Spoiler Alert: This interview contains spoilers from the series finale of “Happy Valley” now streaming on AMC+ and Acorn TV.
When “Happy Valley” wrapped up its second season in 2016, fans of the British police thriller were devastated that the intense series seemed to be over for good. Created by Sally Wainwright and starring Sarah Lancashire (HBO’s “Julia”) as a police officer in a hard-scrabble area of West Yorkshire, the series won the BAFTA for best drama in both seasons, and attracted a devoted audience around the world.
Working in a region plagued with drugs, crime and poverty, Lancashire’s character Sergeant Catherine Cawood is a tough but empathetic cop who divides her time between solving brutal crimes and taking care of her sister, a former addict, and her grandson, whom she raised after her daughter died by suicide. Seasons 1 and 2 track her mission to bring down Tommy Lee Royce...
When “Happy Valley” wrapped up its second season in 2016, fans of the British police thriller were devastated that the intense series seemed to be over for good. Created by Sally Wainwright and starring Sarah Lancashire (HBO’s “Julia”) as a police officer in a hard-scrabble area of West Yorkshire, the series won the BAFTA for best drama in both seasons, and attracted a devoted audience around the world.
Working in a region plagued with drugs, crime and poverty, Lancashire’s character Sergeant Catherine Cawood is a tough but empathetic cop who divides her time between solving brutal crimes and taking care of her sister, a former addict, and her grandson, whom she raised after her daughter died by suicide. Seasons 1 and 2 track her mission to bring down Tommy Lee Royce...
- 6/26/2023
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Just when we thought things were good between Catherine Sarah Lancashire) and Clare (Siobhan Finneran), Happy Valley Season 3 Episode 3 promises to shake up their dynamic like never before.
In an exclusive first look at the next episode, we see the two sisters come to blows over Ryan's (Rhys Connah) communication with Tommy (James Norton).
The sisterly bond hasn't been as strong in recent years, and this latest bump in the road could change everything for them.
As viewers are well aware, Tommy is one of TV's most despicable characters, and his actions have shaped the lives of everyone in Happy Valley.
As a result, it's not easy to see why Catherine is so shocked by her sister's actions.
Check out the TV clip below.
In this final season of the multi-bafta award-winning BBC drama created by one of the UK's most celebrated and critically acclaimed screenwriters, Sally Wainwright (Gentleman Jack...
In an exclusive first look at the next episode, we see the two sisters come to blows over Ryan's (Rhys Connah) communication with Tommy (James Norton).
The sisterly bond hasn't been as strong in recent years, and this latest bump in the road could change everything for them.
As viewers are well aware, Tommy is one of TV's most despicable characters, and his actions have shaped the lives of everyone in Happy Valley.
As a result, it's not easy to see why Catherine is so shocked by her sister's actions.
Check out the TV clip below.
In this final season of the multi-bafta award-winning BBC drama created by one of the UK's most celebrated and critically acclaimed screenwriters, Sally Wainwright (Gentleman Jack...
- 6/4/2023
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
It has been more than seven years since we last saw Catherine Cawood, the world-weary Yorkshire cop heroine of the excellent British drama Happy Valley, and our first new glimpse of her in forever seems about right. Catherine, still played by the great Sarah Lancashire, shows up at a construction site near a dirty pond, where a backhoe has inadvertently dug up old human remains. When a pair of veteran detectives arrive, they dismiss her attempts to offer advice on the case, then are stunned when she can identify the...
- 5/22/2023
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
Sally Wainwright’s enthralling and highly praised drama “Happy Valley” is coming to an end. Its third and final season debuts Monday, May 22 on AMC+, Acorn TV and BBC America. The series centers on Catherine Cawood, a police sergeant living in the United Kingdom. She’s just trying to keep her life together and raise a child that isn’t hers, but dangerous threats continue to keep her working tirelessly for their safety. You can watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of AMC+.
How to Watch 'Happy Valley' Final Season Finale When: Monday, May 22, 2023 Where: AMC+ Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of AMC+. 7-Day Free Trial$8.99 / month amc+ via amazon.com About 'Happy Valley' Final Season Finale
In the epic and unmissable final season, Sergeant Catherine Cawood discovers the remains of a gangland murder victim, sparking a chain of events that unwittingly leads her straight...
How to Watch 'Happy Valley' Final Season Finale When: Monday, May 22, 2023 Where: AMC+ Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of AMC+. 7-Day Free Trial$8.99 / month amc+ via amazon.com About 'Happy Valley' Final Season Finale
In the epic and unmissable final season, Sergeant Catherine Cawood discovers the remains of a gangland murder victim, sparking a chain of events that unwittingly leads her straight...
- 5/22/2023
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
Thanks to Covid and the overall shifting TV marketplace, it has become increasingly common for shows to launch with an eight or 10-episode season and then vanish for 18 months or two years before returning.
Sometimes I’m pretty good at remembering where shows left off, at least sufficiently to resume a story I cared about. Then there are series like Netflix’s Sweet Tooth, which made me very happy when it premiered in 2021 but which I found impossible to emotionally reconnect to when the second season kicked off last month.
The Sweet Tooth hiatus of 22 months is child’s play compared to the seven years between seasons of Happy Valley, the BBC One police drama that was available on Netflix in its first two seasons. Saying it “aired” on Netflix would have suggested something more active than the reality, because despite being wildly and deservedly acclaimed — the second season was...
Sometimes I’m pretty good at remembering where shows left off, at least sufficiently to resume a story I cared about. Then there are series like Netflix’s Sweet Tooth, which made me very happy when it premiered in 2021 but which I found impossible to emotionally reconnect to when the second season kicked off last month.
The Sweet Tooth hiatus of 22 months is child’s play compared to the seven years between seasons of Happy Valley, the BBC One police drama that was available on Netflix in its first two seasons. Saying it “aired” on Netflix would have suggested something more active than the reality, because despite being wildly and deservedly acclaimed — the second season was...
- 5/19/2023
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It's been a long wait, but Happy Valley's third and final season finally premieres Monday, May 22, on Acorn TV, AMC+, and BBC America.
As has been teased in the teasers and trailers, we're in for another edge-of-the-seat thriller from start to finish.
TV Fanatic scored an exclusive first look at Happy Valley Season 3 Episode 1, and it's a great indicator of what's to come.
The clip features Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) being quizzed about another crime, and he's somehow scarier than before.
The role has been a change of pace for Norton, and he plays the darkest shades of Royce's personality to perfection.
Undoubtedly, he'll cause many problems for Sft Catherine Cawood throughout the last-ever episodes of this hit series that has been off the air since 2016.
Yes, after a seven-year hiatus, we're being treated to a compelling new mystery, filled with shocking twists and turns.
Check out...
As has been teased in the teasers and trailers, we're in for another edge-of-the-seat thriller from start to finish.
TV Fanatic scored an exclusive first look at Happy Valley Season 3 Episode 1, and it's a great indicator of what's to come.
The clip features Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) being quizzed about another crime, and he's somehow scarier than before.
The role has been a change of pace for Norton, and he plays the darkest shades of Royce's personality to perfection.
Undoubtedly, he'll cause many problems for Sft Catherine Cawood throughout the last-ever episodes of this hit series that has been off the air since 2016.
Yes, after a seven-year hiatus, we're being treated to a compelling new mystery, filled with shocking twists and turns.
Check out...
- 5/19/2023
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
After a hiatus of seven years, Happy Valley is coming back to American TV for a third and final season, premiering on BBC America on Monday, May 22, at 10/9c, with episodes streaming the same day on AMC+ and Acorn TV. The first two seasons of the British crime procedural are currently available on both of those streaming platforms, but in case you don’t have time for a full debrief on the action so far, here’s a recap of Seasons 1 and 2. (Content warning: Happy Valley includes storylines involving sexual assault and suicide.) As the series starts, viewers meet Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire), a police sergeant in a West Yorkshire community beset by drug problems. Catherine’s daughter Becky died by suicide, and Catherine blames a man named Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) for Becky’s death, since Royce raped Becky. Now Catherine is raising Ryan (Rhys Connah), the child that resulted from that rape,...
