I just finished Riot Women and it was about perfect! Five menopausal women form a punk band and write angry songs about their lives. Sally Wainwright's scripts are tragic and hilarious, the acting is excellent. There's nothing about this show I didn't love. And it passes the Bechdel test with flying colors.

One big problem with TV shows (and probably movies, but I don't watch many) about fictional musicians that rely on original music is that the music sucks. I liked Nashville a lot as a soap opera but it's musically blah with one or two exceptions and they're mostly that way. This show is an exception. The songs probably aren't going to make the hit parade IRL but they're totally listenable.

Here's one of the songs -- Violet -- sung by the great Rosalie Craig -- Watch it!

#RiotWomen #SallyWainwright #TV #Television #RosalieCraig #PunkRock #Menopause

https://youtu.be/sSM3XOHMkx8?si=FnfK2Mn1_7_WrN54

I’m trying to imagine what this could be like - a ballet version of ‘Gentleman Jack’.

Hopefully fabulous.

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jan/27/raunchy-gentleman-jack-audacious-lesbian-ballet-suranne-jones

#GentlemanJack #SallyWainwright #ballet #LGBTQ #lesbian #dance #NorthernBallet #choreography #AnnabelleLopezOchoa

BritBox’s ‘Riot Women’ Is a Thoughtful but Imperfect Menopausal Ride: TV Review

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://variety.com/2026/tv/reviews/riot-women-review-britbox-1236629458/

BritBox’s ‘Riot Women’ Is a Thoughtful but Imperfect Menopausal Ride: TV Review
#Variety #Reviews #TVReviews #BritBox #JoannaScanlan #RiotWomen #RosalieCraig #SallyWainwright

https://variety.com/2026/tv/reviews/riot-women-review-britbox-1236629458/

Craig Charles wondering why Rod Liddle hated 'Riot Women' and it's because he's a women beating misogynist Craig, simple as that.

They've made him the TV critic of The Times btw, and he poorly reviewed a popular show because it focused on Women and not Men.

That's Patriarchy for you.

#RiotWomen #CraigCharles #RodLiddle #SallyWainwright #Misogyny #Patriarchy #TheTimes

Riot Women, invisible no longer

https://oldaintdead.com/riot-women-invisible-no-longer/

I have mixed feelings about 'Riot Women' too. It’s a bit 'M&S'/bland, which may be due to the way TV has to be packaged for streaming services these days. Outside of the UK who understands 'gritty Northern'?

I also get the frustration about the lack of central queer - specifically lesbian - characters.

OTOH, for all this writer's nostalgia about the 90s riot grrrl scene, that wasn't a 'generation' of lesbians. It was a cult scene for a minority of (overwhelmingly) white women and was more of a US thing.

From what I remember, most gay/bisexual young women in the UK were listening to queer-friendly mainstream pop and rock.

And there WAS still a lot of exclusion of women in music - usually via them not being taken as seriously as men, especially when it came to playing instruments. All the women she lists were primarily singers.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/oct/22/tv-series-riot-women-sally-wainwright

#RiotWomen #riotgrrrl #SallyWainwright #lgbtq #lesbian #90s #NorthernEngland