Riot Women BBC1

MayBee70

Allira

MayBee70

I still think though that Ch4’s (much underrated) The Change is a much better series about menopausal women.

I recognised so many filming locations!
No, not everyone is that weird, honestly. 😁

It’s a bit worrying that I don’t actually find the characters in The Change weird. I kept comparing the trans character in Riot Women to the the one in The Change because the latter character was probably my favourite character in the series; then again I suppose The Change referred to not just one ‘change’.

Well, I haven't seen people prancing about in the Forest like some of them, but then, perhaps I should get out more!

I agree it was under-rated.

The series has made me remember how good Courtney Loves music was. Her performance at Glastonbury one year is one of the standout performances of all the acts I’ve watched at Glastonbury over the years.

I’ve watched 2 episodes on my iPad and am loving it. Sally Wainwright can do no wrong. The acting is first class.

MayBee70

The series has made me remember how good Courtney Loves music was. Her performance at Glastonbury one year is one of the standout performances of all the acts I’ve watched at Glastonbury over the years.

The whole soundtrack is excellent. Radio Times list here:

www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/riot-women-bbc-soundtrack/

I really like Massive Attack with Sara Jane Hawley - Dissolved Girl.

And The Last Dinner Party singing a clean version of Nothing Matters on TheGraham Norton Show.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhC0ZaTD_-0

Courtney Love was one of the first people to warn about Harvey Weinstein and was ostracised for it. The original music for the series is excellent, too. Makes me wonder why people like that don’t write our Eurovision entries.

Watched all episodes and really enjoyed
If all stories on the tv were true to life they would be pretty boring and it is likely few would watch

MayBee70

Courtney Love was one of the first people to warn about Harvey Weinstein and was ostracised for it. The original music for the series is excellent, too. Makes me wonder why people like that don’t write our Eurovision entries.

She did, much like when John Lydon warned about Jimmy Savile.

My mum is loving this. I can’t watch it as it’s on the iplayer

It’s live on Sunday nights

Allira

Aveline

I read that one of them was a man ie a transwoman. More BBC shoe horning in diversity?

I don't think so.
It would make rather a mockery of the menopause if so.

There has been a trans actor in Emmerdale for a few years now,He seems to be well accepted by the public …sire.y we should all aim to accept people for who they are?
Even if it’s not who they started out as.
I know several people who are transgender including two relatives ,they have never harmed anyone ,both are in loving relationships ships one is the dad of an adopted daughter who he clearly loves as his own .
Who are we to tell people how they can live their lives?
All but 2 of the eight trans people I know are female to male trans …..seems to me they find it easier to be accepted .
There’s always someone ,like you to point out they are trans when it’s male to female and yet we still think women are more caring..Not on here they aren’t .

We watched the final 2 episodes last night and thought them harrowing but brilliant - and in parts very funny.
Impossible to say which of the actors was best as they were all outstanding.

Just watched the last 2 episodes.Billiant Brilliant . All the actors where fantastic and the twist who played Kitty,'s dad brilliant. Can't wait until second series .

So true to life . I know some of the subjects have happened to woman on GN. Some of the things covered what has happened in my family .

A must watch for all women ..

I've just watched the last episode, I've enjoyed watching week by week rather than binge watching. It's been full on but brilliant. Can't wait for the second series - nothing announced yet but they can't leave all those cliffhangers.

Ok , so I’ll carry on watching. I’ve only seen the first episode and it didn’t hook me.

ginny I hope the characters grow on you. I found there was a good balance of humour and drama which kept me interested throughout.

paddyann54

Allira

Aveline

I read that one of them was a man ie a transwoman. More BBC shoe horning in diversity?

I don't think so.
It would make rather a mockery of the menopause if so.

There has been a trans actor in Emmerdale for a few years now,He seems to be well accepted by the public …sire.y we should all aim to accept people for who they are?
Even if it’s not who they started out as.
I know several people who are transgender including two relatives ,they have never harmed anyone ,both are in loving relationships ships one is the dad of an adopted daughter who he clearly loves as his own .
Who are we to tell people how they can live their lives?
All but 2 of the eight trans people I know are female to male trans …..seems to me they find it easier to be accepted .
There’s always someone ,like you to point out they are trans when it’s male to female and yet we still think women are more caring..Not on here they aren’t .

You have missed the point paddyann.

No-one is criticising transgender people in soaps or plays on TV.

The whole point of this particular series is that it is about the female menopause.

The trans person is young so the menopause irrelevant to them

I don’t know how many times this has to be said but Riot Women was about so much more than the menopause - as anybody who has watched the six hour drama will know.