- 4/24/2023
- TV Insider
Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Wednesday, April 19, 2023.
Netflix's Bling Empire franchise is no more.
Deadline broke the news Wednesday, revealing that Bling Empire would not return for a fourth season.
Additionally, the New York-set spinoff has been canceled after a single season.
Stars included Christine Chiu, Kane Lim, Kelly Mi Li, Kevin Kreider, Gabriel Chu, Anna Shay, Cherie Chan, Jessey Lee, Kim Lee, Andrew Gray, Jamie Xie, and Guy Tang for the original series.
The spinoff Bling Empire: New York starred Dorothy Wang, who was in season two of the original show, as well as Tina Leung, Deborah Hung, and Stephen Hung.
No reason has been given for the cancellations, and there's no telling whether Netflix will revisit the franchise down the line.
Meanwhile, Acorn TV, AMC+, and BBC America launched the highly anticipated trailer for the third and final season...
Netflix's Bling Empire franchise is no more.
Deadline broke the news Wednesday, revealing that Bling Empire would not return for a fourth season.
Additionally, the New York-set spinoff has been canceled after a single season.
Stars included Christine Chiu, Kane Lim, Kelly Mi Li, Kevin Kreider, Gabriel Chu, Anna Shay, Cherie Chan, Jessey Lee, Kim Lee, Andrew Gray, Jamie Xie, and Guy Tang for the original series.
The spinoff Bling Empire: New York starred Dorothy Wang, who was in season two of the original show, as well as Tina Leung, Deborah Hung, and Stephen Hung.
No reason has been given for the cancellations, and there's no telling whether Netflix will revisit the franchise down the line.
Meanwhile, Acorn TV, AMC+, and BBC America launched the highly anticipated trailer for the third and final season...
- 4/19/2023
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Acorn has released the official trailer for the highly-anticipated third and final season of Happy Valley. Season 3 is set to premiere Monday, May 22 on AMC+, Acorn TV, and BBC America. The six-episode season will see Sarah Lancashire reprise her role as Sergeant Catherine Cawood as she investigates a gangland murder while also navigating the strained relationships with her teenage grandson Ryan (Rhys Connah) and sister Clare (Siobhan Finneran). James Norton is also returning as murderer and rapist Tommy Lee Royce, who was revealed to be Ryan’s father. Norton’s Tommy is also seen in the new trailer, above. We also see Lancashire’s Sergeant Cawood in action as the dramatic tease unfolds. (Credit: Lookout Point/AMC/Matt Squire) Also returning are Ishia Bennison as Joyce, Shane Zaza as Shaf, Chord Melodic as Sledge, and Mete Dursun as Gorkem, in addition to Con O’Neill, George Costigan, Charlie Murphy, Derek Riddell,...
- 4/19/2023
- TV Insider
Happy Valley finally has its premiere date for US viewers. Season three aired in the UK in January. American viewers will see the final episodes of the British crime drama released on AMC+, Acorn TV, and BBC America in May.
Starring Sarah Lancashire, James Norton, Siobhan Finneran, and Rhys Connah, the series follows Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Lancashire) of Halifax, West Yorkshire, as she prepares for retirement. She's called to investigate the discovery of human remains and realizes the victims share a connection with Tommy Lee Royce (Norton).
Read More…...
Starring Sarah Lancashire, James Norton, Siobhan Finneran, and Rhys Connah, the series follows Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Lancashire) of Halifax, West Yorkshire, as she prepares for retirement. She's called to investigate the discovery of human remains and realizes the victims share a connection with Tommy Lee Royce (Norton).
Read More…...
- 3/24/2023
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Fans of the critically acclaimed British drama series Happy Valley are in for a treat, as the third and final season of the show has been announced to officially premiere on Monday, May 22, 2023, exclusively on Acorn TV, AMC+, and BBC America. The six-episode season promises to be an epic and unmissable conclusion to the series, which has won multiple BAFTA Awards and has been praised for its gripping storylines and exceptional performances. Created and written by Sally Wainwright, the show follows the story of Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) as she battles crime and personal demons in Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. In Season 3, Catherine discovers the remains of a gangland murder victim, which sets off a chain of events that leads her back to murderer and rapist Tommy Lee Royce, played by James Norton. Meanwhile, Catherine’s grandson Ryan, played by Rhys Connah, is now sixteen and has his...
- 3/23/2023
- TV Insider
The 2023 Brit awards have come to a conclusion – albeit a slightly uneventful one.
Britain’s biggest night in music saw a number of repeat winners, with Isle of Wight duo Wet Leg and Harry Styles taking home multiple awards.
The awards ceremony was held on Saturday 11 February.
The event kicked off at London’s O2 arena with a star-studded red carpet. Celebrities including Styles, Sam Smith, Salma Hayek, Lewis Capaldi, and Ellie Goulding struck a pose.
Smith, in particular, turned heads in their shiny black inflatable latex jumpsuit. You can see the boldest looks from the Brits here.
Comedian Mo Gilligan returned to host for a second time. The Masked Singer judge and Netflix star took over hosting duties from long-time presenter Jack Whitehall in 2022.
Unfortunately, Gilligan seemed to run into some technical issues with his autocue, when he appeared to introduce Wet Leg as “One Leg” and Lewis Capaldi...
Britain’s biggest night in music saw a number of repeat winners, with Isle of Wight duo Wet Leg and Harry Styles taking home multiple awards.
The awards ceremony was held on Saturday 11 February.
The event kicked off at London’s O2 arena with a star-studded red carpet. Celebrities including Styles, Sam Smith, Salma Hayek, Lewis Capaldi, and Ellie Goulding struck a pose.
Smith, in particular, turned heads in their shiny black inflatable latex jumpsuit. You can see the boldest looks from the Brits here.
Comedian Mo Gilligan returned to host for a second time. The Masked Singer judge and Netflix star took over hosting duties from long-time presenter Jack Whitehall in 2022.
Unfortunately, Gilligan seemed to run into some technical issues with his autocue, when he appeared to introduce Wet Leg as “One Leg” and Lewis Capaldi...
- 2/11/2023
- by Annabel Nugent
- The Independent - Music
Wet Leg got bleeped in the live broadcast of the 2023 Brit Awards after one of their bandmembers said “f*** the Tories” during their acceptance speech for Best Group.
The indie band had earlier won the prize for Best New Artist, and performed a rendition of their single “Chaise Longue”.
Accepting the Best Group prize, bassist Ellis Durand delivered the speech and ended with the quip “f*** the Tories” before leaving the stage to loud applause.
The “Chaise Longue” hitmakers beat The 1975, Arctic Monkeys, and Nova Twins to take home the Brit for British Group of the year.
Other winners on the night include Harry Styles, Becky Hill and Fontaines DC.
See the full list of winners here and follow live updates from the ceremony here.
The Brits 2023 were presented by returning host Mo Gilligan at the O2 Arena. The comedian took over hosting duties from Jack Whitehall last year.
Elsewhere during the ceremony,...
The indie band had earlier won the prize for Best New Artist, and performed a rendition of their single “Chaise Longue”.
Accepting the Best Group prize, bassist Ellis Durand delivered the speech and ended with the quip “f*** the Tories” before leaving the stage to loud applause.
The “Chaise Longue” hitmakers beat The 1975, Arctic Monkeys, and Nova Twins to take home the Brit for British Group of the year.
Other winners on the night include Harry Styles, Becky Hill and Fontaines DC.
See the full list of winners here and follow live updates from the ceremony here.
The Brits 2023 were presented by returning host Mo Gilligan at the O2 Arena. The comedian took over hosting duties from Jack Whitehall last year.
Elsewhere during the ceremony,...
- 2/11/2023
- by Roisin O'Connor
- The Independent - Music
Happy Valley fans were stunned to see a familiar face at this year’s Brits awards ceremony.
The 2023 Brits took place on Saturday (11 February) at the O2 in London, United Kingdom.
Mo Gilligan returned as host for the second year in a row, after taking over presenting duties from Jack Whitehall in 2022.
Follow along with live updates from the Brits here.
The proceedings kicked off with a lively first performance of “As It Was” by Harry Styles, following which Aitch was announced as the winner of the R&b/Grime/Rap award.
