BBC's latest series Riot Women is just the latest in a long list of lies

Comedian Lenny Bruce once said, "The truth is what is; 'what should be' is a terrible lie." It is a dramatist's job to deal with what is. Yet time after time the BBC use our money to promote falsehoods that suit their vision of what should be. Sally Wainwright's new BBC1 series Riot Women has less dramatic truth than an episode of Spongebob Squarepants.

In Wainwright's world, all men are worthless and weak, and all women are wonderful - even when they're bonkers, like kippered Kitty who blunders through a supermarket necking neat vodka and swallowing pills snatched from the shelves.

She smashes stock and brandishes a knife, terrifying the staff. So that's criminal damage, threatening behaviour, and potential theft. In real life, she'd be banged up in a cell until she sobered up. Here she spent the night sleeping on the couch of retiring WPC Holly who arrested her. She sympathised you see because Kitty is going through the menopause, which apparently justifies all of it.

Kitty then smashed up her married ex's car with a sledgehammer - presumably also covered by the menopause and 'bad men' get-out cards. (I had a platoon of great-aunts growing up and can't remember any of them dealing with "the change" via vandalism and toxic femininity.) Elsewhere depressed teacher Beth contemplated suicide. She drank a large gin and toyed with a homemade noose. But twice a ringing phone saved her life. Is this common with suicidal folk? "I'm going to top myself but I'd better take this call first? It might be some clown from Kettering selling double glazing..."

Her barmaid pal Jess rang to ask if she wanted to be in a rock band. Why, Beth asked. "For fun, for refugees," she replied. Insert your own sigh here.

Jess's blended family tick almost every box in the right-on lexicon. There's a white aunt with dreadlocks who's a Greenham Common veteran, a transgender daughter, and two cute biracial grandkids with an unseen father. Throw in the lesbian backing singer and we're a wheelchair and a keffiyeh scarf away from a diversity bingo full house.

We heard that men are behind all the world's wars and evil while "women pick up the pieces". Yes, curse you Bruce Kent, Bertram Russell, and the Dalai Lama! Hurrah for Rose West, Catherine the Great, Lucrezia Borgia and Irma Grese!

Beth suffered more indignity at school courtesy her convincingly incompetent middle manager. The Riot Women band are drummer Jess, keyboardist Beth, bassist Holly, her guitarist sister, and vocalist Kitty (still at large, and by lucky chance a charismatic performer too). They spend hundreds on equipment to play...a local council talent show. Like you would. And are driven by all manner of grievances, including Beth's inattentive son.

"And you thought the Clash were angry!" she says. Well I did once, until I realised it was just a marketing ploy. But hey ho. We will get fooled again. Compare and contrast with Pussy Riot, jailed for thoughtcrimes in Putin's Russia.

History note: Clueless Greenham activists tried to stop the US siting cruise missiles here in response to the Soviet Union's SS-20s. Luckily, they failed. Nato's strong stance accelerated the Soviet collapse, liberating eastern Europe from tyranny.

Another woman was having a breakdown on BBC3's alleged sitcom Film Club. If this had been released as a film in the 90s it would have gone straight to recycling. BBC New Comedy Awards returned for its 30th anniversary run too. The turns are quite likeable, mildly amusing. Nothing exciting. They do okay in undemanding comedy clubs but just seem amateurish to audiences who grew up with comic greats. It's unlikely that you've heard of any of the winners from the last ten years. I kept hoping Netflix comic Earthquake would turn up and tell 'em, "These ain't jokes", a catchphrase that possibly occurred to him while watching Live At The Apollo.

Here's a thought though. How about some screentime for older comedians? The likes of Adrian Walsh and the late Keith O'Keefe were robbed of well-deserved exposure by TV execs' puzzling obsession with the new and inexperienced. ITV invited one stand-up to perform on camera after his first-ever gig. They should revive An Audience With and book the great Mick Miller along with Lee Mack.

Channel 4's Hunted is back. I don't mind it but it's essentially a triumph of editing over content. The whole thing falls apart like a statue made of soot when you start to analyse it.

Hot on TV: BBC1's Blue Lights, Task (SkyAt), The Celebrity Traitors & The Offer (ITVX). Rot: Celebrity Help My Home Is Haunted - no it isn't, grow up. The Last Leg - just lame. Random irritations: Dumbed-down questions on The 1% Club. And infomercials posing as Netflix documentaries. Yes Victoria Beckham, that means you.