Not in any particular order. Child rape. Criminal gangs. Misogyny and sexual assault in the police force. Misogyny and inappropriate male sexual behaviour in general. Grubby, male underground social media networks. Alcohol and drug abuse. Depression and suicide. Infidelity. Marriage break up. Empty nests. Isolation. Feeing undervalued at work. The can of worms that can be opened when adopted children look for their natural parents. The pain of childbirth. Family arguments over inheritance. Dementia and caring for aged parents. Both Beth and sisters Holly and Yvonne have mothers with dementia.

It’s more about the strong bonds that women form to support one another to get through these life issues than menopause. One of the most poignant scenes for me was when Jess gives Kitty a job, knowing she’s been in prison. The most poignant is with Beth and Kitty in the restaurant.

One of the band members, rock drum-playing gran Jess (Lorraine Ashbourne), whose idea it is to start the band, has a transgender child, Miranda. Jess’s whole family could be described as alternative. Head of the family is dreadlocked spliff-smoking, former Greenham Common women Auntie Mary (Sue Johnson), who owns the pub Jess now runs. Jess’s and Beth’s mothers were both at Greenham Common with Mary. Jess also has a bi-sexual daughter, Chloe.

Both of Jess’s children have only minor parts in the drama. Transgender Miranda only has a couple of small scenes. one where she berates her mum for keeping up the (misunderstood) feud with Inez and another when she’s asked to stand in as backing singer after young police officer Nisha has been beaten to a pulp and left for dead. Miranda is on screen for five minutes at most in a six hour drama.

Child rape. Criminal gangs. Misogyny and sexual assault in the police force. Misogyny and inappropriate male sexual behaviour in general. Grubby, male underground social media networks. Alcohol and drug abuse. Depression and suicide. Infidelity. Marriage break up. Empty nests. Isolation. Feeing undervalued at work.

Oh dear, PG, I am saving this for Christmas. Maybe not suitable and it will be back to Tosh, her missing child and her Seasalt jumper!

Fabulous series!!! I wish I was one of them.

Allira I can only assume that you have still only watched one episode or you would know that your statement "the whole point of this series is that it is about the menopause' is totally wrong.
StripeyGran please be reassured - it is intense and hard hitting but also very funny.

Totally agree with everything you said, PaynesGrey - it was about much, much more than just the menopause. Loved it and can't wait for a second series!

eddiecat78

Allira I can only assume that you have still only watched one episode or you would know that your statement "the whole point of this series is that it is about the menopause' is totally wrong.
StripeyGran please be reassured - it is intense and hard hitting but also very funny.

I still think paddyann didn't understand the point about the menopause.

Sally Wainwright writes dramas about strong women, in this case women going through menopause and crises which we might all recognise

There is a transgender actor in it. Miranda is (probably) too young to be menopausal.

eddiecat78

Allira I can only assume that you have still only watched one episode or you would know that your statement "the whole point of this series is that it is about the menopause' is totally wrong.
StripeyGran please be reassured - it is intense and hard hitting but also very funny.

I absolutely love her work and I love Joanne Scanlan. Spotted Lorraine Ashbourne the other day.

I will destist until Christmas!

There is a transgender actor in it. Miranda is (probably) too young to be menopausal.

Have you still not watched it, Allira? Macy-Jacob Seelochan, who plays the very minor role of Miranda, was born in 1997 and graduated from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2019. They are 28.

Paddyann’s post seems to be calling for understanding, refuting the allegation that the BBC are shoehorning diversity. She says, Surely, we should all aim to accept people for who they are?

The BBC knows it gets top ratings from anything Wainwright writes. She has explored gay relationships before, notably with Sarah Lancashire’s character Caroline McKenzie-Dawson with Kate (Nina Sosanya) in Last Tango in Halifax (over seven million viewers) and Suranne Jones as Anne Lister in Gentleman Jack (over five million viewers).

It would make for very dull drama indeed if everyone was the same.

I didn’t mean to put you off SG. Like many of Wainwright’s dramas, it’s hard-hitting in places. Kitty’s story is very hard but for seemingly the first time since adolescence, she finds people (women) who accept and want to help her - as she helps them to do something exciting by writing songs and fronting the band with her amazing stage presence and powerful voice. Rosalie Craig is excellent as Kitty. Her facial expression when people are kind to her is extraordinary, as if it’s something she hasn’t experienced since she was a child and her mother disappeared.

You are showing great restraint SG to be able to save this until Christmas.

Anyway, just trying to refute this repeated claim that the drama is all about the menopause and those getting in a tizz because a very minor character in a cast of over 50 people (excluding the crowd scenes) is transgender.

Joanna Scanlan is a fantastic actor. Have you seen After Love? It’s another masterclass in restraint as she shows in Riot Women (most of the time). If not, one to put on your Christmas list.

www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jun/06/after-love-review-joanna-scanlan-offers-a-masterclass-in-drama