Many eyes, however, were on the next prize – not because of the recipient but because of who was presenting the award.
ITV viewers were shocked to see Happy Valley star Rhys Connah take to the stage alongside Georgia May Jagger to present the International Artist award.
Connah recently starred in the much-anticipated fourth season of Happy Valley, returning...
The 2023 Brits took place on Saturday (11 February) at the O2 in London, United Kingdom.
Mo Gilligan returned as host for the second year in a row, after taking over presenting duties from Jack Whitehall in 2022.
Follow along with live updates from the Brits here.
The proceedings kicked off with a lively first performance of “As It Was” by Harry Styles, following which Aitch was announced as the winner of the R&b/Grime/Rap award.
Many eyes, however, were on the next prize – not because of the recipient but because of who was presenting the award.
ITV viewers were shocked to see Happy Valley star Rhys Connah take to the stage alongside Georgia May Jagger to present the International Artist award.
Connah recently starred in the much-anticipated fourth season of Happy Valley, returning...
- 2/11/2023
- by Annabel Nugent
- The Independent - TV
Comedian and actor Kieran Hodgson’s video of his hilarious Happy Valley impressions has gone viral.
Hodgson, who recently co-wrote and starred in Channel 4’s Prince Andrew: The Musical, shared a video online in which he recaps the third and final series of the hit BBC show. Hodgson speaks in character as the Happy Valley stars.
During the video, he imitates Sarah Lancashire’s Catherine Cawood and her sister Clare, played by Siobhan Finneran.
He also delivers impressions of Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) and his teenage son Ryan (Rhys Connah).
Other moments see Hodgson take on Susan Lynch’s Alison Garrs, Conn O’Neil’s performance of Clare’s boyfriend Neil, and the Pe teacher Mr Hepworth (Mark Stanley).
Hodgson shared the video on Twitter, writing: “A little treat for fans of #HappyValley Bad TV Impressions.”
Viewers have disagreed with his assessment, however, and are commending him for his efforts.
Hodgson, who recently co-wrote and starred in Channel 4’s Prince Andrew: The Musical, shared a video online in which he recaps the third and final series of the hit BBC show. Hodgson speaks in character as the Happy Valley stars.
During the video, he imitates Sarah Lancashire’s Catherine Cawood and her sister Clare, played by Siobhan Finneran.
He also delivers impressions of Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) and his teenage son Ryan (Rhys Connah).
Other moments see Hodgson take on Susan Lynch’s Alison Garrs, Conn O’Neil’s performance of Clare’s boyfriend Neil, and the Pe teacher Mr Hepworth (Mark Stanley).
Hodgson shared the video on Twitter, writing: “A little treat for fans of #HappyValley Bad TV Impressions.”
Viewers have disagreed with his assessment, however, and are commending him for his efforts.
- 2/9/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - TV
James Norton has highlighted a callback to the first series of Happy Valley featured in the final episode.
The last ever instalment of the BBC One drama aired on Sunday (5 February), providing a satisfying conclusion for many viewers.
*Spoilers follow .you have been warned*
The episode, written by creator Sally Wainwright, saw Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) have a showdown with a wounded Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) around the kitchen table in her own home.
Throughout an extended scene, the pair spoke about Tommy’s behaviour, with the criminal, who previously wanted to kill Catherine, revealing that he’s happy she raised his son Ryan (Rhys Connah) and “forgives” her for keeping his identity a secret for many years.
He seems to draw this conclusion after looking through albums filled with photos of Ryan as well as his mother, Tommy’s ex Rebecca, who fell pregnant after he raped her.
The last ever instalment of the BBC One drama aired on Sunday (5 February), providing a satisfying conclusion for many viewers.
*Spoilers follow .you have been warned*
The episode, written by creator Sally Wainwright, saw Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) have a showdown with a wounded Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) around the kitchen table in her own home.
Throughout an extended scene, the pair spoke about Tommy’s behaviour, with the criminal, who previously wanted to kill Catherine, revealing that he’s happy she raised his son Ryan (Rhys Connah) and “forgives” her for keeping his identity a secret for many years.
He seems to draw this conclusion after looking through albums filled with photos of Ryan as well as his mother, Tommy’s ex Rebecca, who fell pregnant after he raped her.
- 2/6/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - TV
Con O’Neill, who plays Neil Ackroyd in BBC One’s hit drama Happy Valley, has said his mind was “blown” when he read the script for the season finale.
The last-ever episode of the series aired on Sunday (5 January), in which main character Catherine Cawood (played by Sarah Lancashire) came face-to-face with Tommy Lee Royce (played by James Norton).
In last week’s penultimate episode, fans were left in suspense, concerned that prison escapee Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) might harm Catherine and take his son (and her grandson) Ryan, played by Rhys Connah, off to Spain.
Speaking on Thursday’s episode of This Morning (2 February), O’Neill shared his excitement for the finale.
O’Neill didn’t reveal any spoilers regarding the season finale but admitted that the script blew his mind when he read it.
“It blew my mind,” he said. “Sally [Wainwright, the show’s writer] has written an extraordinary ending to this show.
The last-ever episode of the series aired on Sunday (5 January), in which main character Catherine Cawood (played by Sarah Lancashire) came face-to-face with Tommy Lee Royce (played by James Norton).
In last week’s penultimate episode, fans were left in suspense, concerned that prison escapee Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) might harm Catherine and take his son (and her grandson) Ryan, played by Rhys Connah, off to Spain.
Speaking on Thursday’s episode of This Morning (2 February), O’Neill shared his excitement for the finale.
O’Neill didn’t reveal any spoilers regarding the season finale but admitted that the script blew his mind when he read it.
“It blew my mind,” he said. “Sally [Wainwright, the show’s writer] has written an extraordinary ending to this show.
- 2/6/2023
- by Ellie Muir
- The Independent - TV
Warning: contains spoilers for the Happy Valley finale.
By the end of its second series, Happy Valley knew exactly what it was and where it was heading. For all its drug dealer, kidnap and serial killer plots, this story was really about the triangular relationship between a boy, his grandmother, and his monstrous father. Its central dramatic question was which way the boy – Ryan – would go: towards Tommy Lee Royce’s cruelty and weakness, or towards Catherine’s strength and decency? Nature or nurture? Pessimism or hope?
In its Series 3 finale, Happy Valley answered that question so resoundingly you felt stupid for ever thinking it could be in doubt. Strength and goodness won out over selfish inhumanity. Ryan was nothing like Tommy Lee Royce. How could he ever be? He’d been raised surrounded by love and was a product of his upbringing just as much as Royce was a product of childhood neglect,...
By the end of its second series, Happy Valley knew exactly what it was and where it was heading. For all its drug dealer, kidnap and serial killer plots, this story was really about the triangular relationship between a boy, his grandmother, and his monstrous father. Its central dramatic question was which way the boy – Ryan – would go: towards Tommy Lee Royce’s cruelty and weakness, or towards Catherine’s strength and decency? Nature or nurture? Pessimism or hope?
In its Series 3 finale, Happy Valley answered that question so resoundingly you felt stupid for ever thinking it could be in doubt. Strength and goodness won out over selfish inhumanity. Ryan was nothing like Tommy Lee Royce. How could he ever be? He’d been raised surrounded by love and was a product of his upbringing just as much as Royce was a product of childhood neglect,...
- 2/5/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
The time has come: we must say goodbye to Happy Valley forever. It was almost too good to be true when it was announced that Sally Wainwright’s hit police procedural would be returning to screens for a third season, some seven (!) years after series two – so we should be grateful for that, at least.
Over the past six weeks, viewers have been reintroduced to the finest police officer in all of Halifax, Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) and her arch-nemesis, devious criminal Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton). Along the way, we’ve come across familiar faces and encountered new ones, too. What has remained the same, though, is Wainwright’s writing, which – with its realism, suspense and stew-focused humour – is as superb as ever. And this week’s fiery finale is a prime example of that. Let’s dig into the last ever episode of Happy Valley. *Cue the...
