Happy Valley

Are you ready for the return of Sergeant Catherine Cawood in Happy Valley season three? January 01, 2023 - 16:58 ...

In the final moments of the series, Tommy can be seen smiling while reading a letter from Ryan in prison, revealing that his plan with Miss Wheeland worked and that he and Ryan are once again in contact with one another - without Catherine knowing. While she recovers, Tommy manages to allude the police of his whereabouts, hiding in a narrow boat after once again making contact with Ryan, who begins to visit him and bring him food without Catherine’s knowledge. A police officer, John Wandsworth, also murders his mistress who had threatened to blackmail him and attempts to cover it up by using the same method as the serial killer. In season one, we are introduced to Sergeant Catherine Cawood, a no-nonsense sergeant with a heartbreaking past. Catherine believes that Becky was traumatised from being sexually assaulted by a local thug, Tommy Lee Royce, which resulted in the birth of her baby son. As it happens, we have put together a handy recap so you have [all the info you need from seasons one and two](https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/2020030885968/last-tango-in-halifax-happy-valley-connection-refererence/) before delving back into the world of Catherine Cawood…

Created and written by Sally Wainwright and fronted by Sarah Lancashire as no-nonsense Sergeant Catherine Cawood, the Bafta-winning show, which started on the ...

“It feels like a great example of what police officers patrolling in smaller, rural areas might come up against, especially in the Calder Valley. Tim Swift, leader of Calderdale council, believes that Happy Valley has “without a doubt” helped to put the borough on the national and international map. Eileen Kelly, who has lived in the Calder Valley for 40 years, thinks the show’s best asset is the representation it offers of small-town policing. “My family and I found the first two series of The kindness of our communities is also a draw for productions. “Since my childhood in the 1950s, Hebden Bridge went through some very difficult economic times, and it would have seemed inconceivable in those early days to foresee [it] as a tourist destination.”

The gritty drama starring Sarah Lancashire is returning to our TV screens for a third series.

Siobhan is known for her role as Janice Garvey in the comedy Benidorm, playing a maid in Downton Abbey and starring in Harlan Coben’s The Stranger on Netflix. James Norton returns as Tommy Lee Royce, who is in prison after the crimes he committed in season one. Sarah Lancashire will reprise her role as Sergeant Catherine Cawood. Happy Valley won’t be released as a box set, but will instead be shown weekly. Her grandson Ryan is now sixteen and is starting to question what kind of relationship he should have with his father. The Oldham-born actress is known for long-running role as Raquel in Coronation Street, appearing in dramas the Last Tango in Halifax and The Accident and the films Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and Yesterday.

Happy Valley's third and final series starts on BBC One at 9pm on New Year's Day, with Sarah Lancashire in the lead role.

[ Happy Valley](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/tv/who-happy-valley-cast-bbc-25875239) series 2, he and Catherine had a fraught face to face showdown at his mother's funeral, after she was murdered, leading Catherine to be implicated in a string of killings and having to prove her innocence. Whilst trying to clear her name, she was tasked with investigate a string of killings, linked to human trafficking. It was back in 2014 that millions of fans became gripped by the exploits of former Coronation Street actress Sarah Lancashire. [Gemma Atkinson refutes Gorka Marquez 'leaving Strictly' claims in defiant Instagram post](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/tv/gorka-marquez-strictly-gemma-atkinson-25837749) [*Strictly's Kai Widdrington gets 'justice' after Christmas win with Alexandra Mardell](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/tv/kai-widdrington-strictly-alexandra-mardell-25837247) [*Strictly's Giovanni Pernice gives fans exciting update on new project after live tour blow](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/tv/giovanni-strictly-come-dancing-tour-25855124) [*Danny Dyer 'rejects' EastEnders return theories and exposes alternative ending](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/tv/danny-dyer-eastenders-mick-return-25854117) Happy Valley finally returns to BBC on New Year's Day, nearly seven years after its second series ended. [Strictly's Giovanni Pernice gives fans exciting update on new project after live tour blow](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/tv/giovanni-strictly-come-dancing-tour-25855124)

A recap of season 1 and season 2 of Sally Wainwright's BBC drama Happy Valley, starring Sarah Lancashire and James Norton.

