“It was so successful, Happy Valley, and you always think ‘I’m never going to do better than that,’” the show’s creator explained when we sat down to talk about her brand new drama Riot Women, which marks her highly anticipated return to the BBC. “But I think Riot Women is not dissimilar to Happy Valley. I think it’s got a lot of similar qualities to it.”
And we agree. Yes, Riot Women is a different genre; despite the presence of some crimes and cops, it is not a crime drama. It’s also much more of an ensemble effort; instead of having the singular and steadfast Catherine Cawood to get behind, we’re introduced to a group of women who each bring their own flavour. But Riot Women does still tap into a lot of the same hallmarks that made Happy Valley such a success.
“It’s got a similar tone, it’s got a very, very dark story running through it, and then it’s also hopefully quite entertaining and funny as well. In the way that I always wanted Happy Valley to be,” Wainwright said, before sharing: “I hope it’s up there with Happy Valley! We’ll find out when the people react to it.”
Well, we’re here to tell you that Riot Women – a drama about five women who come together to defy all external expectations and start a punk rock band – is precisely what you need to fill that Happy Valley-shaped hole in your life, even if it’s in ways that you might not quite have been expecting. And here’s why.
There’s a darkness to the story
The opening scene of episode one is exceptionally dark, introducing us to the character of Beth (played by Joanna Scanlan) as she contemplates ending her own life. It’s incredibly hard to watch, but don’t you dare underestimate Sally Wainwright – this isn’t a cheap storytelling tool, or a shock-value ploy to hook you in. But more on that later.
Riot Women‘s devastating opening moment underlines that this drama isn’t going to shy away from the ugly, the difficult or the uncomfortable. And, in what’s still something of a rarity for primetime television, it sets the tone for pointing the camera firmly at its central women. It’s those perspectives that permeate every interaction, with their experiences centred each and every time.
Strong female characters are still the beating heart
Yes, we know, James Norton was deliciously evil as Tommy Lee Royce, but Happy Valley was always laser-focused on Sarah Lancashire’s Sergeant Catherine Cawood and the complex and evolving relationship she had with her sister Clare (Siobhan Finneran).
Riot Women‘s themes stand on their own, touching on the “kind of things that tend to happen to you when you get into your late 50s,” as Wainwright explained. And while there’s been a focus on the menopause – something not always explored authentically on-screen – the show is so much more than that.
“A lot of women at this age start to talk about feeling like they’re disappearing, and everyone takes them for granted and you’re being pulled in lots of different directions,” Wainwright continued. “And in the middle of it all, you feel like nobody’s looking out for you anymore.”
Wainwright highlighted her wish to find an “interesting, entertaining way of talking about” these themes, revealing her hope that Riot Women is “anything but miserable and boring”.
And we’d say she has absolutely succeeded, which leads us nicely onto…
Riot Women isn’t here to lecture, as mere moments after the dark opening scene we touched on above, the audience are in for a monumental tone shift: The phone rings, and the punchline drops: “Do you want to be in a rock band?” – and everything is then turned on its head.
“I do like that balance of dark drama and just the comedy of real life,” Wainwright explained. “Because I think life is funny, most people are funny. I think most people choose to be funny if they can be… I like writing characters that can make people laugh.”
“I’m always very conscious of keeping people hooked, keeping people glued,” she continued. “I think it’s a moment-by-moment thing – I don’t think it’s about finding the hook after the first seven minutes, I think it’s a constant process. And comedy is a really powerful tool to achieve that with.”
Riot Women is available now on BBC iPlayer.
