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Happy Valley (TV series)

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Happy Valley
Alt= Happy Valley title card
GenreCrime Drama
Written bySally Wainwright
Directed by
Starring
Opening themeTrouble Town
Ending themeTrouble Town
ComposerBen Foster
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerKaren Lewis
Production locationsHalifax
Sowerby Bridge
Hebden Bridge
Mytholmroyd
Heptonstall
Todmorden
Running time60 minutes
Production companyRed Production Company
Original release
Network
Release29 April 2014 (2014-04-29) –
present

Happy Valley is a British drama television programme that debuted on BBC One on 29 April 2014. The show was written by Sally Wainwright, and directed by Euros Lyn, Sally Wainwright, and Tim Fywell. BBC One producers were in discussion with Wainwright regarding a possible second series[1][2] and confirmed on 18 August 2014 that the programme had been renewed.[3] Series 2 began filming in August 2015 and will air in 2016.

Plot

Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) is a strong-willed police sergeant in West Yorkshire, still coming to terms with her daughter's suicide. Just as she seems to be getting back on top of her life, she spots standing on a street corner in her town Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton), the man she believes is responsible for the brutal rape that impregnated and drove her daughter to suicide. Catherine soon becomes obsessed with finding Royce, unaware that he is involved in the kidnapping of Ann Gallagher (Charlie Murphy), a plot instigated by Kevin Weatherill (Steve Pemberton) and orchestrated by Ashley Cowgill (Joe Armstrong). Things quickly take a dark turn as the abductors scramble to keep the kidnapping secret, although Catherine is onto them.

Cast

Main cast and characters

Recurring cast and characters

Series 1

2

Series 2[4]

2

Production

On 22 November 2012, Ben Stephenson announced the commissioning of Happy Valley for BBC One. The programme was written by Sally Wainwright, produced by Karen Lewis, and directed by Euros Lyn, Sally Wainwright, and Tim Fywell.[5][6]

Filming began in Calderdale in November 2013.[7][8] Locations in the area included Huddersfield, Halifax, Todmorden, Luddenden, Mytholmroyd, Bradford, Keighley, Sowerby Bridge, Hebden Bridge, and Heptonstall. A former West Yorkshire police station was used for some scenes, and additional filming took place at North Light Film Studios at Brookes Mill, Huddersfield.[9]

The name Happy Valley is what local police in Calderdale call the area because of its drug problem.[10]

In the series one premiere episode, Ryan points out to Catherine, who is visiting her daughter Rebecca's grave in the next row, that visitors have left pens at Sylvia Plath Hughes' grave.

A second series was commissioned on 18 August 2014. Filming began in August 2015, and it will air in 2016.[11] The second series will be written by Wainwright, produced by Lewis, directed by Lyn and Wainwright.[12]

Episodes

Series Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired
1 6 29 April 2014 3 June 2014
2 TBA 2016 2016

Series 1 (2014)