Over the past six weeks, viewers have been reintroduced to the finest police officer in all of Halifax, Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) and her arch-nemesis, devious criminal Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton). Along the way, we’ve come across familiar faces and encountered new ones, too. What has remained the same, though, is Wainwright’s writing, which – with its realism, suspense and stew-focused humour – is as superb as ever. And this week’s fiery finale is a prime example of that. Let’s dig into the last ever episode of Happy Valley. *Cue the...
- 2/5/2023
- by Annabel Nugent
- The Independent - TV
Send apologies to Succession’s Logan Roy. Tell The Thick of It’s sweary spin doctor Malcolm Tucker to stand down. The title of “Best Foul Mouth on TV” now undisputedly belongs to a fiftysomething police sergeant with a fondness for rainbow-knitted scarves. Over the course of three seasons of BBC One’s Happy Valley, the bulls***-averse Catherine Cawood, played with deadpan brilliance by Sarah Lancashire, has turned profanity into an eviscerating art form.
Through 17 hours (and counting) of unrelenting drama, she has grappled with everything from devastating bereavement and family trauma to wayward colleagues and recalcitrant teenagers. And every time, she has found the perfect, expletive-laden way to express herself.
Like any true maestro, Catherine has got serious range. She can coin her own insults with fluency and flair. She shoves together obscenities to bring us compound curse-word gems like “wankatron”, “s***pot” and “twat-faced bastard”, to mention...
Through 17 hours (and counting) of unrelenting drama, she has grappled with everything from devastating bereavement and family trauma to wayward colleagues and recalcitrant teenagers. And every time, she has found the perfect, expletive-laden way to express herself.
Like any true maestro, Catherine has got serious range. She can coin her own insults with fluency and flair. She shoves together obscenities to bring us compound curse-word gems like “wankatron”, “s***pot” and “twat-faced bastard”, to mention...
- 2/5/2023
- by Katie Rosseinsky
- The Independent - TV
After five Sundays of spectacular swearing, sibling betrayal, sinister plotting and – most importantly – stews, Happy Valley is about to air its last ever episode. One of the best British dramas of the 21st century returned after a seven-year break on New Year’s Day this year, and over the past few weeks writer Sally Wainwright has served up something well worth the wait, with Tommy Lee Royce crashing back into the lives of the Cawood family with a renewed ferocity.
The new season opened with Tommy (James Norton) behind bars, serving a life sentence for multiple murders. Before long, we discovered that his impressionable son Ryan (Rhys Connah) has been visiting him for years, unbeknownst to his grandmother, Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire).
To her horror, Catherine discovered that her own sister Clare (Siobhan Finneran) and Clare’s partner Neil (Con O’Neill) were the ones taking Ryan to visit Tommy behind her back.
The new season opened with Tommy (James Norton) behind bars, serving a life sentence for multiple murders. Before long, we discovered that his impressionable son Ryan (Rhys Connah) has been visiting him for years, unbeknownst to his grandmother, Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire).
To her horror, Catherine discovered that her own sister Clare (Siobhan Finneran) and Clare’s partner Neil (Con O’Neill) were the ones taking Ryan to visit Tommy behind her back.
- 2/3/2023
- by Ellie Harrison,Jacob Stolworthy and Annabel Nugent
- The Independent - TV
Happy Valley fans are trying to work out clues about what will happen in the finale.
The BBC drama, created by Sally Wainwright, will air its last ever episode on Sunday (5 February) as the third series draws to a close.
Fans are hoping that Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire), who is days away from retirement, will make it out of the series alive despite the fact that newly escaped prisoner Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) is after her.
They are also hoping that her grandson, Ryan (Rhys Connah), will do the right thing and reject his murderous father’s attempts to lure him to Spain.
Whatever happens, some fans believe that there’s one character who could play an instrumental part in how things play out.
This character is Alison Garrs (Susan Lynch).
Alison first appeared in series two as the mother of serial killer Daryl (Robert Emms). After he confessed to his mother,...
The BBC drama, created by Sally Wainwright, will air its last ever episode on Sunday (5 February) as the third series draws to a close.
Fans are hoping that Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire), who is days away from retirement, will make it out of the series alive despite the fact that newly escaped prisoner Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) is after her.
They are also hoping that her grandson, Ryan (Rhys Connah), will do the right thing and reject his murderous father’s attempts to lure him to Spain.
Whatever happens, some fans believe that there’s one character who could play an instrumental part in how things play out.
This character is Alison Garrs (Susan Lynch).
Alison first appeared in series two as the mother of serial killer Daryl (Robert Emms). After he confessed to his mother,...
- 2/2/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - TV
After five Sundays of spectacular swearing, sibling betrayal, sinister plotting and – most importantly – stews, Happy Valley is about to air its last ever episode. One of the best British dramas of the 21st century returned after a seven-year break on New Year’s Day this year, and over the past few weeks writer Sally Wainwright has served up something well worth the wait, with Tommy Lee Royce crashing back into the lives of the Cawood family with a renewed ferocity.
The new season opened with Tommy (James Norton) behind bars, serving a life sentence for multiple murders. Before long, we discovered that his impressionable son Ryan (Rhys Connah) has been visiting him for years, unbeknownst to his grandmother, Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire).
To her horror, Catherine discovered that her own sister Clare (Siobhan Finneran) and Clare’s partner Neil (Con O’Neill) were the ones taking Ryan to visit Tommy behind her back.
The new season opened with Tommy (James Norton) behind bars, serving a life sentence for multiple murders. Before long, we discovered that his impressionable son Ryan (Rhys Connah) has been visiting him for years, unbeknownst to his grandmother, Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire).
To her horror, Catherine discovered that her own sister Clare (Siobhan Finneran) and Clare’s partner Neil (Con O’Neill) were the ones taking Ryan to visit Tommy behind her back.
- 2/2/2023
- by Ellie Harrison,Jacob Stolworthy and Annabel Nugent
- The Independent - TV
Happy Valley star Rhys Connah has responded to some of the fan theories surrounding the show’s ending.
BBC One’s acclaimed crime drama reaches its climax on Sunday (5 February), with the finale of its third and final season.
The Independent has recapped all the major talking points from last week’s dramatic penultimate episode.
Ahead of the finale, viewers have been speculating about the fates of Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire), Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) and others.
But Connah, who plays teenaged Ryan, seemed unconvinced by many of the guesses.
“One of my mates at college, he loves the show. So when we started filming, he wrote a big list with all the ideas of everything he thinks is going to happen,” he said in an interview with the BBC.
“Every time he watches an episode, he’ll sit there with his notes and go, ‘It happened, right, what’s going to happen now?...
BBC One’s acclaimed crime drama reaches its climax on Sunday (5 February), with the finale of its third and final season.
The Independent has recapped all the major talking points from last week’s dramatic penultimate episode.
Ahead of the finale, viewers have been speculating about the fates of Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire), Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) and others.
But Connah, who plays teenaged Ryan, seemed unconvinced by many of the guesses.
“One of my mates at college, he loves the show. So when we started filming, he wrote a big list with all the ideas of everything he thinks is going to happen,” he said in an interview with the BBC.
“Every time he watches an episode, he’ll sit there with his notes and go, ‘It happened, right, what’s going to happen now?...
- 2/1/2023
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - TV
Bloody noses, weeping police officers and sirens galore... BBC One has released the trailer for the last ever episode of Happy Valley.
Anticipation has been steadily building for the drama’s season three finale, with last Sunday’s penultimate episode ending on a cliffhanger.
Fans have been left in suspense, worrying that prison escapee Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) might succeed in his plan to harm Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire), and take his son (and her grandson) Ryan, played by Rhys Connah, off to Spain.
Read a full recap of the episode here.
In the new trailer, Catherine can be heard warning people that Tommy is “gonna to be angry and he’s gonna be even more desperate and dangerous”.
Tommy is seen with bloody nose, while Catherine is shown crying in an unusual display of vulnerability.
Trailer For Final Happy Valley pic.twitter.com/39mFxpKwjE
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) January...
Anticipation has been steadily building for the drama’s season three finale, with last Sunday’s penultimate episode ending on a cliffhanger.
Fans have been left in suspense, worrying that prison escapee Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) might succeed in his plan to harm Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire), and take his son (and her grandson) Ryan, played by Rhys Connah, off to Spain.
