Michaela Coel developing new TV show with potential links to I May Destroy You

I May Destroy You
(Image credit: BBC)

Michaela Coel, creator and star of Chewing Gum and I May Destroy You, has a new show on the way – and it may link back to her other work.

Her most recent project, I May Destroy You, follows Arabella (Coel), a writer who struggles to piece together the events of her sexual assault and rebuild her life. It aired last summer on BBC One in the UK and HBO in the US. Although the series was snubbed at the Golden Globes, it's currently up for eight BAFTAs. 

"It's truly in Michaela’s head and it’s not for me to second guess that too much at this point. It’s at relatively early stages, but I wanted to let the fans of I May Destroy You know that there is a new show coming along," the BBC told Deadline.

"What relationship that show will have with the original series, [is for Michaela to decide]. There’s a relationship between Chewing Gum and I May Destroy You. There’s a through line to her thinking. I suspect there may be elements [of I May Destroy You] but it’s really too early to say anything specific."

Chewing Gum, the other show Coel is known for, aired between 2015 and 2017. The sitcom follows Tracey (Coel), a religious 24-year-old who wants to lose her virginity and learn more about the world. 

The new, untitled series was announced during a virtual event in which the BBC announced their upcoming slate of dramas, including an adaptation of The Gallows Pole from The Virtues creator Shane Meadows and an adaptation of writer Dolly Alderton's memoir Everything I Know About Love.

While we wait for Michaela Coel's next project to arrive on our screens, make sure you've caught up with all the best TV shows of 2020.

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.