Riot Women Is the First Must-See Show of 2026

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During the early 1990s, a new movement called riot grrrl emerged. It was fueled by young women who had grown up with feminist ideas but felt excluded within the punk music scene. Bands like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile used angry and darkly funny lyrics to confront the sexism they experienced – whether from dismissive male musicians or abusive family members. Now, three decades later, those artists from Generation X are entering their 50s, and while sexism hasn’t disappeared, older women experience it in different ways than they did when they were younger.

As a critic, I have to say Sally Wainwright, the brilliant mind behind Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack, has done it again with Riot Women. This six-part series, arriving on BritBox January 14th, is a real eye-opener. It tackles the often-ignored realities of women’s lives – things like loneliness, feeling invisible, menopause, the exhaustion of caregiving, and the shame surrounding it all. Now, that might sound heavy, but trust me, it’s anything but. It’s the story of a group of women who decide to form a punk band and enter a local talent show, and in doing so, completely transform their lives. It’s a raucous, smart, and surprisingly funny look at finding freedom later in life, and I think it’ll resonate with viewers of any age.

A different writer could have easily turned the Riot Women into simple, stereotypical characters, reminiscent of a feel-good movie like The Full Monty. But Wainwright avoids that, refusing to let them seem charming or quaint, which would have been another way of reducing them to objects. The series begins with Beth (Joanna Scanlan), a divorced teacher feeling isolated after her son prioritizes his wife’s family, contemplating suicide. Then, a friend, Jess (Lorraine Ashbourne), a local pub owner, calls with an unexpected offer: “Want to be in my rock band?” They form an all-female group including Holly (Tamsin Greig), a police officer nearing retirement; her younger colleague (Taj Atwal), whom she tries to protect from a harassing male officer; and Holly’s sister (Amelia Bullmore), a midwife. These women are dealing with genuine hardships – caring for parents with dementia, being held responsible for the mistakes of their absent or unfaithful ex-partners. Originally planning to cover ABBA songs, they instead channel their experiences into powerful, original punk music.

The musical truly comes alive when Beth encounters Kitty—a raw and troubled woman with a painful history, beautifully portrayed by stage actress Rosalie Craig—singing a powerful rendition of Hole’s “Violet” at a karaoke bar. Wainwright and the consistently strong cast give each female character real nuance. (The male characters, intentionally or not, feel somewhat one-dimensional in their self-absorption.) But Riot Women especially shines in its depiction of the growing friendship between Kitty and Beth, two distinct women who may be the key to helping each other overcome their shared destructive tendencies.

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2026-01-14 17:06