Read a full recap of the episode here.
In the new trailer, Catherine can be heard warning people that Tommy is “gonna to be angry and he’s gonna be even more desperate and dangerous”.
Tommy is seen with bloody nose, while Catherine is shown crying in an unusual display of vulnerability.
Trailer For Final Happy Valley pic.twitter.com/39mFxpKwjE
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) January...
- 1/31/2023
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - TV
It’s almost the end! The finale of Happy Valley – meaning the last ever episode given that this is the last ever season – is just around the corner, with the penultimate chapter airing this week. Lucky for us, it’s a doozy.
Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) is a newly free man with a plan, but Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) – who is already facing family dynamics almost as messed up as a Greek tragedy – won’t let him go easily.
Ouch
With Tommy on the loose, it’s time to board up the doors and lock up the windows for Catherine and co. Good thing Nev (George Costigan)is such a hospitable host. He invites Catherine, Clare (Siobhan Finneran), Neil (Con O’Neil) to stay until Tommy is caught. Of course, Ryan (Rhys Connah) too – only he goes Mia for a moment after ditching Richard’s (Derek Riddell) house, where...
Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) is a newly free man with a plan, but Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) – who is already facing family dynamics almost as messed up as a Greek tragedy – won’t let him go easily.
Ouch
With Tommy on the loose, it’s time to board up the doors and lock up the windows for Catherine and co. Good thing Nev (George Costigan)is such a hospitable host. He invites Catherine, Clare (Siobhan Finneran), Neil (Con O’Neil) to stay until Tommy is caught. Of course, Ryan (Rhys Connah) too – only he goes Mia for a moment after ditching Richard’s (Derek Riddell) house, where...
- 1/29/2023
- by Annabel Nugent
- The Independent - TV
Happy Valley is a drama about love. About catching baddies and family bonds, about impoverished communities and domestic abuse. But it’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it line of dialogue, about stew of all things, that has created the most buzz over the course of the new season.
The line in question came in episode three of the Yorkshire-set show, as Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) explained to her grandson Ryan (Rhys Connah) why he shouldn’t be having secret meetings with his father Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) in prison.
“He has a kink in his brain – a twist, a psychological deformity,” she told him. “It’s an absence of something that allows him to possibly seem quite normal to you, but it allows him to do things – evil things, nasty things, things that normal people just wouldn’t do, things that he’s ended up in prison for.
“Now you don’t have that kink,...
The line in question came in episode three of the Yorkshire-set show, as Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) explained to her grandson Ryan (Rhys Connah) why he shouldn’t be having secret meetings with his father Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) in prison.
“He has a kink in his brain – a twist, a psychological deformity,” she told him. “It’s an absence of something that allows him to possibly seem quite normal to you, but it allows him to do things – evil things, nasty things, things that normal people just wouldn’t do, things that he’s ended up in prison for.
“Now you don’t have that kink,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - TV
Say it isn’t so, we’re already more than halfway through this season of Happy Valley. We’ve been waiting seven years for a new series and all we get is a measly six hours? It doesn’t seem fair. But by this point, we’ll take what we can get. Luckily enough, Sally Wainwright has made those six hours thoroughly entertaining – and the drama certainly kicks into high gear with episode four…
Tweedledee and Tweedledum run into trouble
Matija (Jack Bandeira) and Ivan (Oliver Huntingdon) begin this week’s episode in a less than ideal situation. The terrible twosome must tell Viktor (Anthony Flanagan) that the police got to Josip before they did – meaning that Josip is currently in a cell possibly spilling the beans on the criminal activities of their gang boss Darius Knezevic (Alec Secareanu) and his ominous brother Zeljko (Greg Kolpakchi). Plus, they stole a...
Tweedledee and Tweedledum run into trouble
Matija (Jack Bandeira) and Ivan (Oliver Huntingdon) begin this week’s episode in a less than ideal situation. The terrible twosome must tell Viktor (Anthony Flanagan) that the police got to Josip before they did – meaning that Josip is currently in a cell possibly spilling the beans on the criminal activities of their gang boss Darius Knezevic (Alec Secareanu) and his ominous brother Zeljko (Greg Kolpakchi). Plus, they stole a...
- 1/22/2023
- by Annabel Nugent
- The Independent - TV
Happy Valley fans have hailed one line from the latest episode of the BBC drama as “perfection”.
The adored series returned after a seven-year break on New Year’s Day, with writer Sally Wainwright reuniting viewers with Sarah Lancashire’s irreverent police sergeant Catherine Cawood, and James Norton’s malicious Tommy Lee Royce.
Every episode of the new season to date has gone down extremely well with fans, but it’s one line of dialogue in the third instalment, which aired on Sunday (15 January), that has them calling for the show to win all the Baftas.
The line in question comes as Catherine is explaining to her grandson Ryan (Rhys Connah) why he shouldn’t be having secret meetings with his father Tommy in prison.
“He has a kink in his brain – a twist, a psychological deformity,” she tells him. “It’s an absence of something that allows him to...
The adored series returned after a seven-year break on New Year’s Day, with writer Sally Wainwright reuniting viewers with Sarah Lancashire’s irreverent police sergeant Catherine Cawood, and James Norton’s malicious Tommy Lee Royce.
Every episode of the new season to date has gone down extremely well with fans, but it’s one line of dialogue in the third instalment, which aired on Sunday (15 January), that has them calling for the show to win all the Baftas.
The line in question comes as Catherine is explaining to her grandson Ryan (Rhys Connah) why he shouldn’t be having secret meetings with his father Tommy in prison.
“He has a kink in his brain – a twist, a psychological deformity,” she tells him. “It’s an absence of something that allows him to...
- 1/17/2023
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - TV
Warning: This Happy Valley review contains spoilers.
How was that a single hour of television? The café scene alone had enough going on for a three-act play plus interval and bus ride home. And then we got the prison visit, Richard’s apology, the front step exchange (with bonus stew-interlude), Rob Hepworth and Ryan in the school gymnasium, Ann and Nev in the garden (Clare was right about those Grade II-listed wooden doings)… All that, plus aliens, gangsters, a blood-soaked Catherine beating seven shades out of a lowlife, our first possible sighting of a Knežević in the wild and – this feels implausible to type – also Jo’s murder?
All in 60 minutes. Happy Valley episodes must be made with Tardis technology – they’re bigger on the inside.
It was packed but nothing big was rushed. The scene we all came for – every word Catherine spoke after she took the chair opposite...
How was that a single hour of television? The café scene alone had enough going on for a three-act play plus interval and bus ride home. And then we got the prison visit, Richard’s apology, the front step exchange (with bonus stew-interlude), Rob Hepworth and Ryan in the school gymnasium, Ann and Nev in the garden (Clare was right about those Grade II-listed wooden doings)… All that, plus aliens, gangsters, a blood-soaked Catherine beating seven shades out of a lowlife, our first possible sighting of a Knežević in the wild and – this feels implausible to type – also Jo’s murder?
All in 60 minutes. Happy Valley episodes must be made with Tardis technology – they’re bigger on the inside.
It was packed but nothing big was rushed. The scene we all came for – every word Catherine spoke after she took the chair opposite...
- 1/15/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Happy Valley is wasting no time getting down to the good stuff. Sally Wainwright’s multi Bafta-winning crime drama has only been back on screens for a total of three hours and already it’s delivered more glorious tension and high drama than most shows do in a season. Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) may be ready to hand over her badge in retirement, but the seedy criminals of West Yorkshire aren’t ready to let her go just yet. Here’s your recap of everything that went down in episode three…
“Hiya!”
A lesser show would make us wait for answers, but this is Happy Valley and satisfaction is guaranteed. This episode picks up from where the last left off: in a cafe in Sheffield where Catherine has just confronted Clare (Siobhan Finneran) about secretly taking Ryan (Rhys Connah) to see his good-for-nothing father Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) in prison.
“Hiya!”
A lesser show would make us wait for answers, but this is Happy Valley and satisfaction is guaranteed. This episode picks up from where the last left off: in a cafe in Sheffield where Catherine has just confronted Clare (Siobhan Finneran) about secretly taking Ryan (Rhys Connah) to see his good-for-nothing father Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) in prison.
