7 gripping Sally Wainwright dramas to binge-watch if you loved Riot Women

This five-season series is BBC drama at its finest, and became the UK's highest-rated new mid-week television drama of the year in 2012. 

Starring Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid, the first season follows lost flames Alan and Celia, who reconnect in their 70s over Facebook. After reuniting, the pair realise their feelings for each other are just as strong as before, and the show explores "the uplifting power of love at any age". But their reunion isn't without its trials, as Alan’s daughter Gillian (Nicola Walker) and Celia’s daughter Caroline (Sarah Lancashire) couldn't be more different, and while they'd never want to interfere in their parents' happiness, merging two families isn't plain sailing. 

Dubbed "a triumph against TV's ageism" by The Daily Telegraph, Last Tango in Halifax went on to win a BAFTA for Best Drama Series in 2013, and Sally won a BAFTA Craft Award for Best Writer.

Suranne Jones fans have Sally Wainwright to thank for some of her most iconic performances. The duo have collaborated on multiple projects – most notably Scott & Bailey and Gentleman Jack – but one of their lesser-known gems is Unforgiven.

Told over three episodes, the show follows Ruth Slater, a woman released from prison after serving 15 years for the murder of two police officers as a teenager. While Ruth attempts to rebuild her life and reconnect with her sister Katie – who was adopted and has no memory of her – she's constantly plagued by her past, living in a society that refuses to accept her and becoming the target of a revenge plot created by the sons of one of her victims. 

Sally won the Royal Television Society (RTS) Writer of the Year Award for Unforgiven, and the series itself won Best Drama Series or Serial at the 2009 RTS Programme Awards.

I remember cosying up to watch Scott & Bailey when I was a teenager, and it soon became one of my favourite police dramas. 

Starring the dream-team duo Suranne Jones and Lesley Sharp, the five-season series explores the lives of detectives Janet Scott (played by Lesley) and Rachel Bailey (played by Suranne), who work under DCI Gill Murray (Amelia Bullmore) at the Syndicate Nine Major Incident Team in Manchester. Often featuring twisty murder cases, the series was praised for Sally's ability to make "the traditionally dull quality of professional competence seem positively thrilling" by The Daily Telegraph.

Not only did the show feature some of the greatest plotlines, but it also earned multiple BAFTA nominations and currently has a stellar 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Offering something a little different, To Walk Invisible was a television film which aired on BBC One back in 2016. 

Set in 1845, the historical drama charts the lives of the infamous Brontë family, made up of sisters Charlotte, Emily, Anne and their brother, Branwell. When Branwell is dismissed from his job as a tutor after having an affair with the mistress of the house, Charlotte sees a way of writing their way out of their troubles. Starring Finn Atkins, Chloe Pirrie and Charlie Murphy as the three sisters, the cast also includes Jonathan Pryce, James Norton and Joe Armstrong and boasts an 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

To Walk Invisible won Sally a Broadcasting Press Guild Award nomination for Best Writer, so if you're a fan of the Brontës – or know nothing about them – this one is for you.

Deviating from her usual modern dramas, Sally has even tried her hand at writing historical fantasy – and this action drama was an instant hit with fans, achieving a score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Starring Derry Girls actress Louisa Harland, this eight-parter follows "quick-witted" Nell, who accidentally finds herself one of 18th century England's greatest outlaws after being framed for murder. But not all is lost, as Nell has a magical sprite, Billy Blind, who helps her realise her destiny is bigger than she once thought. Despite being cancelled after one season, the show was a huge success with fans. 

Not only is Renegade Nell penned by Sally, but it's directed by Ben Taylor – who worked on hit shows like Sex Education, Joy and Catastrophe – and features a stacked cast including Adrian Lester, Nick Mohammed and Pip Torrens.  

From 18th-century historical fantasy to 19th-century taboo, Sally has covered all the genres. Gentleman Jack is based on the real-life diaries of Anne Lister, a landowner and industrialist who was dubbed the "first modern lesbian". 

In true Sally Wainwright fashion, the drama is set in Yorkshire and stars Suranne Jones once again – this time as Anne, who returns to her ancestral home, Shibden Hall, determined to restore its fortune – and find a wife.

Nicknamed "Gentleman Jack" by her neighbours for her masculine style and fiercely independent spirit, Anne embarks on a passionate love affair with heiress Ann Walker (Sophie Rundle). In the same style as Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag, Anne's character constantly breaks the fourth wall by addressing viewers right to the camera – which proved popular with audiences as it scored a 92% core on Rotten Tomatoes. It also won a Royal Television Society Award for Best Drama Series in 2020.

Would it really be a Sally Wainwright roundup without including Happy Valley? This epic three-season crime drama is one of Sally's most famous works, and earned her multiple awards, including BAFTAs for Best Drama Series and Best Writer, an Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Episode in a TV Series and a Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Drama Writer.

This one is HELLO!'s Acting TV Editor Nicky Morris's favourite. She said: "Sally Wainwright is an excellent storyteller. She created, in my opinion, one of the best crime dramas of all time with Happy Valley, which follows grieving mother and police officer, Sergeant Catherine Cawood (brilliantly portrayed by Sarah Lancashire), as she comes to terms with the loss of her daughter Becky and navigates her intense loathing of Tommy Lee Royce, the man she believes responsible for Becky's death. This funny and brutal drama is a must-watch."