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

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.

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