The BBC’s upcoming new drama from Sally Wainwright (boss of Happy Valley and Last Tango in Halifax) has finally confirmed its cast in an exciting update.
Riot Women will follow the formation of a female punk-rock band, while also delving into their lives as they juggle the demands of work, children, partners, dating and relationships.
It’s been revealed that Lorraine Ashbourne (Sherwood), Joanna Scanlan (The Thick of It), Tamsin Greig (Friday Night Dinner, Suspect), Rosalie Craig (Netflix’s 1899) and Amelia Bullmore (The Jetty) will lead the cast.
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Sally Wainwright – who acts as creator, writer, and executive producer – has said of the brand new project: “I think I am more excited about this than anything else I have ever written. Ever. Oh my God. We have five of the most fabulous actresses on the planet playing the Riot Women. It’s scarily exciting.”
In addition, Riot Women will also see Last Tango in Halifax‘s Anne Reid working with Wainwright once more, and The Royle Family‘s Sue Johnston will also appear.
The cast of the six-part BBC series will also include Taj Atwal (Line of Duty), Claire Skinner (Outnumbered), Peter Davison (Doctor Who), Amit Shah (Happy Valley), Kevin Doyle (Downton Abbey) and Chandeep Uppal (Anita and Me).
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Director of BBC Drama Lindsay Salt has described Wainwright’s scripts as “magnificent even by her standards” and confirmed that Riot Women will arrive “next year”.
While Wainwright will lead as the show’s main director, Gentleman Jack and Doctor Who‘s Amanda Brotchie has also been announced. Creatives from across hits such as Fool Me Once, Doctor Foster and One Day are also on board.
Riot Women is currently filming, and the show is set in West Yorkshire.
Riot Women is coming to the BBC in the UK in 2025. Happy Valley is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK’s biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world’s oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).