Nida Manzoor’s award-winning, bold music comedy We Are Lady Parts recommissioned for a second series

22 November 2021

Critically acclaimed comedy series from NBCUniversal International Studios’ Working Title Television

Creator, Writer and Director Nida Manzoor to receive this year’s prestigious Rose D’Or Emerging Talent Award    

 

 

4 Stars “deftly observed comedy”

The Guardian

“an elegantly timed, beautifully written comedy”

Sunday Times Culture

“a joyful dismantling of Muslim stereotypes”

The Daily Telegraph

“a riotous comedy that’s unlike anything you’ve seen before”

VOGUE

 

Nida Manzoor’s (Doctor Who, Enterprice, Hounslow Diaries) award-winning and critically acclaimed comedy series We Are Lady Parts has been recommissioned for a second series for Channel 4. Series two will also launch on Peacock in the US.

Series one explored the highs and lows of the band, named Lady Parts, as seen through the eyes of Amina Hussain (played by Anjana Vasan) – a geeky microbiology PhD student, on the lookout for love. Amina is recruited to be the bands’ unlikely lead guitarist. Lady Parts’ fierce and enigmatic frontwoman Saira (Sarah Kameela Impey) sees something in Amina and uses her desperation to find a husband as leverage, offering to set her up with potential matches if she agreed to join the band. Amina soon gets swept up in their joyful, anarchic energy and punk spirit. But she’s caught between two different worlds – her more strait-laced uni friends and the band, who urge her to find her voice. Series one ended with the band reuniting on stage, following an exposing interview, for a kick-ass performance. With the support of her fellow band members, Amina manages to overcome her vomit-inducing stage fright and takes her place on centre stage, where she belongs - much to the delight of their newly found adoring fans!

We Are Lady Parts has received critical acclaim since it launched earlier this year. The series won the prestigious 2021 Edinburgh TV Award for Best Comedy Series and Nida Manzoor was recently announced as the recipient of the illustrious 2021 Rose d’Or Emerging Talent Award, with the show also receiving a nomination for the Rose d’Or Comedy Drama & Sitcom award.

The series is also nominated for five upcoming RTS Craft & Design awards, including “Casting” and “Costume Design – Drama” in addition to two Gotham Awards, including “Breakthrough Series – Short Format (under 40 minutes)” and “Outstanding Performance in a New Series” (Anjana Vasan). Winners for the RTS Craft & Design Awards will be announced on Monday 22nd November in London. The Gotham Awards will be announced on Monday 29th November in New York. The series reached and has sustained a “Certified Fresh” status on Rotten Tomatoes, with the Top Critic rating remaining at a highly coveted 100%.   

Fiona McDermott, Head of Comedy, Channel 4: “We Are Lady Parts is the rallying cry from a fearlessly funny, contemporary and dial-shifting comedy that felt uniquely Channel 4 at its heart. The show deftly took big ideas around identity, representation, gender and creativity and wrapped them up in a truly original and hilarious show full of love, romance and sisterly power.   From one of the most inventive and ambitious writer-directors around, we’re so delighted to be working with Nida, the exceptional cast and team at Working Title Television, NBCUniversal International Studios and our brilliant partners at Peacock to bring this back again.”

Nida Manzoor, Writer, Creator and Director: “I feel so incredibly lucky and excited to have the opportunity to make a second series of We Are Lady Parts. I can’t wait to delve back into the world of the band and go deeper into their lives. Expect more high jinks, more music, and more flights of fancy. SPARTA!” 

Surian Fletcher-Jones, Executive Producer, Working Title Television: “I’m so proud of We Are Lady Parts – for its wit, its inventiveness and its representation – and I’m absolutely thrilled that we’re getting to make another season. Nida has got so much to say about contemporary life, and she’s found the perfect vehicle with this show to express her unique and inspiring world view. I can’t wait to share Nida’s vision for season two.” 

The first series of We Are Lady Parts was written, created and directed by Nida Manzoor. The series is produced by Working Title Television, which is part of NBCUniversal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group. Series two was commissioned for Channel 4 by Fiona McDermott, Head of Comedy, and Laura Riseam, Commissioning Executive. Executive Producers for Working Title Television are Surian Fletcher-Jones, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. We Are Lady Parts is distributed by NBCUniversal Global Distribution.

 

ENDS

ABOUT SEASON ONE: 

WE ARE LADY PARTS shows the highs and lows of the band – Lady Parts – as seen through the eyes of Amina Hussain – a geeky microbiology PhD student, who’s on the lookout for love and is recruited to be their unlikely lead guitarist. Lady Parts’ fierce and enigmatic frontwoman Saira sees something in Amina. However, the other members – taxi-driving drummer Ayesha, cartoon-drawing bassist and backing vocalist Bisma and the band’s wheeler-dealer band manager Momtaz – are not convinced she is right for their band. Amina has never met girls like this before, and she’s soon swept up in their joyful, anarchic energy and punk spirit. But she becomes torn and caught up between two different worlds – that of her more strait-laced university friends led by her bestie Noor and the world of Lady Parts. Will she be the key to the band’s success? And - will she finally find a husband?  

Season one featured Anjana Vasan (Amina Hussain), Sarah Kameela Impey (Saira), Juliette Motamed (Ayesha), Faith Omole (Bisma), Lucie Shorthouse (Momtaz), Zaqi Ismail (Ahsan) and Aiysha Hart (Noor)