Riot Women BBC1

I really enjoyed the first episode and look forward to the next one.

I really enjoyed it. Sally Wainwright writes strong, if flawed, women so well.
Is the daughter of pub owner, who is obviously trans, put there for future story lines in a second series, or just Beeb being ‘right-on’?

I was gripped. I identified with the Beth character, not the suicide thank goodness, but being HoD in a school and having a flaky colleague wished on us who couldn't keep order or keep up with the curriculum.
But I thought all the women were brilliant and I'll definitely go on watching.

Iam64

PaynesGrey, I heard Sally W interviewed on women’s hour. She said the Joni bit was the actor doodling between takes. They liked it so much, they left it in
I’m a big Joni fan, off to a celebration of her music in Manc tonight

Thank you Iam64. I hadn't heard that and have just listened to the interview, not once but twice as the bit about A Case of You is cut from the Weekend Woman's Hour edit.

The full interview is here with the bit about Joni at 18.00 minutes:

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002kgrd

Have a good evening.

P.S. A little bit of Joni (at 80) with Annie Lennox and Brandi Carlile celebrating Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxqFJLm6Hp4

A bit slow to start. I cannot help comparing to Rock Follies which was a similar story

I’m a fan. Looking forward to the next episode. These days I actively seek out series that make me laugh, or at least smile, and don’t contain nauseous or claustrophobic scenes that I absolutely do not want to look at.

PaynesGrey Spot on!

Loved it. Watched two episodes then binge watched the rest of the series. You don't need to be actually menopausal to appreciate it or to be a menopausal actress to perform. For many it will bring back memories of how it was. It's not a documentary! Can't wait for the next series.

It’s started slowly and complex putting all the characters together. However we will stick with it for the moment.

PaynesGrey, I heard Sally W interviewed on women’s hour. She said the Joni bit was the actor doodling between takes. They liked it so much, they left it in
I’m a big Joni fan, off to a celebration of her music in Manc tonight

I binged and loved it! I’d recommend giving it time for the characters to develop before writing it off.
I’ve known characters like this in my life and this is a depiction of a lot of them.

People are making far too much of the menopause aspect of the drama. It isn’t all about that by any means. How many episodes have the people being critical bothered to watch?

Even if some of the women are through menopause and out the other side, they may well have experienced some debilitating symptoms along the way.

The women write a song about the pain and mess of childbirth too but four of them are past childbearing age.

However old they are meant to be playing in the drama, they are all working women: teacher, publican, police officers, midwife and singer/barworker, juggling work alongside all the pressures that life brings with messy relationships, family members young and old.

One of the most poignant moments was when Kitty was noodling on Beth's piano with Joni Mitchell’s A Case of You. Anybody who knows the lyrics will understand the relevance of that in the context of the drama ... and shows that Kitty can sing more than Alanis Morissette-angry (although I'd love to hear her sing You Oughta Know).

I loved it.

Loved it! Finally something not police based. Brilliant cast and writing. Sally Wainwright is so talented.

I loved it, I’ve watched 2 eps and can’t wait to see the rest.

Quite enjoyed it, but did feel the opening suicide scene was unnecessary and very difficult to watch for many.

I think it's absolutely excellent and binge watched all episodes. Thoroughly enjoyed it and really good acting especially from Kitty/Rosalie Craig who is a really good singer. Also loved the dramatic ending.

MollyNew

Allira

What put me off is that the actresses are nearly all too old for the parts.

Do you think so? They're mainly in their late 50's or early 60's. I think Joanna Scanlan looks pretty good for 63.

So not menopausal.

Living in the area where it was filmed it’s a relief to me to watch something by Sally Wainwright which is less consciously about Calderdale although she couldn’t resist a line where Kitty is urged to get the bus to Hebden Bridge and then into Halifax. Although I recognise places where it was filmed I haven’t yet been irritated by the misnaming and misrepresenting of places with which I’m familiar as I was in Last Tango and Happy Valley where I found the unrelenting focus on place a real barrier to enjoying the story. People like the Riot Woman characters do live here but I don’t believe they aren’t to be found elsewhere and that the themes aren’t universal in nature. And yes it wasn’t fun to live here whilst it was being filmed. Huge areas of car parks taken up by filming crews many of whom were quite rude and inconsiderate, If you really want to see where it was filmed come by public transport as there’s very little parking at the best of times.

I lasted 45 minutes and that was a struggle.

Allira

What put me off is that the actresses are nearly all too old for the parts.

Do you think so? They're mainly in their late 50's or early 60's. I think Joanna Scanlan looks pretty good for 63.

What put me off is that the actresses are nearly all too old for the parts.

I agree with ViceVersa. I get frustrated with some women who have very few problems with periods and menopause but think those of us who do are making a fuss over nothing.

I'm glad we live in more enlightened times where these issues can be openly discussed rather than women feeling they have to soldier on in silence.

Allsorts

I never had a menopause, wasn't mentioned when I worked as periods weren't, mine were excessive and caused misery but I never even told my mom, so all the attention it gets now seems extreme. Will watch it, however the one person I find believable and could identify with, is Beth and her relationship with son Tom, the others not so but no doubt many like them.. I became a bit invisible when I turned 70 but that has its advantages. So most appear too old for the menopause but too young to be invisible.

Good for you. Spare a thought for those of us who weren't so fortunate. Personally, I think it's a good thing that menopause is now receiving more attention and is talked about more freely. Many people seem to think its just a case of no more periods and maybe hot flushes, but for some of us, it's so much more. It almost drove me to the brink of suicide - and I'm not being melodramatic.

Aveline

Sally Wainwright only wrote it - BBC funded it and cast it.

Are you a writer yourself?