Pilot TV Riot Women, The Iris Affair, and Monster: The Ed Gein Story. With guests Sally Wainwright, Adjani Salmon & Ali Hughes
Oct 13, 2025
Sally Wainwright, the acclaimed writer behind Happy Valley, dives into her new BBC series Riot Women, exploring themes like midlife and dementia. Adjani Salmon, creator and star of Dreaming Whilst Black, shares insights into the show's development and character arcs for its second season, alongside co-writer Ali Hughes. They discuss the vitality of satire in modern storytelling. Plus, they critique the true crime approach of Netflix's Monster, featuring Ed Gein, sparking debates over storytelling ethics. A riveting conversation!
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Use Composites To Capture Industry Truths
- Base fictional industry characters on broad real behaviours but avoid claiming specific real-life scenes are direct copies.
- Use composite experiences to make industry satire feel accurate without naming individual incidents.
Mixing Genres To Serve Different Storylines
- Ajani described structuring Dreaming Whilst Black as multi-genre: sitcom beats for Maurice and Fumi, rom-com arc for Quabs and Vanessa.
- That allowed the show to deliver laugh-out-loud comedy alongside thoughtful character threads.
Writing From Midlife And Learning Drums
- Sally Wainwright said Riot Women sprang from personal midlife experiences: caregiving, bodily change and the desire for creative rebirth.
- She learned drums and had the cast train so the band performances would be authentic on screen.
