Northern Noir Happy Valley returns for a third and final season

Watch the Happy Valley series 3 trailer: 

The latest trailer gives us a glimpse of Sarah Lancashire as the soon-to-retire Sergeant Catherine Cawood and James Norton as her old nemesis, Tommy Lee Royce crossing paths once more, with Ryan also stepping into the fray now he's older. 

What we know about season 3 of Happy Valley 

It’s clear that in the new season Catherine will cross paths with Tommy once again, the father of her grandson, Ryan (Rhys Connah) and her late daughter’s rapist. Catherine and Tommy are brought face to face again following the discovery of a gangland murder victim in a drained reservoir, leading her back to Tommy who is still in prison after the crimes he committed in season 1.  

Part of the reason for the long hiatus was that Ryan needed to grow up before the next chapter (not to mention writer Sally Wainwright’s incredibly busy schedule). Season 3 happens seven years after the end of season 2. Ryan is now 16 years old and his own ideas about the relationship he wants with Tommy, who Catherine still refuses to acknowledge as his father.  

Beyond these issues at home, Catherine is on the brink of retirement but is still battling against the problem of drugs being brought into the valley and who could be supplying them.  

It sounds like Wainwright has thought long and hard about how to end the show with a bang, telling BBC Breakfast back in 2016 after season 2 had aired that, 

“We’ve decided […] that because I’m so busy with other projects at the moment, I haven’t got time to sit down and come up with the stories. […] What I’d hate to do is do a third series and people say it wasn’t as good. So I want time to go away and really come up with stories that I think are going to make a third series." 

The Happy Valley cast for season 3: 

Sally Wainwright previously told RadioTimes.com that, 

"Everyone's back – all the characters you'd expect to see are back." 

Here are the familiar faces we can expect to see in season 3:  

• Sarah Lancashire as Sergeant Catherine Cawood 

• James Norton as Tommy Lee Royce 

• Siobhan Finneran as Clare, Catherine’s sister 

• Con O’Neil as Clare’s boyfriend Neil 

• George Costigan as Nevison Gallagher 

• Charlie Murphy as Ann Gallagher 

• Rhys Connah as Ryan Cawood 

• Derek Riddell as Richard Cawood 

• Karl Davies as Daniel Cawood 

• Susan Lynch as Alison Garrs 

• Rick Warden as Mike Taylor 

• Vincent Franklin as Andy Shepherd 

New additions to the cast: 

• Amit Shah (The Other One, The Long Call)  

• Mark Stanley (The Girl Before, White House Farm) 

• Mollie Winnard (All Creatures Great and Small) 

• Oliver Huntingdon (The Rising)  

• Jack Bandeira (Sex Education) 

• Alec Secareanu (God’s Own Country) 

• Anthony Flanagan (Gentleman Jack)  

Where is Happy Valley filmed?  

Happy Valley is filmed and set in West Yorkshire, specifically the Calder Valley. Most of the series so far has been shot in Sowerby Bridge which is where Sally Wainwright is actually from! Filming also took place in Hebden Bridge, Huddersfield, Keighley and Meltham, giving the drama series an authentic Yorkshire feel.  

How to watch Happy Valley season 3 

Watch the first episode of Happy Valley season 3 on Sunday 1st January 2023 at 9pm on BBC One to kick off the New Year with a bang! The drama will be airing weekly and will not be released as a boxset, but you can watch season 1 and 2 of Happy Valley on BBC iPlayer now.