Bad Salsa. Image shows from L to R: Chippy (Jessie Cave), Jill (Natasha Little), Terri (Camille Coduri). Copyright: BBC
Bad Salsa

Bad Salsa

  • Radio sitcom
  • BBC Radio 4
  • 2014 - 2017
  • 10 episodes (3 series)

Comedy that follows three women as they embrace the world of salsa while adjusting to life after cancer. Stars Camille Coduri, Natasha Little, Sharon Rooney, Jessie Cave, Andrew Obeney and more.

Bad Salsa. Image shows from L to R: Jill (Natasha Little), Terri (Camille Coduri), Chippy (Jessie Cave). Copyright: BBC

Key details

Genre
Sitcom
Broadcast
2014 - 2017
Channel
BBC Radio 4
Episodes
10 (3 series)
Stars
Camille Coduri, Natasha Little, Sharon Rooney, Jessie Cave, Andrew Obeney, David Cann, Martin Trenaman, Ben Bailey Smith and more
Writer
Kay Stonham
Producers
Alison Vernon-Smith and Katie Tyrrell
Company

After treatment for ovarian and breast cancer, Chippy is mad, Jill is sad and Terri is definitely dangerous to know. Bad Salsa, the club where everybody knows your name, but where no-one knows your prognosis.

The road back after cancer treatment can be tricky and full of obstacles. In this series, two middle-aged women and their younger friend seek to regain their zest for life and love by learning to dance at Bad Salsa. The series follows the women as they embrace the world of salsa while they adjust to life after cancer.

Depictions of people with cancer too often follow a standard format: there is the diagnosis, the depression, the chemo, then the false recovery followed by the tragic death. Bad Salsa tries to paint a more hopeful picture and one more in line with survival rates which have improved immensely over the past 20 years. For many, 'living with cancer' is now their day-to-day challenge. The characters in the series have finished their treatment and are in the process of finding their way back to normal life, or at least finding a 'new normal'.

As in the real world, the challenges of everyday life go on for our characters; like everyone, they have boring marriages, distracting crushes, troublesome children, difficult workmates and infuriating parents, but unlike those who haven't suffered with cancer, their brush with mortality has given them a new perspective. The series watches them decide whether to preserve the pre-cancer status quo or in Terri's words, to say "sod it all" and "go for it!"

In Series 2, Camille is still with Marco and reveals their plan to start a new life together, Jill is struggling with jealousy and living with Tim's parents, Chippy discovers what Tinder can bring, and Gordon takes advantage of the opportunities his new salsa role offers.

Series 3 sees Jill and Colin trying couples therapy, Terri planning her next big trip and Joel going over to the dark side.

Additional details

Production
Studio

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Monday 7th July 2014 at 11:30am on BBC Radio 4
Most recent repeats

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