Happy Valley season 3, made seven years after the previous season, is now showing on BritBox. It is the last season, bringing to a close the story of the personal and professional lives of a hardworking, committed police officer in a tiny town plagued by drug problems.
Catherine is approaching retirement age and is planning a hiking trip to the Himalayas. Her main goal being to resolve drug abuse, rape, and murder in the town. She is then called to investigate the discovery of human remains found near a reservoir, where she comes to realise the murder suspects share a history with Royce, who has since been transferred to a cell in Sheffield and is awaiting trial for a string of unseen offences.
The series was set and shot in West Yorkshire’s Calder Valley.
Sarah Lancashire plays Catherine Cawood in the series, which also stars Steve Pemberton, Siobhan Finneran, George Costigan, and Joe Armstrong. Sally Wainwright wrote and directed the film, together with Euros Lyn and Tim Fywell.
The first episode aired on BBC One on 29 April 2014 and received more than 8-million viewers on each episode, making it the most viewed series on the BBC at the time.
“The level of violence in the drama had been carefully considered and it was done responsibly, by showing the psychological and physical damage suffered by Catherine,” said Wainwright.
The New York Times calls this award-winning drama “a tour de force for its star. It received the BAFTA Award for Best Drama Series in 2015, and another for Best Drama in 2016. It has received a perfect score – 100% – from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.