5 TV dramas by writer Sally Wainwright to watch if you loved BBC's Riot Women
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Riot Women new BBC trailer

If you binge-watched the BBC’s latest hit, “Riot Women,” like many others, you’re likely on the hunt for your next TV fix from the brilliant mind of screenwriter Sally Wainwright.

Renowned for her talent in creating compelling series with strong female leads, Wainwright’s work, including “Riot Women,” highlights her exceptional storytelling skills.

All six one-hour episodes of the series are currently available on iPlayer, and many viewers have already indulged in a marathon viewing session. Fortunately, Sally Wainwright has an impressive repertoire of other dramas such as “Happy Valley,” “Gentleman Jack,” and “Last Tango in Halifax” for fans to explore.

Below, we present a list of five more TV series crafted by Sally Wainwright, along with information on where you can stream each one for your entertainment…

Last Tango in Halifax

Last Tango in Halifax l

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Featuring Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid, Last Tango in Halifax delivers a romantic comedy guaranteed to leave you chuckling whilst tugging at your emotions.

The programme follows the tale of Celia (Reid) and Alan (Jacobi), two former childhood sweethearts who are both widowed and in their seventies.

Their grandsons upload their profiles to a social networking platform, enabling them to reconnect and reignite their romance after six decades apart.

Last Tango in Halifax earned widespread acclaim for its portrayal of senior citizens from both critics and audiences, with the programme hailed as a “triumph against TV’s ageism” following its 2012 debut.

The series unfolds in Yorkshire and also features Sarah Lancashire and Nicola Walker, reports the Mirror.

Last Tango in Halifax can be streamed on BBC iPlayer.

Scott & Bailey

Scott & Bailey

Scott & Bailey premiered in 2011 (Image: ITV)

The British police drama Scott and Bailey first graced our screens in 2011, earning high praise from critics. The show ran for five series before ending in 2016, leaving fans wanting more.

Scott and Bailey offers a deep dive into the personal and professional lives of detectives Janet Scott and Rachel Bailey, both part of the fictional Manchester Metropolitan Police’s Syndicate Nine Major Incident Team (MIT).

The series features an impressive cast, including Suranne Jones, Lesley Sharp, Amelia Bullmore, Nicholas Gleaves, Danny Miller and Pippa Haywood.

The original concept was the brainchild of Suranne and Sally Lindsay, with Sally Wainwright joining forces with Diane Taylor, a former detective inspector, to bring the series to life.

All five series of Scott and Bailey are available to stream on ITVX.

Happy Valley

Sarah Lancashire

Sarah Lancashire stars in Happy Valley (Image: BBC/Lookout Point/Matt Squire)

Happy Valley is another successful crime drama from the pen of Sally, featuring Sarah Lancashire, James Norton and Siobhan Finneran.

The show first aired in 2014 and wrapped up in 2023, with three series broadcast on BBC One.

Sarah shines as Catherine Cawood, a divorced police sergeant based in Halifax, West Yorkshire. She’s still grappling with her daughter’s suicide eight years prior and is now raising her grandson, Ryan, who was born after her daughter was raped by Tommy Lee Royce (Norton).

The description for the first series continues: “Just when it seems like Catherine is gaining control over her life, she discovers that Tommy, whom she holds responsible for her daughter’s suicide, has been released from prison after serving time for other offences.

“Catherine becomes consumed by the idea of confronting him, unaware that Tommy is involved in a criminal organisation with the intention of kidnapping Anne Gallagher, the daughter of a wealthy businessman, for ransom.”

Happy Valley is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Gentleman Jack

Gentleman Jack

Gentleman Jack is a historical drama (Image: BBC/Lookout Point/HBO/Jay Brooks)

If crime dramas or romantic comedies aren’t your cup of tea, then perhaps acclaimed period drama Gentleman Jack might be more appealing.

Set in Yorkshire during the 1830s, Gentleman Jack chronicles the tale of landowner and industrialist Anne Lister and fellow estate owner, Ann Walker, who subsequently becomes Anne’s spouse.

The programme draws from Anne’s extensive personal journals, which record a lifetime of romantic entanglements.

Suranne Jones portrays Anne whilst Sophie Walker takes on the role of Ann.

They are accompanied by Joe Armstrong, Amelia Bullmore, Rosie Cavaliero, Gemma Whelan, Gemma Jones, Timothy West and Tom Lewis in the production.

A synopsis of Gentleman Jack states: “In 1832, Miss Anne Lister leaves Hastings brokenhearted and returns to the Shibden Hall estate she has inherited from her uncle in the lush landscape of Halifax, West Yorkshire, England.

“While restoring the estate she discovers that her neighbours, the Rawson brothers, are stealing coal from the beds beneath her land and embarks on a plan to reopen the estate’s own long-closed mine.

“At the same time this unusual lady landowner starts to develop a potentially dangerous romance with Miss Ann Walker, wealthy owner of Crow Nest estate, all of which she records in a cryptic diary.”

Gentleman Jack can be streamed via BBC iPlayer.

Renegade Nell

Renegade Nell

Renegade Nell was released on Disney Plus last year (Image: Disney )

Renegade Nell is a fantasy-action series developed for Disney+, which premiered back in March 2024. The show, written by Sally and produced by Lookout Point, only ran for one season.

Louisa Harland stars in the leading role of Nell Jackson, with Adrian Lester, Nick Mohammed, Bo Bragason, Enyi Okoronkwo and Craig Parkinson also starring.

A description of Renegade Nell reads: “Set in a fantasy version of 18th-century England, Nell Jackson becomes a highwaywoman, and the most feared person in the country, after being framed for murder. With the help of a magical sprite called Billy Blind, Nell realises that her destiny is bigger than she ever imagined.”

Renegade Nell is available to watch on Disney+.

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