A new drama series from the creator of Happy Valley with “twists and turns aplenty” has been announced by the BBC.
Written and executive produced by Sally Wainwright, who is the BAFTA-winning writer of the smash-hit BBC series Happy Valley, and co-produced by the creative team behind another one of the BBC‘s hugely-successful series, Doctor Foster, comes “a celebration of women of a certain age” in the form of a new six-part drama series called Hot Flush.
The highly-anticipated new series was announced at the Edinburgh TV Festival last week.
📢 New Sally Wainwright drama alert!
Hot Flush centres on the lives of five women of a certain age who create a makeshift, butt-of-the-joke punk-rock band in order to enter a talent contest – and discover they have a lot more to say
Just like Happy Valley, Hot Flush is set in West Yorkshire – particularly in the popular picturesque town of Hebden Bridge.
Hot Flush centres on the lives of “five women of a certain age” who come together to create a “makeshift and butt-of-the-joke” punk-rock band so they can enter a talent contest, but when they rehearse together, they end up discovering that they acually have a lot more to say than they ever imagined.
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The story follows the women as they deal with everything from demanding jobs, and grown-up children who eat up their energy, to dependent parents, husbands who’ve let them down, and the menopause.
Hot Flush will be set in the West Yorkshire town of Hebden Bridge / Credit: Flickr
The band, therefore, becomes “a catalyst for change in the women’s lives”, according to the BBC.
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As the story progresses, the five women find that “it’s more than music that binds them” as they discover a “deeply potent, long-buried secret” connects them, it’s a secret that could “tear everything apart”.
Sally Wainwright says she’s been wanting to write a series like this “for a long time”, and has admitted it’s her “personal homage” to those who “woke me up to what I wanted to do with my life when I was 13”.
The Director of BBC Drama, Lindsay Salt, has called Hot Flush a “vital story”.
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The new six-part drama is written by Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright / Credit: BBC
“We’re so excited to have the magnificent Sally Wainwright back writing on the BBC, with the brilliant Drama Republic team producing,” Lindsay commented.
“Hot Flush is a sharply observed, vibrant and vital story of five very different women at the same stage in their lives, joined together by their love of music.
“But that’s just the start.
“As you’d expect from Sally – there are twists and turns aplenty to keep viewers enthralled.”
Hot Flush is set to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with official release dates set to be confirmed in due course.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
TV & Showbiz
Major Greater Manchester names on lineup as BBC Comedy Festival heads north for 2026
Emily Sergeant
The BBC’s popular comedy festival heading up north next month, and there’s some major local names on the lineup.
Previously held in other major cities like Belfast, Glasgow, Cardiff, and Newcastle but this year pitching up in Liverpool, the BBC Comedy Festival is opportunity for those working in the TV industry to get together, discuss, and celebrate comedy.
Bolton‘s finest Diane Morgan, alongside other northern names like John Bishop, Lee Mack, Sir Michael Palin, and Sue Johnston are among a stellar lineup of comedy talent taking part in next month’s festival, as well as other big names like Ruth Jones, James Corden, Gbemisola Ikumelo, and the creators and producers of hit BBC show Amandaland.
Talent on the lineup will take part in a selection of talks, panels, screenings, and live comedy shows across the two days – with many events also being open to the public to attend.
Sir Michael Palin and Lee Mack are two major names appearing at BBC Comedy Festival 2026 / Credit: Wikimedia Commons (Ralph PH | Amanda Benson)
Last year’s BBC Comedy Festival proved to be a big success, with 16 panels and masterclasses, and more than 70 comedy names taking to the stage.
The BBC says the 2026 festival in Liverpool – which is set to take place on 13 and 14 May – ‘marks the start’ of expanded script‑development opportunities across the North West, with more details to come.
Alongside some of the more household names on the lineup, other comedians set to appear this year include Ash Atalla, Jessica Knappett, Philippa Dunne, Michael Odewale, Emma Garrett, David Mumemi, and Simon Mayhew Archer, among many others.
Speaking ahead of the festival next month, Jon Petrie, who is the Director of Comedy at the BBC, said: “Liverpool has funny bones and a rich culture of producing top tier comedy creatives, so we’re delighted to be bringing the BBC Comedy Festival 2026 to the city.
“Comedy occupies a unique place in the television industry and British culture.
“It’s important that we provide a forum that brings together some of the best comedy minds to celebrate and discuss the success of the sector now and in the future.”
Featured Image – BBC / Al Campbell
TV & Showbiz
Morrissey claims sole credit for The Smiths’ iconic Salford Lads’ Club photo shoot idea
Danny Jones
Morrissey is once again raising the issue of credit and disputes over The Smiths’ legacy, as the controversial former frontman has now claimed that their iconic photo shoot outside of Salford Lads’ Club was entirely his idea.
The 66-year-old lead singer turned solo star from Urmston is no stranger to sparking debates and attracting controversy, and it seems his latest is to do with one of the most iconic images in British music history, let alone just Greater Manchester.
The Davyhulme-born bard and divisive artist goes on to claim that the other co-founding members of the iconic Manc band initially viewed as more of his “lunacy” – the suggestion seemingly being (as it often is with Morrissey) that they simply didn’t understand the ‘genius’ at the time.
Many of his most die-hard fans still believe that most don’t and never will.
He even jokes that, in another life, it could very well have been something entirely different and random, such as the Kellogg’s factory in Trafford, basically suggesting that other members would have simply followed suit.
In his words, he argues that “now millions of people come from all over the world to be photographed on that very spot, it is claimed as a Smiths idea. It wasn’t, it isn’t, and it never shall be.”
Once again, this is by no means the first time he’s called into question, ‘who did what’ and/or who owns what bit of intellectual property; in fact, there was apparently another one of these instances with Johnny Marr only recently.
‘Moz’ and Marr have been at loggerheads pretty much ever since the group disbanded back in 1987, and still look to be far away from seeing eye to eye on virtually anything.
Emily Sergeant -
29th August 2023 
