‘Triumphant’ and “outstanding” BBC drama from Happy Valley boss gets return update addressed by cast

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The actors in Sally Wainwright’s BBC series Riot Women have given hints about what fans can expect in the already-confirmed second season.

So, I was reading that Amelia Bullmore, Rosalie Craig, Tamsin Greig, and Lorraine Ashbourne – all the actresses who played members of the band in the show – were chatting about what they think the writer, Wainwright, might do in the next season. They were basically guessing what parts of their characters’ stories she’d pull into the script for the follow-up.

Bullmore shared with Radio Times that he expects a mix of good and bad moments, challenges, and performances ahead.

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Greig, who you might recognize from shows like Friday Night Dinner and Green Wing, then hinted at a surprising twist halfway through, saying, “And there’s going to be a clever turning point that no one will expect…”

Honestly, everything I’ve heard so far feels totally like something Lucy Wainwright would create – she’s such a great storyteller! But I’m really excited to see what Riot Women does with its second season. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for more details from the BBC soon!

The series Riot Women takes place in West Yorkshire and follows five women – including a teacher, police officer, pub owner, midwife, and a woman struggling to get by – who are all going through menopause and feel invisible to those around them. As a result, they decide to form a punk-rock band.

The first season of the show also starred Joanna Scanlan (known from Slow Horses), Taj Atwal (Line of Duty), and Ben Batt (Toxic Town). It was a BBC return for Sally Wainwright, the creator of Happy Valley.

Although the BBC hasn’t officially confirmed who will return for season two, they’ve hinted that the story will continue to follow the main characters – the ‘Riot Women’ – after the shocking events at the end of the first season. This suggests we’ll likely see the original cast members reprise their roles.

When Riot Women debuted in 2025, it received a lot of positive attention from both critics and audiences. Viewers on IMDb have called it “outstanding,” praising the “magnificent cast” and “intelligent writing.”

One viewer praised Sally Wainwright’s work as a courageous and authentic portrayal of women navigating midlife, finally beginning to reclaim their lives after years of shouldering burdens.

The drama is receiving excellent reviews, with a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Herald (Scotland) called it a fantastic success for Wainwright, and The Observer described it as “wonderful.” Digital Spy even declared it the must-watch show of the week.

When the news came that Riot Women would return for a second series, creator Wainwright expressed excitement, saying, “Now the real fun begins! We were incredibly touched by the amazing reaction to the first series, and we can’t wait to build on that success with series two. We hope everyone joins us for the ride!”

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, has expressed her excitement about renewing “Riot Women” after its success with millions of BBC viewers. She stated she was ‘over the moon’ to be able to continue the show.

She shared that Riot Women has resonated with audiences, making them laugh, feel deeply, and connect with one another. She expressed excitement for what the future holds, saying, “What more could we ask for? Bring on the next chapter!”

Riot Women recently aired on BBC One and you can still watch it on BBC iPlayer. A second season is planned, but we don’t know when it will be released yet.

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2026-02-05 17:50