To paraphrase the great scientist Heinz Doofenshmirtz, if I had a nickel for every time I watched a British series about an improbable all-female punk band, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice, right?
In 2021, Channel 4 and Peacock teamed up for the delightful comedy We Are Lady Part, where the band members were all young Muslim women. Now Britbox has imported the BBC dramedy Riot Women, whose members are all women of a certain age. As their leader, Beth (Joanna Scanlan) puts it, "We sing songs about being middle-aged and menopausal and more or less invisible. And you thought The Clash were angry."
Riot Women was created, written, and directed by Sally Wainwright, one of TV's best showrunners, who has given us series as varied as the riveting cop drama Happy Valley and the period romance Gentleman Jack. Like Happy Valley, this one takes place in Yorkshire and its ensemble includes an unflappable veteran cop, Holly (Tamsin Greig). But while there are some subplots about policing and crime, the new series' primary focus is on the various frustrations that have brought these women together to form a band that helps them work through their respective problems.