After suspecting Sean Balmforth (Matthew Lewis), an alleged rapist, after DNA shows up in his van, lonely and bullied farmer Daryl Garrs (Robert Emms) confesses to his mother he is responsible for the murders. The second series of Happy Valley is set 18 months after the events of the first season and sees Cawood win an award for bravery, while Royce is serving a life sentence for his crimes. They do, however, bump into one another when Royce is granted leave from prison to attend his mother’s funeral, with Cawood being one of the suspects involved in her death. Cawood is also juggling caring for her grandson Ryan (Rhys Connah) who has ideas of his own about how the kind of relationship he wants to have with his father, Royce, who raped his late mum and is serving time in prison. Meanwhile, Cawood is also investigating the kidnap of Ann Gallagher (Charlie Murphy) who has been taken by her father’s pal and accountant Kevin Weatherill (Steve Pemberton) for ransom. Cawood is determined that Royce, who was imprisoned for drug charges, has nothing to do with his son and becomes obsessed with his whereabouts after he is released from prison.

Happy Valley's third and final series, with Sarah Lancashire once again in the lead role, starts on BBC One on New Year's Day.

A teaser for the first episode of Happy Valley's third and final series read: "Sgt Catherine Cawood discovers the remains of a gangland murder victim in a drained reservoir, sparking a chain of events that leads straight back to Tommy Lee Royce. Daniel Cawood - Karl Davies Ryan Cawood - Rhys Connah Catherine Cawood - Sarah Lancashire And, even though he was locked up, Tommy still had an influence over son Ryan, as a woman obsessed with him faked her identity to become a classroom assistant at Ryan's school, before trying to urn the youngster against grandmother Catherine. Meanwhile, in another part of town a local pharmacist gets in over his head when a neighbour is arrested.

Viewers are delighted that BBC One drama Happy Valley is returning. Starring Sarah Lancashire in the lead role of Catherine Cawood it has been almost seven ...

Tommy's increasingly complicated relationship with his son and Catherine's grandson Ryan will also be a focus of the plot and you can read everything you need to know about Happy Valley series three Sally Wainwright, the writer, creator and executive producer of the show explained the show was always only ever going to be three series long. If you need to catch up on what happened during series one and two, you can read our handy guide The drama will return to BBC One at 9pm on Sunday, January 1. There will be six episodes in the series each an hour long. Starring Sarah Lancashire in the lead role of Catherine Cawood it has been almost seven years since the drama was last aired in 2016.

Happy Valley is finally back on our screens, but we already have questions. Could it be the ultimate betrayal from Claire?

Her grandson Ryan (Rhys Connah), who she has always had a challenging relationship with, seems to be growing up and becoming a young man. She befriended Ryan and tried to turn him against his grandmother and Claire. He is Cawood’s arch nemesis, who she blames for raping Ryan’s mother and driving her to suicide. Her fragile sister Claire (Siobhan Finneran) has moved in with her partner. [Happy Valley](https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/happy-valley-oral-history) is back on our screens. When we rejoin Cawood's (Sarah Lancashire) world in episode one, things seem to be going pretty well.

Happy Valley returns for season 3 on BBC One, and the premiere cements Sarah Lancashire as an undeniably superb lead as Catherine Cawood.

