| Genre: | Sitcom |
| Creator: | Nida Manzoor |
| Director: | Nida Manzoor |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Num Series: | 2 |
| Num Episodes: | 12 |
| Producer: | John Pocock |
| Camera: | Single-camera |
| Runtime: | 24–25 minutes |
| Company: | Working Title Television |
| Network: |
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We Are Lady Parts is a British television sitcom created, written, and directed by Nida Manzoor. The series follows a British punk rock band named Lady Parts, which consists entirely of Muslim women.
After airing as a 14-minute pilot on 21 December 2018 on Channel 4, it was commissioned for a six-episode series co-produced with Peacock, which premiered 20 May 2021.[1] The show has been nominated for multiple accolades including two prizes at the Gotham Awards and a Rose d'Or award.[2] In November 2021, creator Nida Manzoor received the Rose d'Or Emerging Talent Award for her work on the show.[3] [4]
An all-female Muslim punk band in the UK takes inspiration from London's rich and diverse collection of cultures. Friendships, relationships and cultural differences are navigated as the band seeks musical success.[5] [6]
The final episode featured several musicians from outside the production:
Lady Parts was first ordered as pilot for Channel 4's "Comedy Blaps" strand in mid 2018.[8] The 14-minute pilot premiered later the same year.[9] [10]
Shez Manzoor scored the show. The commissioned series contains both original punk songs and cover tracks. Nida Manzoor wrote and adapted this music alongside her siblings Shez and Sanya Manzoor and Benni Fregin.[11] [12] The actors in the show all play their own instruments,[13] although some had to learn specifically in order to perform on the show.[14] Manzoor explained that "the band's music is such an intrinsic part of the show. Through the music, we see the characters in their element and singing their truth, capturing them in all their joy and silliness. This soundtrack is best enjoyed turned up to eleven, headbanging alone in one's bedroom".[15]
We Are Lady Parts premiered on Channel 4 on 20 May 2021, with all episodes simultaneously becoming available for streaming on All 4. In November 2021, Peacock and Channel 4 announced that a second series had been commissioned.[16] Series 2 includes cameos from education activist Malala Yousafzai and comedian Meera Syal.[17]
Series 1 premiered on 21 May 2021 on Stan (Australia) and Sky New Zealand and later on Peacock (United States) on 3 June 2021 and Showcase (Canada) on 9 June 2021. Series 2 premiered on 30 May 2024 on Peacock (United States) and Channel 4 (United Kingdom) with all episodes made available for streaming on both platforms.[18] [19]
On Rotten Tomatoes, series 1 has a score of 100% based on 48 critics with an average rating of 8.20 out of 10. The critical consensus reads, "Infectious energy, great songs, and a magnetic cast come together to make We Are Lady Parts a rocking comedy that is as subversive as it is hilarious".[20] On Metacritic, series 1 has a score of 83 out of 100 based on 17 reviews indicating "universal acclaim".[21]
Radhika Seth from Vogue described the series as a "riotous comedy that's unlike anything you've seen before"; they stated that it "hinges on a quintet of note-perfect performances".[22] The Financial Times discussed that "progressive representations highlight a truth about being a modern-day Muslim: you can be both God-fearing and weed-smoking; disorderly and devotional. Far from a clash, these things reflect a cultural mish-mash of the tangled and contradictory parts of ourselves that make us delightfully, bafflingly human", and "We Are Lady Parts is among a wave of shows casting off stereotypes and at ease with complexity... The well-worn trope of oppressed Muslim women is nowhere to be seen among these tattooed, anarchic rebels, who are, nevertheless, practising Muslims. When they're not prostrating in prayer, they are ripping through provocative punk anthems such as 'Nobody's Gonna Honour Kill My Sister But Me'".[23] The Guardian said: "We Are Lady Partss writing is pleasingly knowing. By the end of the first few episodes, a litany of Muslim stereotypes have been poked fun at... What is particularly striking is how refreshingly cheerful it all is. The series is reminiscent of the Canadian sitcom Schitt's Creek and the joy it spread for showing a same-sex couple without the constant terror of homophobia... We Are Lady Parts does something that many diverse shows have not: it delivers on the potential of representation. In short, it actually is funny. And not in an "in-joke" way, but in the classic slapstick way of people falling over, and wry observations about the complexities of modern womanhood".[24]
Series 2 has a score of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 16 critics.[25] On Metacritic, series 2 has a score of 84 out of 100 based on 10 reviews, once again indicating "universal acclaim".[26] Rachael Healey of inews awarded the second series 4 stars out of 5, noting that "This series shifts further towards drama than the first". Ellen Jones of The Guardian, also awarded the follow-up series four stars, commenting "We Are Lady Parts strides into its second series with a combination of insouciant self-assurance and anarchic enthusiasm that is itself very punk".[27] Benji Wilson of The Daily Telegraph gave the series a middling 3 stars, stating that "Formerly funny, brazen and buccaneering, this new series simply involves too many characters".[28]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh International Television Festival | Best Comedy Series | We Are Lady Parts | [29] [30] | |||
| Gotham Awards | Outstanding Performance in New Series | Anjana Vasan | ||||
| Breakthrough Series – Short Format | We Are Lady Parts | |||||
| Rose d'Or Awards | Emerging Talent Award | Nida Manzoor | [31] | |||
| Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – 1/2 Hour – Comedy or Drama | Jay Price, Tom Foster, Dario Swade, and Sam Walsh | [32] | |||
| RTS Craft & Design Awards | Editing – Entertainment and Comedy | Robbie Morrison | [33] | |||
| Make Up Design – Entertainment & Non Drama | Claire Carter | |||||
| Production Design – Entertainment & Non Drama | Simon Walker | |||||
| Casting Award | Aisha Bywaters | |||||
| Photography – Drama & Comedy | Diana Olifirova | |||||
| Broadcast Awards | Best Comedy Programme | We Are Lady Parts | [34] | |||
| National Comedy Awards | Outstanding Comedy Actress | Anjana Vasan | [35] | |||
| BAFTA TV Awards | Best Scripted Comedy | We Are Lady Parts | [36] | |||
| Best Female Comedy Performance | Anjana Vasan | |||||
| BAFTA TV Craft Awards | Best Costume Design | PC Williams | ||||
| Best Scripted Casting | Aisha Bywaters | |||||
| Best Writer: Comedy | Nida Manzoor | |||||
| Best Emerging Talent: Fiction | ||||||
| Peabody Awards | Entertainment | We Are Lady Parts | [37] | |||
| RTS Programme Awards | Writer: Comedy | Nida Manzoor | [38] | |||
| Scripted Comedy | We Are Lady Parts | |||||
| Comedy Performance: Female | Anjana Vasan | |||||
| Breakthrough Award | ||||||
| Television Critics Association Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Comedy | We Are Lady Parts | [39] |