Michaela Coel is to star in her own “fearless, frank and provocative series” exploring the question of sexual consent in contemporary life.

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The BBC2 drama, with the working title Jan 22nd, sees Coel as Londoner Arabella whose “personal experience of consent sits at the heart of the story", which is "set in a world where gratification is only an app away”.

“Through Arabella we meet a group of fictional friends and colleagues whose sexual adventures frequently collide with a world in which new codes of sexual practice are emerging and how, in the new landscape of dating and relationships, we make the distinction between liberation and exploitation," explains a statement from the BBC.

Chewing Gum creator and star Coel, who is due to give the landmark MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh Television Festival on Wednesday, said: "I feel weirdly overwhelmed and honoured to be making something again, something I'm making myself, with a great team."

BBC2 controller Patrick Holland said the new series promised "fearless, provocative and gripping storytelling exploring one of the defining issues of our times".

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The commission is one of three forthcoming dramas announced by the BBC which will be penned by female writers.

BBC1 has given the go-ahead to The Nest, an emotional thriller written by Nicole Taylor (Three Girls, The C Word, Wild Rose).

The six-part drama explores the consequences of a pact between a wealthy couple who are having trouble conceiving and a teenage girl who agrees to carry their child.

The third drama sees Sally Rooney adapting her new novel Normal People for BBC3.

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The story follows Marianne and Connell– both from a small west of Ireland town, but from very different backgrounds – as they embark on an on-off romance that starts at school and continues through college.

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