But in this episode, her obligation to protect Ryan and her fierce sense of territory is also absorbed by the viewer in an unmistakable way that will likely be tested throughout the season. [subscribe now](http://radiotimes.com/magazine-subscription?utm_term=evergreen-article). From the offset, he is the controlling, angry teacher, husband and father who keeps a padlock on the fridge, a detailed meal plan for everyone in the house and doesn’t allow Joanna to answer any of Catherine’s questions after he calls the police about his wife. Although Happy Valley is the kind of gripping drama that shouldn’t typically warrant laughter, Sally Wainwright brilliantly manages to weave in comedic lines – yet again – into scenes. The first two seasons are available to watch on He's as opinionated and straight-talking as he's been in previous seasons, this time with more of an older male bravado that only seems to visibly worry Catherine more. The viewer is often more informed than the characters within the episodes and so, we start off as we mean to go on – knowing certain details before others and waiting for their anticipated emotional responses. But of course, as comes with the expected sense of finality in this season, Catherine too is ready to hang up her police uniform once and for all. And a major part of that sense of calm, we learn, is because there's been relative peace on the Cawood front. “Did you tell her we get more people addicted to prescription drugs than we do heroine?” Clare asks Catherine, highlighting the very real plight in This time round, he's being questioned in conjunction with the body found at the reservoir. In a new prison and with a shocking new look, Royce is as cocky and chilling as ever before.

Happy Valley season 3 - Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lanchashire) could be destined for a tragic ending with Ryan (Rhys Connah) according to the foreshadowed ...

And could he have a relationship with his dad, and how would Catherine feel about that? If one thing is for certain, it's that Tommy Lee Royce isn't a good man, but it remains to be seen whether Ryan can become one. Catherine explained that Alison kept Daryl in the dark about his true father, they never talked about it, and they became outcasts. In the series' final moments, Catherine visited Alison and explained she lost her own daughter Becky, and if Alison wants someone to talk to, she can contact Catherine. Ryan has obviously always been infatuated with the idea of having a father, despite his crimes. Of course, this could all be down to Ryan growing up without a father and mother while being ostracised by his uncle and grandfather. She later remarks to Richard that she "can't stand him, can't stand looking at him", and tells Richard she understands why he couldn't live with Ryan. [their website](http://rapecrisis.org.uk/index.php) or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. The series' final shot was an ominous scene of Ryan running up a hill while Catherine looked on. And while they eventually came around to caring for Ryan, there's been plenty of flashes of Ryan's fiery temper throughout the show, which could potentially foreshadow the man he's going to be. Ryan was born after Catherine's daughter, Becky, was raped by the evil murderer Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton). However, the biggest overarching dilemma that has loomed over the show since series one is the nature vs nurture debate around Ryan (Rhys Connah).

From its impeccable acting talent to a writer who captures the female experience like no one else, this drama's final series is as excellent as ever.

The warp and weft of lives, of life, is as expertly woven as ever and you couldn’t wish for a better group of actors to bring it to you. By the end of the first episode, all the narrative pieces are in play – from the drug plots, to the Hepworths’ private misery, via a shattering revelation for Catherine that would undo a lesser woman. The police know that a local drugs kingpin ordered a recent failed hit on Tommy in prison and are hoping Tommy will name him as the murderer – but he names an Oldham villain instead. Tommy, still in prison, is arrested for the murder of the man in the reservoir. “We move on, don’t we, in the end,” says Clare as she and Catherine take one of their breaks out in the garden, six months on from the discovery at the reservoir. She has just given them the identity of a partial skeleton in a cement-filled barrel that has been revealed by the draining of a local reservoir.

Sarah Lancashire and co. return for Sgt Catherine Cawood's final outing in a storming series opener.

[Happy Valley](https://www.denofgeek.com/happy-valley/) continues on Sunday the 8th of January at 9pm on BBC One. [Sally Wainwright](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/last-tango-in-halifax-recap-the-story-so-far/)’s talent for dialogue that delights (“what genre of twat does that?” Catherine asks Clare about Rob calling 999 on his wife in one of those brilliantly narrated-flashback scenes that give us the best of both worlds) and characters that get under your skin for reasons good and bad. And, to judge by Catherine’s reaction, so are the couple accompanying him on the prison visits. And perhaps he chucked in the means to manipulate a police sergeant by offering up his son Ryan to them for good measure? That man, with his Jesus-meets-Charles-Manson new look, would throw anybody to the wolves if it got him one step further to where he wants to be. What’s the worth in speculating while this series opener offered up so much of substance. This is all conjecture at this stage, of course, but let’s put the pieces together: the discovery of Gary Kokovsky’s body led to murderer Darius Knežević ordering the killing of Tommy Lee Royce in prison, to ensure that he didn’t tell the police what he knows (which is that Darius pulled the trigger and Tommy helped to dispose of the body, leaving his St Christopher pendant behind). After attempting to kill the eight-year-old in a murder-suicide in series one, and from prison, manipulating an unhinged woman to groom him in series two, Ryan’s biological dad (who fathered him when he brutally raped Catherine’s daughter Becky) has a plan. It appears to involve Ryan’s secret visits to his prison, a crash course in learning Spanish, an upcoming court date, and a deal he’s possibly made with the aforementioned Kneževićs. That means the hope is that we’re heading towards a finale in which a newly retired Catherine drives her renovated Land Rover to the Himalayas, crunching over the bones of Tommy Lee Royce as she goes. And then there are the many heads of The characters, the dialogue, the plot and the stakes in this exceptional drama are just as vibrant and entertaining as they were when Sgt Cawood first introduced herself, fire extinguisher in hand, calmly summing up her life story to a petrol-soaked junkie threatening to set himself alight.