No. in
series 		Title Directed by Written by Original air date UK viewers (millions)
Sourced directly from BARB
1"One"Euros LynSally Wainwright29 April 2014 (2014-04-29)7.64
Catherine Cawood is a sergeant in a small town in West Yorkshire that is riddled with a drug culture that is daunting to tackle. Kevin Weatherill is an accountant in a large company run by his late father's best friend, Nevison Gallagher. When Nevison refuses to raise Kevin's pay so Kevin can afford to send his daughter to a better school, something Kevin believes Nevison owes him, Kevin orchestrates with local thug Ashley Cowgill a plot to kidnap Nevison's daughter, Ann. Cowgill involves his employees, Tommy Lee Royce and Lewis Whippey, and changes the terms, causing Kevin's scheme to backfire. Sergeant Catherine Cawood lives with her recovering heroin addict sister and brings up her eight-year-old grandson, Ryan. Whilst visiting Ryan's teacher regarding the boy's behavioural problems, Catherine reveals her daughter was raped by Royce. She believes this rape drove her daughter to commit suicide shortly after giving birth to Tommy's son, Ryan, whom Catherine has raised ever since. The episode ends with a very anxious Kevin entering Catherine's West Yorkshire police station to report the kidnapping, but he changes his mind at the last minute.
2"Two"Euros LynSally Wainwright6 May 2014 (2014-05-06)6.62
After spotting Tommy Lee Royce but quickly losing track of him, Catherine is determined to find him and comes close to busting the kidnapping plot in the process. Kevin, who is overcome with guilt at seeing Nevison's despair, confesses everything to his shocked wife Jenny, who urges him not to take any money from Ashley. However, Kevin is reluctant to say no to his cut. Catherine becomes distressed when her ex-husband Richard continues with his refusal to accept Ryan.
3"Three"Euros LynSally Wainwright13 May 2014 (2014-05-13)6.79
The valley is rocked by the sudden, unprovoked murder of young police officer Kirsten McAskill, Catherine's protegee. Meanwhile Ashley and Lewis panic, fearing that Tommy Lee Royce's actions will lead to their being exposed. Catherine has a flashback of her dead daughter as she struggles to come to terms with Kirsten's death, and she reveals to Clare that she blames herself. Nevison's wife Helen urges him to involve the police in finding Ann, but he refuses, fearful that disobeying the kidnappers' instructions not to involve the police would further endanger Ann.
4"Four"Sally WainwrightSally Wainwright20 May 2014 (2014-05-20)7.33
Catherine is still haunted by Kirsten's death, and her depression spurs her on her quest to find Tommy Lee Royce. Realising the net is closing in on them, Ashley orders Tommy to dispose of Ann, but instead Royce holds her prisoner in his mother's cellar. Following her hunch, Catherine manages to speak with Helen face to face and activates a rescue plan when Helen admits everything. With everything falling into place, Catherine's heroic actions are shattered when Royce assaults her with murderous intent, leaving both Ann and Catherine to fight for their lives.
5"Five"Tim FywellSally Wainwright27 May 2014 (2014-05-27)7.10
In hospital, Catherine fights for her life following Royce's attack, while Clare and Daniel undertake a bedside vigil. When she finally pulls through, Catherine learns that Royce has escaped the police and is still at large. She becomes more deeply depressed upon realizing she has missed Kirsten's funeral and takes her anger out on Ryan, when he continues to misbehave at school. Royce kills his partner in crime, Lewis, and temporary flatmate, Brett, because they both posed a threat to keeping the kidnapping under wraps from the police. Whilst being murdered, Lewis fights back, stabbing Tommy in the abdomen. Tommy assumes a disguise to remain unseen from the public in Hebden Bridge. Meanwhile, Ashley and Kevin are arrested, but Ashley is released after telling secrets to the police about a large drug smuggling trade he knew of, and his family is put into Witness Protection. Kevin is in prison and being poorly treated.
6"Six"Tim FywellSally Wainwright3 June 2014 (2014-06-03)7.78
A weakened, still-disguised Tommy knows where his son lives and attends school. Clare invites family and friends to a birthday party for Catherine - who does not want it. Tensions arise when Daniel lets slip some information about Becky and Tommy's old relationship, implying Catherine's allegation of rape leading to suicide may be untrue. Ashley is murdered in a drive-by shooting the day before he is due to enter Witness Protection; the police reason someone higher up in the drug trade had heard of Ashley's whistleblowing and then silenced him. Tommy finds a way to see Ryan regularly without raising the child's family's suspicion, but this soon turns into a dangerous hostage situation with Catherine on-scene. Catherine finally apprehends Tommy. The series ends with Catherine standing on a high-leveled hill near Hebden Bridge, contemplating incidents related to Tommy's criminal activities and smiling at the final thought: of Tommy's having been caught.

Series 2 (2016)

Happy Valley was renewed for a second series by the BBC and is due to broadcast in 2016.

