Chewing Gum
2015
Original language: English
- comedy
The story
The life of Tracey, a religious, Beyoncé-obsessed 22-year-old living in an estate in Tower Hamlets, and the mishaps of her neighbourhood, friends and family. Oh, and obvs her boyfriend!
What it’s like
Shot on handheld, close-in cameras that stay tight on faces in cramped flats and bright, litter-strewn estate courtyards, Chewing Gum has the scruffy, sun-washed look of East London summers, with sodium-orange street lamps at night and kitchen-window daylight that feels lived in rather than styled. The palette is warm and unpolished, the soundtrack leans on bursts of pop and R&B that blare out of bedrooms and car windows, and the comedy runs in quick, awkward beats that often pause on a single reaction shot. Its vibe is bright, cheeky and tender, with a current of unease about faith, sex and money running underneath the laughs. It suits a lazy weekend binge, a comfort rewatch with a takeaway, or any evening you want to laugh at small, specific embarrassments. Tracey's arc is a young woman stumbling toward honesty about what she wants, and the series treats her sexual awkwardness and religious guilt with frankness. Sex is discussed and shown in comic, sometimes uncomfortable scenes, with occasional strong language and some sharp arguments, but no real gore or sustained menace. It is for viewers who enjoy grounded, character-led British sitcoms with a warm, slightly rough edge.
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