Sally Wainwright, the creator of Happy Valley, included a sweet and touching reference to her previous hit show in her new series, Riot Women. Riot Women, which began airing earlier this month, centers around five women going through menopause who decide to start a punk band.
I was a huge fan of Happy Valley – it’s a police drama starring Sarah Lancashire that first came out way back in 2014 and just finished airing in 2023! The creator, Sally Wainwright, is also behind other great shows like Last Tango in Halifax and Gentleman Jack, so you know it’s quality stuff.
The show’s creator recently revealed a hidden detail in the latest episodes that references Sergeant Catherine Cawood, a key character, and her police identification number.
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Wainwright shared a photo on Instagram comparing their character to Nisha Lal from Riot Women, and revealed a fun fact: they’ve created what they believe is the first female 007. The twist? This secret agent is a police officer from Yorkshire.
She explained that Lisa Casler, a police advisor for both shows, said Cawood’s badge number (9675, which she’d used for thirty years) would be reassigned to a new officer.
They chose to give this to the character Nisha, as a tribute to the show Happy Valley, referencing its strong female characters.
So that’s a seeming confirmation that both shows do exist in the same universe.
The new series, Riot Women, features a stellar cast including Joanna Scanlan (known for The Thick of It), Tamsin Greig (Friday Night Dinner), Lorraine Ashbourne (Sherwood), Amelia Bullmore (The Jetty), and Rosalie Craig (Moonflower Murders). Anne Reid (The Sixth Commandment) and Sue Johnston (Brookside) also appear in supporting roles.
In a review for Digital Spy, the new series was praised for its diverse group of female characters. The reviewer noted that while fresh, it still shares many of the qualities that made Happy Valley so popular.
Riot Women and Happy Valley are both available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
I’m so excited – the latest issue of Living Legends is out! You can grab a copy of Ariana & Witches at all good newsagents or order it online for only £8.99. I can’t wait to read it!
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2025-10-23 17:49