The BBC and BritBox have released first-look images for Sally Wainwright’s new drama Riot Women, a six-part series about a Yorkshire punk-rock band.
The band is formed when five local women try and win a talent competition in Hebden Bridge. However, writing their first song makes them realise that music could mean a lot more to them than impressing a half-full village hall. Instead, the quintet begins to see just how much they have to say, and how they want to say it.
Eventually, though, a secret threatens to bubble to the surface, and ruin everything.
The series will star Joanna Scanlan (The Thick of It) as Beth, Tamsin Greig (Black Books) as Holly, Rosalie Craig (Serpent Queen) as Kitty, Lorraine Ashbourne (Alma’s Not Normal) as Jess and Amelia Bullmore (The Buccaneers) as Yvonne. The band’s backing singers, Nisha, Kam and Miranda, will be played by Taj Atwal (Line of Duty), Chandeep Uppal (Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators), and Macy-Jacob Seelochan (Shadow and Bone).
Real-life punk duo ARXX will contribute original songs to the show.
Seelochan as Miranda and Tamsin Greig as Holly Gaskell (credit: Drama Republic Ltd)
“I’m having a whole new buzz of excitement about the show as we bring it together in the edit, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone,” said creator Sally Wainwright, who also writes, directs and executive produces the show.
The drama sees Wainwright return to Yorkshire, who has set several of her shows, including Unforgiven, Last Tango in Halifax and Happy Valley, in the region.
Riot Women will air on BBC One in the UK in 2025, and will also be available on iPlayer. The series will be available on BritBox in the US and Canada.
