The BBC and BritBox have unveiled first-look images from "Riot Women," the brand-new drama by multi-BAFTA award-winning writer Sally Wainwright (“Happy Valley”, “Last Tango in Halifax”, “Gentleman Jack”). Set and filmed in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, the six-part series is produced by Drama Republic, a Mediawan Company (“One Day”, “Doctor Foster”, “The English”), for the BBC in collaboration with BritBox. Mediawan Rights handles worldwide distribution.
"Riot Women" (6x60) is created, written, and executive produced by Sally Wainwright, who also serves as the lead director. Jessica Taylor (“Happy Valley”, “Fool Me Once”) is the producer, with Roanna Benn (“One Day”, “Doctor Foster”) serving as executive producer for Drama Republic. The series will also feature original songs by the band ARXX.
Tanya Qureshi represents the BBC, and Robert Schildhouse and Jess O’Riordan represent BritBox.The series is slated to premiere later this year on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK, with BritBox airing it in the US and Canada. Mediawan Rights will distribute the series internationally, with participation from Entourage Ventures.
As previously announced, the cast includes Anne Reid (“The Sixth Commandment”), Sue Johnston (“The Royle Family”), Peter Davison (“Doctor Who”), Claire Skinner (“Outnumbered”), Angel Coulby (“Merlin”), Jonny Green (“White Lines”), Ellise Chappell (“Yesterday”), Tony Hirst (“Hollyoaks”), Shannon Lavelle (“The Hardacres”), Mark Bazeley (“Broadchurch”), Amit Shah (“Happy Valley”), Rick Warden (“Red Eye”), Ben Batt (“Domina”), Natalia Tena (“Harry Potter”), Melanie La Barrie (“& Juliet”), Oliver Huntingdon (“Sherwood”), Richard Fleeshman (“The Sandman”), Olwen May (“A Very British Scandal”), Kevin Doyle (“Downton Abbey”), Nicholas Gleaves (“Bodyguard”), and Thomas Flynn (“Masters of the Air”).
The new images offer a glimpse of the Riot Women band in action, featuring Joanna Scanlan (“After Love”, “The Thick of It”) as Beth, Rosalie Craig (“Moonflower Murders”, “Serpent Queen”) as Kitty, Tamsin Greig (“Sexy Beast”, “The Completely Made Up Adventures of Dick Turpin”) as Holly, Lorraine Ashbourne (“Sherwood”, “Alma's Not Normal”) as Jess, and Amelia Bullmore (“The Buccaneers”, “Vienna Blood”) as Yvonne. Taj Atwal (“Line of Duty”), Chandeep Uppal (“Holby City”), and Macy Jacob-Seelochan (“Shadow and Bone”) appear as the band’s riotous backing singers, Nisha, Kam, and Miranda, respectively.
The title delves into the lives of five women who form a makeshift punk-rock band to enter a local talent contest. As they write their first original song, they discover they have plenty to say—and music becomes their voice. Balancing demanding jobs, grown-up children, complicated parents, absent husbands, disastrous dates, and turbulent relationships, the band serves as a catalyst for transformative change.
The six-part series highlights the power of friendship, music, and the resilience of women who refuse to be silenced by age or societal expectations. Beneath the music lies a deeply buried secret—one that unexpectedly links Kitty and Beth, the band's creative masterminds, in a complex triangle that threatens to unravel everything.