E4 sticks with Chewing Gum for a second series

3 December 2015

 

 

Actress, writer, award-winning playwright, singer and poet Michaela Coel will be returning to E4 for a second series of the Retort produced series Chewing Gum.

Coel originally created teenaged protagonist Tracey Gordon for her semi-autobiographical monologue Chewing Gum Dreams, which went on to great acclaim with a run at the National Theatre, and she returns to the character,  for the acclaimed six part series. She has most recently been filming a lead role in E4’s new drama series, Aliens alongside Michael Socha and Ashley Walters.

The 6 x 30 series will air on E4 in 2016 and is commissioned by Rachel Springett, Commissioning Editor for Comedy at Channel 4.

Rachel Springett said, “Michaela is a rare and exceptional talent; it has been inspirational to work with her on her first TV series and to see how incredibly multi-talented and fresh her viewpoint is, it’s extraordinary. We are thrilled to be working with her again on this second series.”

“Michaela’s talent and honesty shine from every word on the page and every shot on the screen. I’m delighted that we’ll get to see more of Tracey and her glorious, unstoppable journey” said Executive Producer and Retort Managing Director, Jon Rolph.

Michaela Coel added, “The love and support for my Chewing Gum baby has been overwhelming and I can’t wait to get started on the second series. All I’ve got to do now is write it.”

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PRAISE FOR CHEWING GUM

“Chewing Gum could be the British Girls, only more likable” – The Independent

“Funny, women, awkward sex – move over Lena Dunham, this girl is set to steal your crown” Look

“Forget Sex and the City and Girls – THIS is the rudest, realest comedy about young women and their sex lives we’ve seen in ages, and it’s from the remarkable mind of singer, poet and award-winning playwright Michaela Coel” - Heat

“Theatrical, certainly, but pumped full of ideas and madly lovable, largely thanks to Coel’s never-still face. Pity anything that has to share a screening with it. She has a distinct comedy voice and really uses it to say something. More her, please. “- The Guardian

“Chewing Gum is coarse and often crude, but I unapologetically love it. And Coel is a mighty talent. “- Radio Times

“Coel’s voice is one that has been missing from TV in this country; a voice that when you hear it, you wonder why you’ve never heard it before and only then begin to understand what you’ve been missing. She ticks a lot of boxes that don’t get ticked on TV “- Stylist

“Think of a delicious mix of Girls and Peep Show.” -  The Independent on Sunday

“If British TV is crying out for a new voice of a generation, Michaela Coel could be it.” - Marie Claire

“Innocent, filthy, funny… Motormouth Tracey is a brilliant comic creation.” - The Guardian

“A hot, explicit, sassy new E4 comedy….” - Radio Times

“Refreshingly honest and incredibly funny.” - TV Choice

“Beautifully written, its dialogue outlandish and thoroughly believable “- The Guardian

 

About Retort

Retort is the FremantleMedia UK label specialising in scripted comedy, formed in January 2012 from the Scripted Comedy department of talkbackThames. Retort productions include: The IT Crowd Special (Channel 4), Birds of a Feather (ITV), BAFTA nominated Count Arthur Strong (BBC One), PhoneShop (E4) and most recently, Chewing Gum (E4).

Retort is the latest incarnation of a company that has produced some of the best and most popular sitcoms and sketch comedy of the last forty years, including ground-breaking and award-winning shows such as Brass Eye (Channel 4), Green Wing (Channel 4), I'm Alan Partridge (BBC Two), Da Ali G Show (Channel 4) and many more.