BBC Four orders new Jessica Hynes comedy ‘Up the Women’

Posted Filed under

Written by and starring Jessica Hynes (Spaced, Twenty Twelve), Up the Women also stars Rebecca Front (Nighty Night), Vicki Pepperdine (Getting On), Judy Parfitt (Call The Midwife); Georgia Groome (Angus, Thongs And Perfect Snogging), Ryan Sampson (Wire In The Blood), Adrian Scarborough (Gavin & Stacey) and The News Quiz host Sandi Toksvig.

The official synopsis reads: “It’s 1910 and Margaret (Jessica Hynes) has been to London and discovered the Women’s Suffrage movement. She decides they need to set up their own movement in Banbury, and ‘The Banbury Intricate Craft Circle’, based in the church hall, becomes the ineffectual ‘Banbury Intricate Craft Circle politely request women’s Suffrage’. Gwen (Vicki Pepperdine) is the only member who actually enjoys the craft element of the meetings, while Helen (Rebecca Front) thinks that craft is, a little, unnecessary, but she’s not interested in women’s rights: ‘What on earth do women need a vote for? My husband votes for who I tell him to vote for. What could be a better system than that?’”

Mark Freeland, Head of BBC In-house Comedy Production, commented: “If I wore a big hat with fruit on it and a hooped skirt, I would laugh them both off. Jessica Hynes has created a wonderful comic world, where over their embroidery, life is about to change for the women of Banbury.”

> Buy Twenty Twelve on DVD on Amazon.

Are you looking forward to Up the Women? Let us know below…