60728'. The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2013. p. 22.
15. ^'MBE 'proper tidy' for Ruth Jones'. bbc.co.uk. 30 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.Cite news requires newspaper= (help)
16. ^'Ruth Jones'. www.facebook.com.
17. ^O'Grady, Carrie (13 April 2018). 'Never Greener by Ruth Jones review – Gavin & Stacey co-creator's debut is a soggy squib' – via www.theguardian.com.Cite web requires website= (help)
18. ^'Us Three by Ruth Jones'. www.fantasticfiction.com.

External links[edit]

• Ruth Jones on IMDb