- 1/13/2023
- by Annabel Nugent
- The Independent - TV
The return of Happy Valley – seven years after its second season – might just constitute the first “pinch me” moment of 2023. By the second episode, it’s back to business as usual. Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) is rolling up her sleeves to do some good ol’ police work, while Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) is up to no good and sporting a new hairdo.
Et tu Brute?
Last week’s episode left Catherine with the revelation that her post-Tommy life of domestic bliss isn’t quite as blissful as she had thought. Someone has been taking Ryan (Rhys Connah) to see his no-good father in prison – but who? Episode two gives us the answer straight off the bat: Clare! More specifically, it’s Clare (Siobhan Finneran) and Neil (Con O’Neil) but mostly, we’re just shocked about Clare.
Catherine drops her jaw in utter disbelief, muttering: “S***.” Then comes the inevitable follow-up question: Why?...
Et tu Brute?
Last week’s episode left Catherine with the revelation that her post-Tommy life of domestic bliss isn’t quite as blissful as she had thought. Someone has been taking Ryan (Rhys Connah) to see his no-good father in prison – but who? Episode two gives us the answer straight off the bat: Clare! More specifically, it’s Clare (Siobhan Finneran) and Neil (Con O’Neil) but mostly, we’re just shocked about Clare.
Catherine drops her jaw in utter disbelief, muttering: “S***.” Then comes the inevitable follow-up question: Why?...
- 1/8/2023
- by Annabel Nugent
- The Independent - TV
Warning: this Happy Valley review contains spoilers.
Behold, the cold fury of Catherine Cawood. The hurt rage radiating off her in that final scene could power a warship. The next time we see Clare, she’ll just be a scarf floating in a puddle on the floor of that Sheffield cafe, Catherine having disintegrated her with a look.
Instead of Hulk-smashing her way out of the gaffer’s office and heading straight for Clare as expected when Catherine learned of her sister’s betrayal, she absorbed the shock and kept it all inside. It was an excellent dramatic choice that meant an episode of extra-flinty stares and heavyweight tension. Every domestic scene – Catherine and Clare, Catherine and Ryan – bore the heft of that unexpressed anger, turning each exchange into the split-second after a grenade’s pin has been pulled but before it’s thrown. The explosion’s coming, but when?...
Behold, the cold fury of Catherine Cawood. The hurt rage radiating off her in that final scene could power a warship. The next time we see Clare, she’ll just be a scarf floating in a puddle on the floor of that Sheffield cafe, Catherine having disintegrated her with a look.
Instead of Hulk-smashing her way out of the gaffer’s office and heading straight for Clare as expected when Catherine learned of her sister’s betrayal, she absorbed the shock and kept it all inside. It was an excellent dramatic choice that meant an episode of extra-flinty stares and heavyweight tension. Every domestic scene – Catherine and Clare, Catherine and Ryan – bore the heft of that unexpressed anger, turning each exchange into the split-second after a grenade’s pin has been pulled but before it’s thrown. The explosion’s coming, but when?...
- 1/8/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Somewhere on the M1, between London and The North, a sleepy James Norton is sprawled out in the back of a car. It’s a very nice car, he tells me, with lots of leg room. The fields flanking the motorway are getting snowier as he travels up the country. The star of Happy Valley and McMafia is wearing a “big, baggy tracksuit” and plans to have a “hefty snooze” after our interview, because he can’t stay awake on long drives. He laughs at my line of questioning – about his appearance and surroundings – telling me, “You’re going to twist this so it sounds like I’m the Queen of Sheba!”
There is a good reason why I’m asking the 37-year-old actor, in the least suggestive way possible, to describe where he is and what he’s wearing on the phone. He can’t meet in person or jump on Zoom.
There is a good reason why I’m asking the 37-year-old actor, in the least suggestive way possible, to describe where he is and what he’s wearing on the phone. He can’t meet in person or jump on Zoom.
- 1/6/2023
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - TV
There are very few TV shows that truly stamp themselves on the cultural psyche. Usually, they’re big, genre-defining American shows. The Sopranos, say, or The Simpsons. But no programme has had a greater influence, in recent years, than Sally Wainwright’s blistering Brontë-country barnstormer, Happy Valley. From Mare of Easttown to Fargo, the fingerprints of Happy Valley are all over prestige TV, like my thumb marks in the Christmas Wensleydale. Now, after a seven-year break, the show is finally back on BBC One, where it belongs.
The new year’s return to the Calder Valley finds an ill-fitting contentment descended upon the Cawood family. Catherine (Sarah Lancashire) is approaching retirement but seems to be relishing both her final months in the job and her future plans. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m very proud of my 30 years,” she tells her sister Clare (Siobhan Finneran), “but job done.” Meanwhile,...
The new year’s return to the Calder Valley finds an ill-fitting contentment descended upon the Cawood family. Catherine (Sarah Lancashire) is approaching retirement but seems to be relishing both her final months in the job and her future plans. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m very proud of my 30 years,” she tells her sister Clare (Siobhan Finneran), “but job done.” Meanwhile,...
- 1/2/2023
- by Nick Hilton
- The Independent - TV
There are very few TV shows that truly stamp themselves on the cultural psyche. Usually, they’re big, genre-defining American shows. The Sopranos, say, or The Simpsons. But no programme has had a greater influence, in recent years, than Sally Wainwright’s blistering Brontë-country barnstormer, Happy Valley. From Mare of Easttown to Fargo, the fingerprints of Happy Valley are all over prestige TV, like my thumb marks in the Christmas Wensleydale. Now, after a seven-year break, the show is finally back on BBC One, where it belongs.
The new year’s return to the Calder Valley finds an ill-fitting contentment descended upon the Cawood family. Catherine (Sarah Lancashire) is approaching retirement but seems to be relishing both her final months in the job and her future plans. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m very proud of my 30 years,” she tells her sister Clare (Siobhan Finneran), “but job done.” Meanwhile,...
The new year’s return to the Calder Valley finds an ill-fitting contentment descended upon the Cawood family. Catherine (Sarah Lancashire) is approaching retirement but seems to be relishing both her final months in the job and her future plans. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m very proud of my 30 years,” she tells her sister Clare (Siobhan Finneran), “but job done.” Meanwhile,...
- 1/1/2023
- by Nick Hilton
- The Independent - TV
Finally! After almost seven years, Happy Valley is back, and this BAFTA-winning crime drama’s third and final season is set to be as nail-biting as ever. These six fresh episodes from writer Sally Wainwright are definitely worth the wait.
Series Three dives back into the action around five years after the explosive events of the Series Two finale, beginning with Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) discovering the remains of a gangland murder victim in a drained reservoir, a discovery which will lead her all the way back to her nemesis Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton).
Catherine still lives with her grandson Ryan (Rhys Connah) who’s now sixteen and working out what kind of relationship, if any, he wants with Royce, the man who fathered him when he raped Catherine’s daughter Becky. Needless to say, Catherine won’t take this well.
Still battling with the local drug problem,...
Series Three dives back into the action around five years after the explosive events of the Series Two finale, beginning with Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) discovering the remains of a gangland murder victim in a drained reservoir, a discovery which will lead her all the way back to her nemesis Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton).
Catherine still lives with her grandson Ryan (Rhys Connah) who’s now sixteen and working out what kind of relationship, if any, he wants with Royce, the man who fathered him when he raped Catherine’s daughter Becky. Needless to say, Catherine won’t take this well.
Still battling with the local drug problem,...
- 1/1/2023
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
Try as you might to banish the image of James Norton’s Tommy Lee Royce brutally assaulting Sarah Lancashire’s Sergeant Catherine Cawood in Season 1 of “Happy Valley,” chances are it’s emblazoned in your memory of the iconic British crime thriller.
Writer Sally Wainwright, who is about as nervy as her flawed but heroic Yorkshire policewoman, never shied away from baring all with the hit police drama. In fact, she barely blinked when the show’s depictions of violence against women came under attack. But in writing Season 3, which returns to the BBC on New Year’s Day after seven years, Wainwright says the state of policing in the U.K. gave her pause to bring back her noble police protagonist.
