The BBC announced that Michaela Coel will bring her magical brain to the network, writing and starring in a new show surrounding issues of sexual consent. According to the Guardian, the show is currently titled January 22nd and will center on Coel’s character Arabella and her “experience of consent,” as well as her “friends and colleagues whose sexual adventures collide with new codes of sexual conduct.”
I can’t really tell what any of that means, although it sounds kind of like a roundabout way of referencing #MeToo. But maybe not! The Guardian article describes the show as “fearless, frank and provocative” and how it will delve into the “distinction between liberation and exploitation.” That sounds a little high-minded, but I trust Coel with my life and since she did such an amazing job as the creator and sole writer of Chewing Gum, this sounds like must-watch TV.
The real question on my mind is: Between all of this and the new war crimes drama she’s starring in with John Goodman, when will Coel have time to bring back the third season for Chewing Gum?? Also, does she need a friend to hang with and talk to about all of these dramas she’s suddenly in? Oh wow, it just so happens I’m available.