BBC “Riot Women” by Sally Wainwright Gets a Second Series

The hit drama series by Sally Wainwright will return to the BBC. Series two will show what comes next for the Riot Women, following the dramatic turn of events in series one’s final episode…

The hit BBC drama, set and filmed in West Yorkshire, will be returning for a riotous encore

Riot Women, the hit drama series by multi-BAFTA award-winning writer Sally Wainwright, will return to the BBC for a second series.

The first series, which launched in full on BBC iPlayer in October and concluded its weekly BBC One run on Sunday 16 November, has been widely praised by critics and viewers alike.

Created and written by Sally Wainwright and made by Drama Republic, a Mediawan company, series one followed a teacher, a police officer, a pub landlady, a midwife, and a shoplifting freeloader: five menopausal women who formed a punk rock band to take part in a local talent contest, and suddenly found they had a lot more to shout about than they ever imagined. As they became closer, the teacher, Beth, and freeloader, Kitty, discovered a surprising, earth-shattering connection from their past.

Watch Riot Women on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist

Set and filmed in Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, the Riot Women band members included 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, with Taj Atwal (Line of Duty), Chandeep Uppal (Holby City), and Macy Seelochan (Shadow and Bone) as Nisha, Kam and Miranda, the band’s riotous backing singers.

The second series will show what comes next for the Riot Women following the dramatic turn of events in series one’s final episode. Further details will be announced in due course.

Sally Wainwright, creator, writer, lead director, and executive producer, says:

“Oh, this is where the fun really starts! We’ve all been so deeply moved by the huge, overwhelming, joyous, emotional response to series one, and now we’re able to take the Riot Women extravaganza onto the next level! We hope you’ll all join us on the series two rollercoaster!”

Roanna Benn, executive producer for Drama Republic, says:

“We are bowled over by how hugely audiences have loved and resonated with Sally’s brilliant characters and stories and by the rightful praise for the phenomenal actors who have each made their character so much their own. We have so many stories yet to tell for them, and we cannot wait to get started.”

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says:

“Riot Women has resonated with millions of BBC viewers so I’m over the moon that we get to go again. An enormous thank you goes to Sally, Roanna, the team at Drama Republic and the dream cast and crew. Riot Women has made people laugh, cry, think and connect with others – what more could we ask for… Bring on the next chapter!”

Riot Women series one was created, written, and executive produced by Sally Wainwright, who was also the lead director. Jessica Taylor (Happy Valley, Fool Me Once) was the producer. Executive producers were Roanna Benn (One Day, Doctor Foster) for Drama Republic, Tanya Qureshi for the BBC, Robert Schildhouse, and Jess O’Riordan for BritBox. The first series was a co-production for BritBox International and was produced by Drama Republic, a Mediawan Company.

Praise for Riot Women series one:

The I – *****

“So many women will find power in Happy Valley writer Sally Wainwrght’s new series.”

Daily Mail – *****

“What’s not to love about a cast of this quality?”

Heat – *****

“It’s creator/writer/producer/director Wainwright at the top of her game.”

The Times – ****

“It’s an absolute banger.”

“a raucously good drama from Sally Wainwright.”

The Guardian – ****

“Sally Wainwright’s menopausal punk drama is one of her best.”

Independent – ****

“Absolutely glorious.”

Financial Times – ****

“There are jaw-dropping twists and remarkable coincidences, all of which pile on to a story that never sits still. Wainwright has no interest in boring her audience, so it all barrels along at a breathless pace.”

Evening Standard – ****

“These are all women at the top of their acting game”

The Herald – ****

“Funny, shocking, smart, honest in all the best ways and hugely moving, Riot Women is another rock out triumph for Wainwright.”

	Riot Women
	Network: BBC OneGenre: DramaSeasons: 1Episodes: 6
	Overview Five women along with two riotous backing singers come together to create a makeshift punk-rock band in order to enter a local talent contest, but in writing their first original song, soon discover that they have a lot to say - and this is their way to say it.