“TV dramas about police officers usually make heroes of the police,” Wainwright tells Variety. “I did that in this, and in ‘Scott & Bailey,’ and [recent events] have made me...
Writer Sally Wainwright, who is about as nervy as her flawed but heroic Yorkshire policewoman, never shied away from baring all with the hit police drama. In fact, she barely blinked when the show’s depictions of violence against women came under attack. But in writing Season 3, which returns to the BBC on New Year’s Day after seven years, Wainwright says the state of policing in the U.K. gave her pause to bring back her noble police protagonist.
“TV dramas about police officers usually make heroes of the police,” Wainwright tells Variety. “I did that in this, and in ‘Scott & Bailey,’ and [recent events] have made me...
- 1/1/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Warning: contains spoilers for Happy Valley Series 1 and 2.
“I’m Catherine, by the way. I’m forty-seven, I’m divorced, I live with my sister – who’s a recovering heroin addict – I have two grown-up children. One dead and one who doesn’t speak to me. And a grandson! So.”
That’s how Sgt Catherine Cawood introduced herself to a junkie threatening to light himself on fire, and to us, the audience, in Happy Valley’s opening scene. That speech set out the character’s stall – Catherine was unflappable, no-nonsense, good in a crisis, and had a complicated home life with tragedy in her past. It was all we needed to know to fall in love.
Over two series, we watched Catherine police her patch, solving kidnappings, serial killings and drug murders, while holding back a wave of shit threatening to engulf her at home. There was recovering addict Clare...
“I’m Catherine, by the way. I’m forty-seven, I’m divorced, I live with my sister – who’s a recovering heroin addict – I have two grown-up children. One dead and one who doesn’t speak to me. And a grandson! So.”
That’s how Sgt Catherine Cawood introduced herself to a junkie threatening to light himself on fire, and to us, the audience, in Happy Valley’s opening scene. That speech set out the character’s stall – Catherine was unflappable, no-nonsense, good in a crisis, and had a complicated home life with tragedy in her past. It was all we needed to know to fall in love.
Over two series, we watched Catherine police her patch, solving kidnappings, serial killings and drug murders, while holding back a wave of shit threatening to engulf her at home. There was recovering addict Clare...
- 1/1/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Happy Valley is returning to on January 1st, and viewers are now getting a look at the third and final season with the release of a new trailer. In the United States, the crime drama airs on but a premiere date has not yet been announced. Six episodes will finish the series.
Starring Sarah Lancashire, James Norton, Siobhan Finneran, and Rhys Connah, the season will follow Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Lancashire) as she heads near retirement. Per Radio Times, she will also come face to face with her daughter's rapist (Norton).
Read More…...
Starring Sarah Lancashire, James Norton, Siobhan Finneran, and Rhys Connah, the season will follow Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Lancashire) as she heads near retirement. Per Radio Times, she will also come face to face with her daughter's rapist (Norton).
Read More…...
- 12/28/2022
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
After what feels like forever, Happy Valley is returning for a third series.
The brilliant BBC crime drama from Sally Wainwright wedged itself into viewers’ hearts with two series released in 2014 and 2016, respectively.
It received further acclaim in the US after being released on Netflix.
For some time, it was unknown whether the third series would happen, despite Wainwright’s assurances. But then, in 2021, the new season was officially announced.
Now, in the BBC’s first new drama of 2023, Sarah Lancashire’s detective Catherine Cawood will be returning to our screens.
Considering it’s been six years, you’re probably in need of a little referesher ahead of the forthcoming episodes.
Read on for a recap...
Tommy Lee Royce
For those who don’t remember, Tommy (James Norton) is the convicted rapist who is believed to have raped Catherine’s daughter, which led to the birth of her son Ryan...
The brilliant BBC crime drama from Sally Wainwright wedged itself into viewers’ hearts with two series released in 2014 and 2016, respectively.
It received further acclaim in the US after being released on Netflix.
For some time, it was unknown whether the third series would happen, despite Wainwright’s assurances. But then, in 2021, the new season was officially announced.
Now, in the BBC’s first new drama of 2023, Sarah Lancashire’s detective Catherine Cawood will be returning to our screens.
Considering it’s been six years, you’re probably in need of a little referesher ahead of the forthcoming episodes.
Read on for a recap...
Tommy Lee Royce
For those who don’t remember, Tommy (James Norton) is the convicted rapist who is believed to have raped Catherine’s daughter, which led to the birth of her son Ryan...
- 12/27/2022
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - TV
After what feels like forever, Happy Valley is returning for a third series.
The brilliant BBC crime drama from Sally Wainwright wedged itself into viewers’ hearts with two series released in 2014 and 2016, respectively.
It received further acclaim in the US after being released on Netflix.
For some time, it was unknown whether the third series would happen, despite Wainwright’s assurances. But then, in 2021, the new season was officially announced.
Now, in the BBC’s first new drama of 2023, Sarah Lancashire’s detective Catherine Cawood will be returning to our screens.
Considering it’s been six years, you’re probably in need of a little referesher ahead of the forthcoming episodes.
Read on for a recap...
Tommy Lee Royce
For those who don’t remember, Tommy (James Norton) is the convicted rapist who is believed to have raped Catherine’s daughter, which led to the birth of her son Ryan...
The brilliant BBC crime drama from Sally Wainwright wedged itself into viewers’ hearts with two series released in 2014 and 2016, respectively.
It received further acclaim in the US after being released on Netflix.
For some time, it was unknown whether the third series would happen, despite Wainwright’s assurances. But then, in 2021, the new season was officially announced.
Now, in the BBC’s first new drama of 2023, Sarah Lancashire’s detective Catherine Cawood will be returning to our screens.
Considering it’s been six years, you’re probably in need of a little referesher ahead of the forthcoming episodes.
Read on for a recap...
Tommy Lee Royce
For those who don’t remember, Tommy (James Norton) is the convicted rapist who is believed to have raped Catherine’s daughter, which led to the birth of her son Ryan...
- 12/27/2022
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - TV
The first trailer for Happy Valley’s forthcoming third season has been released online.
Produced by the BBC, the hit crime drama is returning for six new episodes beginning in the new year.
Set to “Atmosphere” by Joy Division, the 90-second-long trailer shows Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) drawn into another deadly drama that seems to involve Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton).
The new series begins with Catherine carrying out an investigation after the remains of a gangland murder victim are discovered in a reservoir.
Siobhan Finneran, Charlie Murphy and Rhys Connah all reprise their roles from the first two seasons.
Happy Valley debuted on BBC One back in 2014, and was a critical and commercial hit.
A second series aired in early 2016, and was even more popular, averaging over nine-million viewers per episode.
In Daisy Wyatt’s review of the series from the time it aired, she wrote: “Happy Valley...
Produced by the BBC, the hit crime drama is returning for six new episodes beginning in the new year.
Set to “Atmosphere” by Joy Division, the 90-second-long trailer shows Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) drawn into another deadly drama that seems to involve Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton).
The new series begins with Catherine carrying out an investigation after the remains of a gangland murder victim are discovered in a reservoir.
Siobhan Finneran, Charlie Murphy and Rhys Connah all reprise their roles from the first two seasons.
Happy Valley debuted on BBC One back in 2014, and was a critical and commercial hit.
A second series aired in early 2016, and was even more popular, averaging over nine-million viewers per episode.
In Daisy Wyatt’s review of the series from the time it aired, she wrote: “Happy Valley...
- 12/13/2022
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - TV
It’s one of the Beeb’s most beloved dramas, and we’ve had to wait seven years for it to return to our screens, but the third and final series of Sally Wainwright’s Yorkshire-set drama Happy Valley is almost here – and a brand new trailer has just been released. Watch it below:
The show picks up with Sarah Lancashire’s copper Catherine Cawood counting down the days to her retirement, and doing her best to look after grandson Ryan. When she discovers the remains of a gangland murder victim in a drained reservoir, it sets off a chain of events that lead her back to Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton), Ryan’s father and her daughter’s rapist, currently serving time in prison and, judging by the shots of his stitched-up forehead in this trailer, having a rough time. With Ryan being older, his curiosity about his dad...