Reception

The first episode aired on 29 April 2014 at 21:00. It garnered 7.64 million viewers, and it was the second most watched show of the week (commencing 28 April 2014) for BBC One.[13] The BBC reported that the show received an average consolidated audience of 7.2 million viewers over six episodes, and an additional 8.1 million requests for the show on BBC iPlayer.[14] Radio Times called Happy Valley a "word-of-mouth hit" which "steadily became a success outside the normal audience for the slot and channel."[15]

After "Episode 1" aired, Ofcom received four complaints under the category "violence and dangerous behaviour", but they did not pursue the matter.[16]

Reviews from the media have been overwhelmingly positive, and the show has received 100% critic review on Rotten Tomatoes.[17] However, some reviewers have criticised the show for its graphic content, especially in "Episode 3" and "Episode 4". The Daily Mail's TV correspondent Alasdair Glennie questioned if the BBC went "too far" in "Episode 4" with the brutal attack on police sergeant Cawood, following the murder of one of her officers. The Daily Mail claimed that the BBC had received "15 complaints about ["Episode 4"], which aired between 9pm and 10pm after the watershed, while 45 viewers contacted the [BBC] corporation to say how much they enjoyed the show." Vivienne Pattison, a campaigner for stronger television regulations and a part of Mediawatch-uk, declared that the violence "is part of a worrying trend in TV drama."[18]

In response to the criticism, Happy Valley's creator-writer, Wainwright, defended the show as "a quality, well-written drama" and stated, "Judging by the amount of email, texts, tweets I've had, I don't think anyone is asking me to apologise."[1] In an interview with Radio Times, Wainwright said the level of violence had been carefully considered and that it was done responsibly by showing the psychological and physical damage suffered by Catherine.[19]

Other critics have praised the show. Vicky Frost of The Guardian wrote: "To get hung up on the violence of this BBC1 kidnap drama misses the point. It is beautifully written by Sally Wainwright, draws an astonishing performance from Sarah Lancashire—and between them, they have created something truly unmissable."[20] Another Daily Mail TV correspondent, Christopher Stevens, rated "Episode 4" with 5/5 stars, saying that "every installment has been unmissable" and "Bafta bosses might as well get next year's trophy inscribed now" for star Sarah Lancashire.[21] Gerard O'Donovan of The Telegraph called Happy Valley "complex, thrilling and brilliantly written and acted" and "one of the best watches of 2014."[22]

Awards and nominations

[23]
Association Category Nominee(s) Result
BAFTA Television Awards Best Leading Actress Sarah Lancashire Nominated
Best Supporting Actor James Norton Nominated
Best Drama Series Happy Valley Won
BAFTA Television Craft Awards Best Director: Fiction Euros Lyn Nominated
Best Writer: Drama Sally Wainwright Won
Banff Rockie Awards Best Procedural Drama Happy Valley Pending
Broadcast Awards Best Drama Series or Serial Happy Valley Won
Broadcasting Press Guild Awards Best Actress Sarah Lancashire Nominated
Best Drama Series Happy Valley Nominated
Breakthrough Award James Norton Nominated
Writer's Award Sally Wainwright Won
Crime Thriller Awards Best TV Drama Happy Valley Won
Best Leading Actor Steve Pemberton Nominated
Best Leading Actress Sarah Lancashire Nominated
Best Supporting Actor James Norton Won
Edgar Awards Best Television Episode Teleplay Sally Wainwright ("Episode 1") Won
Monte-Carlo Television Festival Outstanding Drama Series Happy Valley Pending[24]
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Sarah Lancashire Pending[24]
National Television Awards Best Drama Performance Sarah Lancashire Nominated[25]
RTS Programme Awards Best Actor (Female) Sarah Lancashire Won[26]
Best Drama Series Happy Valley Nominated[27]
Best Writer: Drama Sally Wainwright Nominated[27]
Best Editing: Drama Jamie Pearson Nominated[27]
RTS North-West Awards Best Single Drama or Drama Series Happy Valley Nominated
Best Performance in a Single Drama or Drama Series (Male) Steve Pemberton Nominated
Best Performance in a Single Drama or Drama Series (Female) Sarah Lancashire Won
Best Script Writer Sally Wainwright Nominated
Best Production (Craft) Red Production Company Nominated
Best Post-Production (Craft) 'production team' ("Episode 4") Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Mini-Series Made for Television Happy Valley Nominated[28]
Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Sarah Lancashire Nominated[28]
South Bank Sky Arts Awards Best TV Drama Happy Valley Pending
TV Choice Awards Best New Drama Happy Valley Won[29]
Best Actress Sarah Lancashire Won[29]
Writer's Guild of Great Britain Awards Best TV Drama - Long Form Sally Wainwright Won

