Act Four: Friday recommendation: 'Chewing Gum' on Netflix

Michaela Coel's sweet, silly, dirty British sitcom is your perfect "Girls" replacement.   Alyssa Rosenberg on culture and politics   Michaela Coel as Tracey in “Chewing Gum.” (Credit: Mark Johnson) The downside of the era of so-called Peak TV is that it’s impossible for anyone, even a professional critic, to stay current on everything that’s airing on every platform. This also means, of course, that if you run through your regular shows and find yourself with a free block of time on your hands, there’s always something terrific out there waiting for you. I would not claim to be caught up on everything I could possibly be caught up with, but over lunch this week, I started “Chewing Gum,” Michaela Coel’s uproarious sitcom about a young woman living on a British estate and attempting to divest herself of her virginity and the social awkwardness that are the result of her strict Christian upbringing. The series has a color palette and a dedication to cringe-inducing social situations in common with Issa Rae’s “Insecure.” But it’s dirtier — “Chewing Gum” the sort of show that makes me glad I have a “No really, this is work” sign on my desk — and sillier. And the series employs class and religion in a way I’ve never quite seen an American television show do. “Chewing Gum” is a series about people who live in council housing estates, but it’s not a work of sociology, and it doesn’t suggest that their lives are grim (the estate itself is often shot in bright sunshine, and shown to be full of flowers). It’s about people whose religious faith has left them somewhat unprepared for some of the experiences they want to have, but the show doesn’t depict them as somehow crippled or stunted. Mostly, it’s sweet and it’s amiable. So whether you’re looking for a replacement for “Girls,” which comes to an end this weekend, or want a British comedy to tide you over until “The Crown” returns, or if you just like great sweaters and stories about good friendships, “Chewing Gum” is a delight. And it’s just one of many out there, waiting to be your latest pleasant surprise in this vast and sometimes bewildering television universe. ADVERTISEMENT   ‘Girls’ was about the path — and costs — to being ‘a voice of a generation’ Everyone who thought Lena Dunham was talking about herself missed that "Girls' was setting up a nuanced exploration of the journalism and publishing industries. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   ‘The Fate of the Furious’ is the movie we’ll use to explain 2017 to future generations The latest "Fast and Furious" movie is a bad version of itself, and that's okay. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   ‘Colossal’ fails as a feminist movie because it doesn’t hold its heroine accountable 'Colossal' fails in its feminist vision because it doesn't hold its heroine accountable. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   The ads for ‘Colossal’ are misleading, and that’s just fine Sometimes, a good ad campaign will get audiences to a movie they never would have seen otherwise. By Sonny Bunch  •  Read more »   ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ is one of the funniest, most important shows on TV. Fox should renew it. A series that takes for granted that both the police and the public have an interest in improving the profession is a rare thing. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Recommended for you   Intersect The corner of the Internet and interesting, in your inbox weekly. Sign Up »         Share Act Four:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Act Four. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2017 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071