Happy Valley. God it’s dark isn’t it.

[ColinRobinsonsfamiliar]

Rewatching in readiness for the new series.
Its so dark isn’t it.
It’s like watching it through my fingers, revolted and horrified. It’s traumatic as a story line.
Such fantastic acting.

'Happy Valley' is such a jarring title for this show; before I watched it I was expecting something like Heartbeat 🙈

Brilliant tv, excellent cast - can't wait for the next series.

Oh that's what I mean with the music. I was distraught! I mean yay, but no....

just looking it up, I got my seasons in a muddle, sorry.

Nope, it happened in series 1 where Anne has been kidnapped by TLR and the other guy (Lewis?)

I live very nearby and drive along that road most days. Even now, it's not often that I don't momentarily think of that scene.

Trent sorry, yes, have corrected myself in next post.

Sorry yes, x post

Happy Valley is in a shortlist of my favourite TV series(es) ever.

If you know someone who gave up because series 1 was so bleak, I’d recommend they try watching series 2 instead. Yes, we hear about murdered women but, apart from one scene which you can hide your eyes for, we don’t see it happen.

We do see a lot of people trying their best, at work and outside.

In series 2 I did enjoy watching Molesley from Downton (Kevin Doyle), as well as Miss Bates (Siobhan Finneran) in both series, playing completely different and nuanced roles from Downton, and so convincingly.

Agreed re favourite dramas, together with Killing Eve.
I have never had a visceral reaction to any dramatic scenes since the Red Wedding in GOT. Very near to the barge scene on Happy Valley.

It never really appealed to me but so many people recommended it that I thought I’d give the first episode a try last weekend. I ended up binge-watching both series over about 3 days. Best series I’ve seen in a long time though it was difficult to watch at times, especially the scene where the young Police Officer was murdered.
What fantastic acting. Sarah Lancashire in particular, I’ve been a fan since watching her play Raquel in Corrie many years ago

one of my favourite scenes in Series 2 is Sarah L asking the Shirley H character "is it because he's pretty?"

There so much history of terrible things happening "because" someone was pretty - and it's like Sarah L put all of it into the delivery of that line. Wonderful acting.

She is an amazing actor.

There is a scene in series 1 I think, were they are apprehending a man having a MH crisis and three local scrotes are heckling from a parked car. You can see the moment she loses her temper so clearly; her breathing changes, her face changes, her whole demeanour changes.

I said to DH that it SO reminded of me when our teenager pushes me right to my last nerve! #notproud

It's a scene that demonstrates how she's not above breaking the rules when pushed, but so many other actors wouldn't have been able to make it look as real and raw IMO

Sarah L is just superb, and Shirley Henderson equally so. I so loathed her almost-whisper voice with TLR, making scenes with him even more awful.
She’s such a versatile actress, and I’d recommend a terrific little Irish film she’s in (Intermission) in which she has a great rôle, at home with her Dublin mammy; it also stars Colin Farrell, Cillian Murphy, Kelly MacDonald, Colm Meaney, and other familiar faces in an ensemble effort that is very low key indeed, but utterly brilliant)

Cant wait to see the new series of Happy Valley. I love that part of England, even if the tv visit entails dreadfully grim goings on. I can’t get iPlayer, so I’m praying to find a good streaming thingy ASAP!

I first came across James Norton in this series. Scary. Looking forward to the new series.

She carries the sadness like a second skin.
It literally envelopes her being.
It’s layer upon layer upon layer of desolation isn’t it.
like how does a person find that within themselves to display so effortlessly and naturally and believably? How?
Amazing acting, just amazing.

Agree, incredible acting by Sarah L but equally fantastic is the usually gorgeous James Norton as the terrifying Tommy Lee Royce. Hard to believe he played Sidney Chambers, the original vicar in Grantchester!

I watched Grantchester after HV after being recommended it by my godmother and it helped soothe the trauma of HV.

I've watched some amazing British dramas in the last couple of years and the standard of acting is superb. Real gritty hard-hitting stuff that is such a good study of human nature and emotions with some humour tossed in for good measure.

TRL looks really intimidating in the trailer doesn't he? I’m assuming he got skivved in the prison, he’s not looking so ‘pretty’ anymore with those stitches 🫣

DH pointed out one time that I watch lots of British crime drama, but rarely American ones. I had a think about this and I realised it's because the British ones that I prefer, such as HV and Forgotten, are very human and don't forget the trauma in the stories. I think this is rarer in US cop shows - I do have a couple that I watch and enjoy, but there is very little distress in them. The relatives of the murder victims sob a little and dab their eyes, but there is no real sadness there.

@Millytante
same here
I don’t have a TV licence but I’m hoping it hops onto BritBox fairly soon after the series has ended broadcast
like PP’s have said it really is a superb series one of the best ever made In The UK

I agree with all the above about the excellence of the acting, especially Sarah Lancashire.

I’ve just watched the first five minutes of the first episode of Series 3.

There are no plot spoilers other than things I’ve already read in preview articles: it’s more about character and it just reminds you (or reminded me) of how good Happy Valley is.

If that link doesn’t work, try the one in this Radio Times article.

She has good CSI knowledge and knew who it was immediately - and those annoying men mocked her

She's awesome. I love a good strong female lead.

Don't forget O'Brien too!

Ah, my mistake.

I meant Siobhan Finneran as Miss O’Brien not Miss Bates.

Is there a Miss Bates in Downton? I haven’t watched the second film but Bates and Mrs Bates might have had a daughter by now.

I thought it was a comedy!! 😳 Binged both series while ill in the run-up to Christmas and thought it was brilliant but very dark. The only bit that jarred for me was them blithely letting Ryan start coming home from school with his mate and stay out until 5 while his father was still on the loose.