Comics in new BBC series about menstruation

The BBC is making a new series based entirely around period jokes.

Period Dramas features 12  comics including Sarah Keyworth, Rosie Jones, above, Maisie Adam, Evelyn Mok and Kemah Bob, below, talking openly about menstruation.

Sophie Duker, Maria Shehata, Zahra Barri, Helen Bauer, Sadia Azmat, Lily Phillips and Sikisa complete the line-up.

The six-part series for BBC Three is currently in production and scheduled to air this month, promising an 'unfiltered' look at the menstrual cycle, that will have viewers 'laughing along, cringing and most importantly relating to these open and honest stories'.

Period Dramas is made by short-form specialists Studio71 and will be available on the iPlayer, YouTube and social media platforms.

The show is part of a triple commission for the production company specifically aimed at an 18-30-year-old audience, along with the sexual health advice guide Sex in Seconds and Fashion Conscious, an investigation of sustainability in the fashion industry.

Studio71's UK creative director Jody Smith said: 'We’re thrilled to be making three distinctive series for the BBC, all united in how they talk to a young audience. We’ve leaned  on our experience of working with new and digital talent to produce series that aim to resolve challenges through storytelling and discussion, that begins in the shows and will continue in people’s lives.’

Daisy Griffith, digital commissioner of BBC Factual, added: 'It’s been great working with Studio 71 and making the most of their expertise in creating content for younger audiences — they really understand the topics and talent that appeal to this demographic, as well as the pace and style of the content.’

Keyworth, above, previously discussed workplace reactions to periods in the 2017 BBC Three short Things Not To Say To Women At Work, which you can see here:

- by Jay Richardson

Published: 4 Mar 2019