Enjoying Riot Women? Here are five other brilliant Sally Wainwright dramas to binge next
Check out the Queen of British drama's incredible back catalogueRiot Women has landed like a punk rock juggernaut on our screens, and it’s yet another notch on Sally Wainwright’s career bedpost.
Real women, real issues is Sally Wainwright’s winning recipe when it comes to penning a hit British drama. The BAFTA-winning writer is currently entertaining viewers with her latest offering Riot Women on BBC. And she’s once again turned to the likes of female powerhouses Joanna Scanlan and Amelia Bullmore to bring her brilliant storytelling to screen.
The good news is there’s plenty of other Sally Wainwright dramas to sink your teeth into. Especially if you’ve already blitzed all six episodes of Riot Women. From the much-lauded Happy Valley to two Suranne Jones-led shows, we’ve rounded up the writer’s winning back catalogue to help you find your next binge.
Sally Wainwright drama Happy Valley
Happy Valley is arguably Sally Wainwright’s most famous and critically-acclaimed drama to date. The police series picked up the BAFTA award two years in a row for Best Drama Series. The show put James Norton on the map and confirmed Sarah Lancashire’s status as a national treasure. And fans were thrilled when the show returned for a final third series in 2023 after a seven year hiatus.
Happy Valley was set in the Calder Valley and centred on Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Lancashire), a married-to-the-job, hardcore copper whose personal history intercepted with her professional life. Season one saw her deal with the aftermath of Tommy Lee Royce’s (Norton) release from prison. He had been serving time for the rape of her late daughter Becky and was father to her grandson Ryan (Rhys Connah).
Add to the mix a recovering drug addict sister (Siobhan Finneran) and a complicated relationship with her ex-husband Richard (Derek Riddell) – and you couldn’t help but sympathise with and champion Cawood.
In addition to Lancashire and Norton’s stellar performances, the BBC drama also featured appearances from Katherine Kelly, Shirley Henderson, and Riot Women’s Amelia Bullmore. Steve Pemberton, Downton Abbey’s Kevin Doyle and Peaky Blinders star Sophie Rundell also starred.
Happy Valley remains one of the best series to EVER land on our screens.
Last Tango in Halifax
This beloved Sally Wainwright drama (and another BAFTA-winning series) saw Sally Wainwright team up for the first time with Sarah Lancashire. The all-star cast was enough of a draw to give Last Tango in Halifax a go. As well as Lancashire, the famous faces included The Split and Unforgotten actress Nicola Walker, plus TV stalwart Anne Reid and theatre heavyweight Sir Derek Jacobi.
The story – set again in the Calder Valley – centred on widowers Celia Dawson (Reid) and Alan Buttershaw (Jacobi) who reconnected in their late seventies. The pair were pally in the 1950s, with a hint of something more. But neither one ever expressed their true feelings at the time. Their reunion in present day saw the two finally get their chance at a romantic relationship. But it wasn’t without its challenges. Alan’s daughter Gillian (Walker) and Celia’s daughter Caroline (Lancashire) both needed time to adjust and address their own issues.
The story was loosely based on Sally’s mother, who remarried an old school friend after reconnecting with him on Friends Reunited. Sally also confirmed that her mum was a huge fan of the character Celia on which she was based on.
Last Tango in Halifax ran for five seasons and all episodes are available to watch online for free now.
Sally Wainwright drama Scott & Bailey
ITV crime drama Scott & Bailey was one of Sally Wainwright’s earliest TV dramas. And it gave us a taste of the strong, flawed yet fabulous women synonymous to her brand. The show was named after the two female police officers it followed. They cracked cases and navigated their personal dramas while working together at the fictional Manchester Metropolitan Police.
The Full Monty’s Lesley Sharp starred as Detective Constable Janet Scott with Vigil and Frauds’ Suranne Jones as Acting Detective Inspector Rachel Bailey. Riot Women’s Amelia Bullmore portrayed their boss Detective Chief Inspector Gill Murray.
The idea for the show initially came from Suranne Jones and her fellow ex-Coronation Street colleague Sally Lindsay (who starred as Jones’ on-screen sister in the series). Producer Nicola Shindler asked Sally Wainwright to pen the script and the rest is history!
Scott & Bailey aired in 2011 and ran for five seasons on ITV. It was cancelled for “creative reasons” in 2016.
Gentleman Jack
Another Sally Wainwright drama with another cast reunion. This time, Sally worked again with British drama darling Suranne Jones. Set in 1830s Yorkshire, Gentleman Jack was a retelling of the real life of Anne Lister (played by Jones). A 19th century landowner with a penchant for masculine power dressing, she enjoyed a secret romance with Ann Walker (Sophie Rundle).
The real Anne Lister recorded details of her relationship with Walker and her other lesbian affairs in a diary, that was cryptically written in code, concealing it from negative societal attitudes at the time. Sally Wainwright’s script was largely based on her diaries.
Gentleman Jack ran for two seasons but was axed in July 2022 to much disappointment from fans. Many viewers praised the show for championing the LGBTQ+ community and shining a light on a historical queer figure who might otherwise have been forgotten.
Riot Woman’s Joanna Scanlan also starred in Gentleman Jack, with other notable cast members including Timothy West and Katherine Kelly.
Renegade Nell
Renegade Nell was a Sally Wainwright drama with a difference, fusing period drama with fantasy. Nell Jackson (played by Derry Girls star Louisa Hadland) played a young widower turned highwaywoman with some supernatural powers to boot. She instilled fear into her male contemporaries on account of her new single status and swashbuckling escapades.
The show was loosely based on another historical trailblazer – Buckinghamshire-based Susan Higges who became a highwaywoman. She enjoyed two decades of crime on the road.
The Celebrity Traitors and Ted Lasso actor Nick Mohammed appearred as Billy Blind, a fairy that granted Nell her powers in the drama. Meanwhile, Trigger Point‘s Adrian Lester also appeared. Renegade Nell aired in 2024 and was cancelled after one season.
Although it didn’t quite achieve the acclaim of Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack, this is a must watch for Sally Wainwright fans.
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