The show picks up with Sarah Lancashire’s copper Catherine Cawood counting down the days to her retirement, and doing her best to look after grandson Ryan. When she discovers the remains of a gangland murder victim in a drained reservoir, it sets off a chain of events that lead her back to Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton), Ryan’s father and her daughter’s rapist, currently serving time in prison and, judging by the shots of his stitched-up forehead in this trailer, having a rough time. With Ryan being older, his curiosity about his dad...
- 12/13/2022
- by Sophie Butcher
- Empire - TV
For the first time since 2019 BC (Before Covid), Christmas is starting to look like Christmas again. Employees will humiliate themselves at festive work parties. Families will guiltlessly gather around the dinner table. For a few years now, these traditions have been out of reach, but the thing that’s been a constant, and is back again this year, is Christmas TV. Whether it’s worth watching, though, is less of a sure thing.
As a festive gift from us to you, we’ve watched a selection of some of the biggest shows that are on the way, so we can help you choose what to prioritise between glasses of sherry and naps on the couch. From the return of Happy Valley after a six-year hiatus and the arrival of new drama Without Sin, to the court-case-inspired comedy Vardy v Rooney, here’s what you can expect on your screens this Christmas…...
As a festive gift from us to you, we’ve watched a selection of some of the biggest shows that are on the way, so we can help you choose what to prioritise between glasses of sherry and naps on the couch. From the return of Happy Valley after a six-year hiatus and the arrival of new drama Without Sin, to the court-case-inspired comedy Vardy v Rooney, here’s what you can expect on your screens this Christmas…...
- 12/10/2022
- by Ellie Harrison,Jacob Stolworthy,Jessie Thompson,Inga Parkel,Megan Graye,Louis Chilton,Annabel Nugent,Nicole Vassell,Roisin O'Connor and Charlotte Cripps
- The Independent - TV
Sarah Lancashire and James Norton are set to reunite when “Happy Valley” returns to screens in January, the BBC confirmed today.
The third and supposedly final season of the show will drop in the U.K. on New Year’s Day, airing on BBC One and streaming platform iPlayer. (A U.S. release date has not yet been confirmed).
Lancashire returns as Sergeant Catherine Cawood in the six-episode season, this time navigating relationships with her teenage grandson Ryan (played by Rhys Connah) and sister Clare (Siobhan Finneran) whilst attempting to solve what appears to be a gangland murder. Norton, meanwhile, once again steps into the shoes of murderer and rapist Tommy Lee Royce.
The BBC have also released a 10-second teaser of the new season, in which Royce can be seen brooding in prison while Seargant Cawood, dressed in uniform, is on assignment, with a siren blaring behind her.
Joining...
The third and supposedly final season of the show will drop in the U.K. on New Year’s Day, airing on BBC One and streaming platform iPlayer. (A U.S. release date has not yet been confirmed).
Lancashire returns as Sergeant Catherine Cawood in the six-episode season, this time navigating relationships with her teenage grandson Ryan (played by Rhys Connah) and sister Clare (Siobhan Finneran) whilst attempting to solve what appears to be a gangland murder. Norton, meanwhile, once again steps into the shoes of murderer and rapist Tommy Lee Royce.
The BBC have also released a 10-second teaser of the new season, in which Royce can be seen brooding in prison while Seargant Cawood, dressed in uniform, is on assignment, with a siren blaring behind her.
Joining...
- 12/2/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Happy Valley viewers are getting their first look at the third and final season of the British crime drama series. Starring Sarah Lancashire, James Norton, Siobhan Finneran, and Rhys Connah, the new season will be available on both Acorn TV and AMC+. Created and written by Sally Wainwright, the series follows Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Lancashire) as she works to solve crimes in Northern England.
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- 10/17/2022
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
We've known for a while now that Happy Valley will return for a third and final season on AMC+ and Acorn TV.
We now have our first look, courtesy of some photos.
In this final season of the multi-bafta award-winning BBC drama created by one of the UK’s most celebrated and critically acclaimed screenwriters, Sally Wainwright (Gentleman Jack), Sarah Lancashire (Julia) returns to her iconic role of Sergeant Catherine Cawood for six new episodes.
Also returning are James Norton (The Nevers) as Catherine’s nemesis, the murderer and sex-offender Tommy Lee Royce; Siobhan Finneran (Downton Abbey) as Catherine’s sister, the recovering addict Clare Cartwright, and Rhys Connah as Catherine’s sixteen-year-old grandson Ryan, eight years after he first played the role as a young boy.
In the first-look photos, Catherine is pictured with a bloodied nose in the aftermath of a police raid, while Tommy Lee Royce (James...
We now have our first look, courtesy of some photos.
In this final season of the multi-bafta award-winning BBC drama created by one of the UK’s most celebrated and critically acclaimed screenwriters, Sally Wainwright (Gentleman Jack), Sarah Lancashire (Julia) returns to her iconic role of Sergeant Catherine Cawood for six new episodes.
Also returning are James Norton (The Nevers) as Catherine’s nemesis, the murderer and sex-offender Tommy Lee Royce; Siobhan Finneran (Downton Abbey) as Catherine’s sister, the recovering addict Clare Cartwright, and Rhys Connah as Catherine’s sixteen-year-old grandson Ryan, eight years after he first played the role as a young boy.
In the first-look photos, Catherine is pictured with a bloodied nose in the aftermath of a police raid, while Tommy Lee Royce (James...
- 10/13/2022
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
The third and final season of Happy Valley is set to premiere on AMC+ and Acorn TV at a future date, and today, Thursday, October 13, the network is building anticipation with some first-look images. As revealed in the photos, Sarah Lancashire (Julia) returns as Sergeant Catherine Cawood for the six new episodes. She stars alongside the returning James Norton (Grantchester), who plays Catherine’s nemesis, the murderer and sex-offender Tommy Lee Royce. Siobhan Finneran (Downtown Abbey) is also back as Catherine’s sister Clare Cartwright, while Rhys Connah returns as Catherine’s 16-year-old grandson Ryan, eight years after he first played the role as a young boy. The photos tease some interesting developments. In one image, Catherine is pictured with a bloodied nose in the aftermath of a police raid. Another image shows Tommy with a new look while locked up in his prison cell. Other photos give us our...
- 10/13/2022
- TV Insider
First look images have been revealed of the third and purportedly final season of crime drama “Happy Valley.”
The six-part final season, made by Lookout Point for BBC One and BBC iPlayer in co-production with AMC Networks, will see Sarah Lancashire return as Sergeant Catherine Cawood and James Norton as Tommy Lee Royce.
The first images show Lancashire sporting a bloody nose following a police raid while Royce, with a new look, is locked in his prison cell.
Sarah Lancashire as Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Courtesy of BBC)
Siobhan Finneran stars as Catherine’s sister Clare and Rhys Connah as her teenage grandson Ryan.
Also returning are Ishia Bennison as Joyce, Shane Zaza as Shaf, Chord Melodic as Sledge, and Mete Dursun as Gorkem as well as Con O’Neill, George Costigan, Charlie Murphy, Derek Riddell, Karl Davies, Susan Lynch, Rick Warden, Vincent Franklin, Amit Shah, Mark Stanley, and Mollie Winnard.
Joining...
The six-part final season, made by Lookout Point for BBC One and BBC iPlayer in co-production with AMC Networks, will see Sarah Lancashire return as Sergeant Catherine Cawood and James Norton as Tommy Lee Royce.
The first images show Lancashire sporting a bloody nose following a police raid while Royce, with a new look, is locked in his prison cell.
Sarah Lancashire as Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Courtesy of BBC)
Siobhan Finneran stars as Catherine’s sister Clare and Rhys Connah as her teenage grandson Ryan.
Also returning are Ishia Bennison as Joyce, Shane Zaza as Shaf, Chord Melodic as Sledge, and Mete Dursun as Gorkem as well as Con O’Neill, George Costigan, Charlie Murphy, Derek Riddell, Karl Davies, Susan Lynch, Rick Warden, Vincent Franklin, Amit Shah, Mark Stanley, and Mollie Winnard.
Joining...
- 10/13/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
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