Home media

Happy Valley series one was released on DVD in region two and four on 16 June 2014 by BBC Shop. The DVD includes two discs featuring 351 minutes worth of footage, and has an age certificate of 15.[30] The series was released on iTunes consisting of all six episodes, both in standard and high definition.[31]

On 20 August 2014, the series was further released on Netflix in Canada and USA, marketed as a "Netflix Original".[32]

References

  1. ^ a b Brown, Maggie (25 May 2014). "Happy Valley writer: I don't have to apologise for show's violence". The Guardian/The Observer. Guardian News. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  2. ^ "We're in talks about more #HappyValley". @BBCOne. Twitter. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  3. ^ Eames, Tom (18 August 2014). "Happy Valley renewed for second series by BBC One". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  4. ^ "Happy Valley series 2 casting". BBC Media Centre. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  5. ^ Eames, Tom (11 December 2013). "Sarah Lancashire, Steve Pemberton for BBC One thriller Happy Valley". Digital Spy. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  6. ^ "Happy Valley - New drama for BBC One starring Sarah Lancashire and James Norton". BBC. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  7. ^ Rees, Caroline (3 November 2013). "Sally Wainwright: not the same old". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  8. ^ Bremner, Jade (11 December 2013). "Last Tango in Halifax actress Sarah Lancashire begins shooting new crime drama in Yorkshire". Radio Times. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  9. ^ "Creative England provides filming location and crew support to new BBC drama Happy Valley when filming in Yorkshire". Creative England. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  10. ^ "Sarah Lancashire: 'Happy Valley is one of the hardest jobs I've had. It's brutal'". What's On TV. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  11. ^ "Happy Valley series 2 casting". BBC Media Centre. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  12. ^ "Happy Valley Series 2". BBC Media Centre. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  13. ^ "BARB - Weekly Top 10 (28 Apr 2014)". BARB. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  14. ^ "BBC One drama Happy Valley closes with 7.8m viewers". BBC. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  15. ^ Seale, Jack (3 June 2014). "Why Happy Valley is the drama of the year so far". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company Limited. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  16. ^ "Ofcom Broadcast Bulletin, Issue 254" (PDF). Ofcom. Independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries. 19 May 2014. p. 68. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  17. ^ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/happy-valley/s01/
  18. ^ Glennie, Alasdair (21 May 2014). "Did the BBC's brutal Happy Valley go too far? Viewers shocked by blood-soaked climax to violent TV drama". Mail Online. Associated Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  19. ^ "Happy Valley writer Sally Wainwright - I've got plans for a second series". Radio Times. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  20. ^ Frost, Vicky (27 May 2014). "Have you been watching … Happy Valley". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  21. ^ Stevens, Christopher (21 May 2014). "Sorry, Olivia, but you've already been pipped to next year's Bafta: Christopher Stevens reviews last night's TV". Mail Online. Associated Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  22. ^ O'Donovan, Gerard (27 May 2014). "Happy Valley, episode 5, review: 'exceptionally well crafted'". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  23. ^ "Bafta TV awards 2015: Nominations in full". BBC. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  24. ^ a b Idato, Michael (21 April 2015). "Australia dramas and actors storm into the Monte Carlo TV Festival". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  25. ^ Jeffrey, Morgan (6 January 2015). "X Factor, Doctor Who, Sherlock nominated in National Television Awards". Digital Spy. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  26. ^ Hemley, Matthew (18 March 2015). "Sarah Lancashire and Tom Hollander win at Royal Television Society Programme Awards". The Stage. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  27. ^ a b c Walker-Arnott, Ellie (25 February 2015). "Peaky Blinders, Line of Duty and Happy Valley nominated for Royal Television Society awards". Radio Times. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  28. ^ a b "Current Nominees". International Press Academy. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  29. ^ a b Rigby, Sam (8 September 2014). "Sherlock, EastEnders lead winners at TVChoice Awards 2014". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  30. ^ "Happy Valley (DVD)". BBC Worldwide. British Broadcasting Company (BBC). Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  31. ^ "Happy Valley Series 1 - iTunes". Apple Inc. 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  32. ^ "Happy Valley to premiere exclusively on Netflix in the U.S. and Canada". Netflix. Netflix. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
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