Up The Women Series 2, Episode 1 - The Romance

Up The Women. Image shows from L to R: Helen (Rebecca Front), Margaret (Jessica Hynes)

TV sitcom
BBC Two / BBC Four
2013 - 2015
9 episodes (2 series)

Sitcom set amidst the suffrage movement in early 20th Century Britain. Stars Jessica Hynes, Rebecca Front, Vicki Pepperdine, Judy Parfitt, Georgia Groome and more.

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Series 2, Episode 1 - The Romance

Gwen disrupts the BICCPRWS hunger strike with cheese, while Thomas tries hopelessly to win Emily's heart.

Preview clips

Further details

Up The Women. Image shows from L to R: Helen (Rebecca Front), Bertie Smuth (Tom Stourton). Copyright: BBC / Baby Cow Productions

It's 1910 and we're in Banbury church hall and the "Banbury Intricate Craft Circle Politely request Women's suffrage" are attempting to hunger strike in support of their sisters.

Margaret's flailing attempts to give up food for more than an hour are well and truly thwarted when Gwen arrives, she clean forgot they were supposed to be starving when she stocked up on cheese for everyone. Well, let's be honest "cheese doesn't really count as food if it's not between bread. Does it?"

Emily is angry that Helen is trying to set her up with Bertie Smuth the most eligible bachelor in the county until, that is, she meets Bertie Smuth the Jane Austen loving, Gilbert & Sulivan singing hunk. Myrtle suspects something odd about their betrothal and encourages Thomas to challenge Bertie for Emily's affection.

Will Thomas get his woman? Will the women exercise the will power to stop eating for longer than 5 minutes?

Broadcast details

Date: Wednesday 21^st January 2015
Time: 10:05pm
Channel: BBC Two
Length: 30 minutes

Cast & crew

Cast
Jessica Hynes	Margaret
Rebecca Front	Helen
Vicki Pepperdine	Gwen
Judy Parfitt	Myrtle
Georgia Groome	Emily
Emma Pierson	Eva
Ryan Sampson	Thomas

Guest cast
Tom Stourton	Bertie Smuth

Writing team
Jessica Hynes	Writer
Barunka O'Shaughnessy	Writer
Morwenna Banks	Writer

Production team
Christine Gernon	Director
Emma Strain	Producer
Mark Freeland	Executive Producer
Henry Normal	Executive Producer
Lindsay Hughes	Executive Producer
Liana Del Giudice	Editor
Jim Holloway	Production Designer

Videos

Up the Women: Series 2 Trailer

The 'revolutionary' comedy comes to BBC Two.

Featuring: Jessica Hynes (Margaret), Rebecca Front (Helen), Vicki Pepperdine (Gwen), Judy Parfitt (Myrtle), Georgia Groome (Emily), Emma Pierson (Eva) & Ryan Sampson (Thomas).

Hunger strike

The idea of a hunger strike hasn't quite been understood.

Featuring: Jessica Hynes (Margaret), Judy Parfitt (Myrtle), Georgia Groome (Emily), Emma Pierson (Eva) & Ryan Sampson (Thomas).

Episode menu