Watch a Hilarious New Look at Sally Wainwright’s ‘Riot Women’ Before Rocking BritBox [Exclusive]

As fans of happy valley And Mister Jack will know, Sally Wainwright is one of the UK’s best writers. With her characteristic eye for a detailed, twisty story that manages to be both moving and hilarious, Wainwright is no stranger to critical acclaim, with her latest series, which will debut in the US in BritBox on January 14, 2026, already receiving praise from critics and audiences following its arrival in the UK. As the series inches closer to arriving in the US, we’ve teamed up with BritBox to bring you a sneak peek of the jaw-dropping musical action as part of Exclusive preview from Collider event.

Our exclusive preview below gives a glimpse of the brilliant mix of politically cutting humor and drama at the heart of Riot womenas well as sharing a pivotal moment in the creation of the group as ananaanna(To go up) Beth Thornton discovers the idea. With Scanlan, Rosalie Craig (The Pod generation), Tamsin Greig (Belgravia), Lorraine Ashbourne (After the flood), And Amélie Bullmore (twenty twelve), and also featuring a stellar ensemble including artists like Anne Reid (Last tango in Halifax), Sue Johnston (Downton Abbey), Peter Davison (All creatures great and small), Claire Skinner (The trial), and much more, Riot women tells the energetic story of a group of middle-aged, menopausal women who break boundaries and stereotypes to form a punk rock band. A synopsis of the series reads:

“Set in Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, Riot Women centers around five women who come together to create a makeshift punk-rock band and enter a local talent competition. But when it comes to writing their first song, the women soon discover they have a lot more to say than they thought. As they juggle life’s challenges, demanding jobs, grown children, aging parents, ex-husbands and relationships, the group becomes a catalyst for change in all of their lives, and the ripple effect is seemingly endless With each episode, a long-buried secret begins to surface, entangling the women in an improbable and complex web that threatens to tear everything apart, including the group.

Will “Riot Women” return for a second season?

Before the series even began broadcast on BritBox, it was rumored that the BBC wanted to greenlight it for a second installment, and such was the universally positive response from audiences and critics alike. Reportedly, it is only a matter of time before the official announcement is made, although the BBC is yet to make an official comment. In a previous interview, star Craig said: “Oh, it definitely doesn’t seem final. And I know there’s a lot of desire to have another season. I’m definitely not done with Kitty, so I’d like to start again.”

Riot women premieres on BritBox on January 14, 2026. Be sure to stay tuned to Collider for all updates from Exclusive preview from Collider featuring the hottest movies and TV shows arriving this winter.