Where is Ridley Road filmed, what's it about and how can you watch all episodes now?

Ridley Road, based on the Jo Bloom novel of the same name, kicked off on BBC One on Sunday—but what's the sixties drama about, where is it filmed and how can you watch the entire series now?

Based on Jo Bloom’s best-selling novel Ridley Road, it already looks like it'll be one of the best-book-to-screen adaptations ever and fans don't have to wait until next week to watch the next episode. 

How to watch Ridley Road

With episode one of Ridley Road hitting screens on Sunday, the rest of the series is already available to watch in full on BBC iPlayer. 

There are four hour-long episodes streaming on demand now, so you can binge them all at once. 

If you prefer to watch Ridley Road weekly, each episode will air on BBC One at 9pm on Sundays for the next three weeks. 

Where is Ridley Road filmed?

Ridley Road was filmed in and around Manchester and Bolton, despite being set in East London's Hackney. 

The majority of the production took place in 2020 in Manchester's Northern Quarter, with the famous Tib Street being transformed to mimic London over six decades ago. 

What is Ridley Road about?

Ridley Road is based on the struggles of British Jews in Britain who struggled post-world war II to fight against rising neo-nazism. 

The plot specifically focuses on Vivien (played by Aggi O’Casey), a young Jewish hairdresser who moves to Manchester following the death of her father. She then finds herself searching for her lost love Jack Morris (played by Tom Varey) and in a shocking twist of fate she ends up undercover in the fascist group.

Who is in the Ridley Road cast?

The main Ridley Road character Vivien is played by Aggi O’Casey and her primary love interest, Jack Morris, is played by Tom Varey. 

The actors revealed in a BBC press release that they were extremely excited to be cast in these new roles.

“Sarah Solemani has blown me away with the detail, sensitivity, and complexity with which she has written Vivien. I can’t wait to bring this vital and little-known story to life,” said Aggi who plays Vivien.

Tom Varey, said about being cast as Jack, “I’m so proud to be working on such a powerful, beautiful, important story. The scripts are amazing, and I can’t wait to bring them to life. I’m excited to be in the company of actors that I have looked up to and admired for so long.”

Other actors also featured in this series are:

• Rory Kinnear
• Tamzin Outhwaite
• Tracy-Ann Oberman
• Eddie Marsan
• Samantha Spiro
• Rita Tushingham

Who wrote Ridley Road?

Ridley Road was written by Sarah Solemani, who is also an award-winning actress known for her roles in Bridget Jones’s Baby and Bad Education. 

Sarah spoke about her excitement about this project. She said in a BBC press release, "Britain’s relationship with fascism is closer and more alive than we like to think. Luckily, so is our rich heritage of fighting it."

She continued, "Jo Bloom’s gripping book revealed a darker side of sixties London and the staggering contribution the Jewish community made in the battle against racism. I am thrilled to be working with RED and the BBC to bring this little-known slice of British history to the screen."

Who produced Ridley Road?

The producers of this series, RED production company, are also behind some of the most popular TV shows in recent years. Channel 4’s It’s a Sin, BBC’s Happy Valley, and Netflix’s The Stranger, are some of the amazing shows that this production company has created—and if the success of these shows is any indication, then we are in for a treat!

The executive producer and Chief Executive of Red Production Company, Nicola Shindler, said in a BBC press release, “It’s hugely exciting to adapt this story into a drama. I loved the book, and Sarah’s script has brilliantly captured the passionate love story coupled with the social tensions amid the rise of fascism and the vivid wonderment of the swinging sixties."

She continued, "While it’s set during a relatively unknown part of British history, Ridley Road echoes what is happening today with the growing rhetoric against people of a different race or nationality, and it feels like a really timely drama to bring to audiences.”