Drug dealers and people traffickers, crime family the Kneževićs have plagued Happy Valley from the start. Here's their history.

[Series 3](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/happy-valley-series-3-cast/), it seems “the ever lovely Kneževićs, the Teflon-coated Kneževićs” are taking strides to enter the mainstream. In addiction to the prescription drugs racket, Catherine’s Inspector mentions Darius getting “elected onto Bradford City Council.” So not only do the gangsters have at least one of Catherine’s police colleagues in their pocket, they’re also infiltrating local government in a further power grab. One of the victims was Aurelia Petrovic, a sex trafficking victim controlled by the Kneževićs, identified by escaped trafficking victim Ilinka. After his arrest for his part in the kidnap, he made a deal with to inform on the Kneževićs in exchange for immunity from prosecution and witness protection. [Series 2](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/happy-valley-series-2-episode-1-review/), it looked as though the Kneževićs were behind the serial killings of sex workers. It’s one thing knowing somebody’s done something, it’s a different kettle of fish having the evidence to arrest them for it.” Kokovski’s corpse is a boon for Yorkshire police, who might finally have something concrete (excuse the pun) to pin on Darius Knežević. During the raid, Catherine tasered sex trafficker Goran Dragović, who was arrested but later released on bail, which was paid for by his employers the Kneževićs. They didn’t help Dragović out of the goodness of their hearts, but in order to kill him to stop him from incriminating them. Surprise surprise, Royce won’t cooperate, and instead names the Kneževićs Oldham rival Chris Oxley as Gary’s murderer. Local drug dealer Ashley Cowgill had been arrested for colluding in the kidnap and ransom of Ann Gallagher, the daughter of wealthy local businessman Nev Gallagher. Ashley and his accomplice Kevin Weatherill had planned the kidnapping as an easy payday, not intending anybody to get hurt, but then Ashley made the grave error of involving Happy Valley villain Tommy Lee Royce, an associate of the Kneževićs recently released from an eight-year prison sentence on drug charges.

It has been a long seven-year wait and God, it is good to have Catherine Cawood back for a third, final series. TV Still BBC Happy Valley S3,01-01-2023,1, ...

For all its murder mysteries, Happy Valley is really about Catherine’s gnawing fear that nature might triumph over nurture and that her grandson Ryan could turn out like his disturbed father, the chilling Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton). In this case, it was local pharmacist Faisal, at odds with the local dealers after dealing prescription meds on the side, and the diazepam-dependent Joanna, married to Ryan’s unpleasant PE teacher Mr Hepworth. But there is absolutely something that feels familiar and right about it all the same.

After seven years, Sally Wainwright's funny and brutal drama is here for its third and final outing.

