We've completely run out of tv programs to watch in the evening, so last night we picked something at random from HBO recommendations: Chewing Gum, which doesn't involve anyone chewing gum. It's a two-season Britcom set in the Afro-British community.
Tracey (Michaela Cole, who also wrote and starred in the 2012 play) lives in the estate (project, in the U.S.) with her street-preacher mother, who lambasts lesbian couples in the square, and younger sister, who rarely leaves the apartment because Satan is prowling out there.
Her boyfriend of six years, Ronald (John MacMillan), is a Bible-waving super-fundamentalist who constantly criticizes her for being poor, illiterate, and "loose." They haven't even kissed yet. Can you guess what the big reveal is?
Another big reveal: Due to makeup artistry or CGI, Tracey does not look human. Her face protrudes too far, her eyes have that "Classic Gray" loook, and her mouth is distractingly huge. No one comments on this in the first episode, but she only interacts with people she knows. Maybe she'll be outed as an alien later.
Tracey has another option, if she ever decides to dump Bible Boy: Connor (Robert Lonsdale), a street poet who writes about existential angst while sitting on a dumpster, tries an awkward flirtation that starts with telling her that she looks like a slave, then backtracking that he meant it in a good way.
Tracey's best friend Candace, who disgustingly eats peanut butter by sticking her finger in the jar, has a sex problem, too: her boyfriend Aaron (Kadiff Kirwan) is boring in bed, being all gentle and talking about how much he respects her. She wants it rough.
More after the break