Joanna Scanlan Leading Sally Wainwright’s ‘Riot Women’ For BBC & BritBox International

Max Goldbart
·2 min read

BAFTA-winner Joanna Scanlan is leading Riot Women, Sally Wainwright’s BBC series about a group of middle-aged women who form a punk rock band, while BritBox International has boarded as co-producer.

Scanlan, who won a BAFTA for After Love, will play Beth opposite 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. Anne Reid (The Sixth Commandment) will play Nancy, Holly and Yvonne’s mother, with Sue Johnston (The Royle Family) as Jess’s Aunt Mary. Peter Davison (Doctor Who), Claire Skinner (Outnumbered) and Angel Coulby (Merlin) also join the cast.

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The series sees the women, along with two backing singers, come together to create a makeshift band in order to enter a local talent contest, but in writing their first original song, they soon discover that they have lots to say, and this is their way to say it. As they juggle demanding jobs, grown-up children, complicated parents, husbands who’ve buggered off, and disastrous dates and relationships, the band becomes a catalyst for change in their lives, and it makes them question everything.

Unveiled at Edinburgh 2023 at which point it was titled Hot Flush, the series is Wainwright’s first for the BBC since smash hit Happy Valley. It has shades of We Are Lady Parts, the Channel 4-Peacock series about a group of Muslim women who form a punk band.

Wainwright said: “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.”

Riot Women will premiere on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK next year. BritBox International will air the series in the U.S. and Canada. Mediawan Rights will distribute internationally with the participation of Entourage Ventures. Riot Women is created, written, and executive produced by Wainwright, who is also the series’ lead director. Amanda Brotchie (Gentleman Jack, Doctor Who) will direct block two, and Jessica Taylor (Happy Valley, Fool Me Once) is the producer. Roanna Benn (One Day, Doctor Foster) is the executive producer for Drama Republic, with Tanya Qureshi for the BBC, Robert Schildhouse and Jess O’Riordan for BritBox International.

Wainwright’s Disney+ show, Renegade Nell, was axed over the summer after one season.

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