Five middle-aged women in a small Yorkshire town did not expect to start a punk band. Their journey has become one of the most talked-about television dramas of the last year. The series Riot Women, created by Sally Wainwright, launched on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on October 12, 2025. It follows five very different women who form a punk rock band to enter a local talent contest.
The show’s first season concluded its weekly broadcast on November 16, 2025. Just days later, the BBC confirmed that the show will return for a second season. With all episodes of the first season now available, here is a complete guide to the plot, the cast, and how you can watch the series around the world.
The Story of the Riot Women Band
The series is set in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. It brings together five women who are all navigating the challenges of middle age. Beth is a teacher, Jess is a police officer, Holly is a pub landlady, Yvonne is a midwife, and Kitty is a self-described “shoplifting freeloader”.
Their worlds collide when they decide, almost as a joke, to form a punk band for a local talent contest. What begins as a simple plan quickly becomes more important. As they write their first song, they realize they share a deep anger about how society treats women their age. The band becomes an outlet for their frustrations with menopause, demanding jobs, grown children, and complicated relationships.
The story takes a dramatic turn as the women grow closer. Beth (Joanna Scanlan) and Kitty (Rosalie Craig) discover a shocking, life-changing connection from their past that threatens to pull the band apart. Another band member, Nisha (Taj Atwal), a police officer, faces brutal misogynistic violence within her own force. Through these struggles, the band finds strength in their friendship, transforming their personal pain into powerful music.
Sally Wainwright explained the show’s balance of drama and joy, stating:
“It’s kind of on a level of a Greek tragedy what happens to them, what befalls them, and what they discover about themselves and each other. It’s very powerful but very human, very joyous and celebratory too.”
The Main Cast and Creative Team
The series features a celebrated ensemble cast of British actors. The five central band members are played by Joanna Scanlan (Beth), Rosalie Craig (Kitty), Lorraine Ashbourne (Jess), Tamsin Greig (Holly), and Amelia Bullmore (Yvonne). The band’s backing singers are played by Taj Atwal, Chandeep Uppal, and Macy Seelochan.
The cast includes several other well-known faces in supporting roles, such as Anne Reid, Sue Johnston, and Jonathan Pryce. Creator Sally Wainwright is the writer, lead director, and executive producer. She is best known for other hit series like Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack.
A key part of the show’s authenticity came from the actors learning to play their instruments. With the exception of singer Rosalie Craig, none of the other actresses could play their assigned instruments before production began. They spent over six months in training to perform live on screen. The show’s original punk music, including the theme song “Seeing Red,” was written by the Brighton-based duo ARXX.
Global Release and Streaming Information
Riot Women first became available in the United Kingdom. All six episodes of the first season were released at once on BBC iPlayer starting at 06:00 on October 12, 2025. The first episode also aired on BBC One at 21:00 that same night.
For international audiences, the streaming service BritBox holds the rights to the series in the United States and Canada. The show is scheduled to premiere on BritBox in the United States on January 14, 2026. This provides a clear option for viewers in North America to watch the series.
For viewers in other countries, the best option is to check local streaming platforms that carry British television content or that have a partnership with BritBox International, which co-produced the series. The show is not currently listed on major global streamers like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, but this could change after its BritBox run.
Season 2 Confirmation and Fan Reaction
The response to the first season was strong. The debut episode attracted 5.4 million viewers in its first 28 days across all screens in the UK. Critics praised the series, with The Guardian calling it “one of her best” and The Times describing it as “an absolute banger”.
Due to this success, the BBC officially announced a second season on November 20, 2025. The announcement said the new season will show “what comes next for the Riot Women following the dramatic turn of events in series one’s final episode”. Specific plot details and a release date for season two have not yet been shared.
Fans celebrated the news on social media. On Facebook, one viewer expressed excitement after visiting the filming locations, posting, “Yess!!!! We visited Hebden last month after watching the series!… Can’t wait for S2”. The official BBC announcement quoted director of drama Lindsay Salt, who said, “Riot Women has resonated with millions of BBC viewers so I’m over the moon that we get to go again”.
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Filming Locations and Series Inspiration
The show is filmed on location in West Yorkshire, giving it a strong sense of place. Key filming spots include Calder Holmes Park and The Albert Pub in Hebden Bridge, as well as locations in Halifax, Mytholmroyd, and Todmorden. This authentic setting is a hallmark of Sally Wainwright’s work.
While the story is fictional, Wainwright has said it is drawn from personal experience. She explained, “A lot of what the women go through is stuff I went through… So it’s half very much a personal thing and it’s half a kind of fantasy of what I would love to do, which is be in a rock band”. The title Riot Women is a deliberate play on the 1990s feminist punk movement known as “riot grrrl”.
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