We Are Lady Parts

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. The show has been nominated for multiple accolades including two prizes at the Gotham Awards and a Rose d'Or award. In November 2021, creator Nida Manzoor received the Rose d'Or Emerging Talent Award for her work on the show.

Premise
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.

Cast

 * Anjana Vasan as Amina, a microbiology PhD student who is Lady Parts' new lead guitar player
 * Sarah Kameela Impey as Saira, Lady Parts' founder, lead singer and rhythm guitar player - and a halal butcher
 * Juliette Motamed as Ayesha, Lady Parts' drummer and Uber driver
 * Faith Omole as Bisma, Lady Parts' bass player, comic artist and mother
 * Lucie Shorthouse as Momtaz, Lady Parts' manager whose daytime job is being a cheap women's lingerie purveyor
 * Aiysha Hart as Noor, Amina's best friend
 * Zaqi Ismail as Ahsan, Ayesha's brother and Amina's crush
 * Shobu Kapoor as Seema, Amina's mother
 * David Avery as Abdullah, Saira's boyfriend

Production
Lady Parts was first ordered as pilot for Channel 4's "Comedy Blaps" strand in mid 2018. The 14-minute pilot premiered later the same year.

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. The actors in the show all play their own instruments, although some had to learn specifically in order to perform on the show. 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".

Broadcast
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. Series 2 includes cameos from education activist Malala Yousafzai and comedian Meera Syal.

International broadcast
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.

Critical reception
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". On Metacritic, series 1 has a score of 83 out of 100 based on 17 reviews indicating "universal acclaim".

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". 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'". The Guardian said: "We Are Lady Parts's 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".

Series 2 has a score of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 16 critics. On Metacritic, series 2 has a score of 84 out of 100 based on 10 reviews, once again indicating "universal acclaim". 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". 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".