This final spin over the moors is a worthy way to round out one of British television’s greatest sagas. Expository comments creep into discussions, especially where long-dead characters are concerned, and there is a small tendency towards remarks that feel needlessly like footnotes to the story (“Did you tell her we get more people turning up addicted to prescription drugs than we do heroin?” asks Clare, when Catherine tells her about a potential referral). A sequence of interlacing timelines in this opening episode shows how brilliantly they work in tandem: simultaneously, Catherine recounts to her sister the story of a raid, while we, the audience, see that arrest play out on screen. [Sarah Lancashire](/topic/sarah-lancashire)) is approaching retirement but seems to be relishing both her final months in the job and her future plans. The Cawood equilibrium begins to unravel with the discovery of a body in a quarry, a murder that’s immediately linked back to Royce. What she’s less able to compartmentalise is the revelation that Ryan has spent the last few years visiting his incarcerated father on the sly – and in violation of his grandmother’s expressed wishes.

The new six-episode BBC One drama, created and written by Sally Wainwright, returned on New Year's Day following Sarah Lancashire's character Sergeant Catherine ...

This is the best misery TV money can buy.” It said: “Of the many roles he has played I’d nominate this as his best, although we haven’t seen enough of him yet for my liking. It’s the gentle voice that does it. “To her colleagues, especially the senior officers, she’s a middle-aged woman who has been around forever. “The warp and weft of lives, of life, are as expertly woven as ever and you couldn’t wish for a better group of actors to bring it to you.” [Happy Valley](/topic/happy-valley) also received a five-star review from the i newspaper, which said it had been a “long seven-year wait” but the opening of series three had retained “everything that made it so brilliant”.

The multi-BAFTA-winning third and final season, which saw actress Sarah Lancashire reprise her role as Sergeant Catherine Cawood, premiered on Sunday night.

The writing, the casting, the acting, it's just phenomenal. Sally Wainwright is a genius. Happy Valley is the best. Excited for the rest of the series.' A fifth and sixth said: 'Happy Valley never fails to deliver just superb Sarah Lancashire is sublime great writing and cast,' and, '#HappyValley WOW just WOW. Concluding, another fan said: 'Sarah Lancashire is a goddess. TV Drama at its best' The performances are outstanding. Brilliant way to start 2023!' Talented: After the first episode aired, viewers and critics alike heaped praise upon 'goddess' Sarah, as well as her co-star James Norton (pictured) and writer Sally Wainwright - After the first episode aired, viewers and critics alike heaped praise upon 'goddess' Sarah, as well as her co-star James Norton and writer Sally Wainwright [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jan/01/happy-valley-review-sally-wainwright-masterwork-is-back)'s five-star review said: 'From its impeccable acting talent to a writer who captures the female experience like no one else, this drama's final series is as excellent as ever.'

After seven long years, we're finally back in the murky hills of West Yorkshire and under the protective wing of Sergeant Catherine Cawood.

I had to look away when Rob attacked his wife, and thought the worst was about to happen when he took her trousers off. Unfortunately, with Ryan now visiting his dad (apparently), the scales of nature vs nurture are going to be tipped wildly out of balance. There’s also the shouting and the manhandling, and the creepy lock on the fridge. As a result, she’s this week’s happiest player (though I do have my suspicions that it’s her and Neil who might be taking Ryan to meet his dad, so she could slip through the rankings quickly). Now in his mid teens, he seems to have matured somewhat, getting his aggression out on the football field. Still, she’s no angel, and I’m sure she’s about to slip into her depressive ways when she finds out that Ryan has indeed been visiting his dad at her majesty’s pleasure. Apart from suggesting her sister Catherine try yoga (too much farting, apparently) and listening to her many stories from work, Clare didn’t have much time on the pitch last night. Plus, there’s the crushing revelation that Ryan, now 16, might have been visiting his dad, Tommy, in prison, with the help of a mysterious man and woman. We also met Faisal Bhatti (Amit Shah), a local pharmacist who makes extra cash on the side by raiding his medicine cabinet and selling prescription pills to local dealers and addicts. He called the police on her, and Catherine arrested Joanna in the hope of getting her to open up about her husband’s abuse to no avail. He turned out to be a nasty piece of work when we followed him home and saw him emotionally and physically abuse his wife, Joanna (Mollie Winnard), for taking diazepam. Anyway, Faisal’s side hustle got a bit serious when two heavies working for the local crime family, the Kneževićs, turned up and ordered him to join their enterprise.