Riot Women: Wainwright's midlife punk band drama premieres Oct 12

Sally Wainwright’s new BBC drama Riot Women, which follows five middle aged women who form a punk rock band, premieres on BBC One at 9pm on Sunday, October 12, with all episodes available on iPlayer. Filmed in and around Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, the six-part series uses music and local settings to explore themes of visibility, friendship and the pressures facing women in midlife.

The series centers on a teacher, a police officer, a pub landlady, a midwife and a woman who shoplifts, who unite to enter a local talent contest and, in the process, find outlets for long-suppressed anger and connection. The ensemble cast includes Joanna Scanlan, Rosalie Craig, Tamsin Greig, Lorraine Ashbourne, Amelia Bullmore and Taj Atwal, who plays Nisha, a South Asian police officer and backup singer navigating workplace harassment, questions about her sexuality and identity.

Production returned to Hebden Bridge, a location Wainwright has used before. Wainwright said the town gives the series a strong sense of place and authentic vernacular and praised the local landscape for its atmosphere. Key on-screen locations include the triangular Albert pub, pictured in the drama as the Duke of...