Happy Valley, a new UK cop show with a difference

Films, TV shows, and books of the 'modern' era
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stuart.uk
Posts: 1805
Joined: January 21st, 2008, 12:25 pm
Location: Dundee, Scotland

Happy Valley, a new UK cop show with a difference

Post by stuart.uk »

Spoiler

I've just watched the first episode Of The Happy Valley, a cop thriller set in a rural part of Yorkshire. It stars the brilliant Sarah Lanashire as a tough, but stressed out uniformed Sargeant in charge of policing her local community. Though Ms. Lancashire isn't known in America, at least yet, it's interesting that Siobhan Finneran is, due to her work in Downton Abbey. She's cast as Lancashire's recovering herion addict sister, whom she shares a house with, along with the policewoman's grandson.

The history of Lancashire's character Catherine Cawood is that at one time she was a detective, but her daughter yrs earller committted suicide after being brutally raped. In order to bring up her grandson as a single mum, her marraige cracking under the strain, Cawood returns to uniformed policing because the shift work is better. Though there is humour in he show so far, there is a dark sinsister plot as well. Cawood has found out that the man who raped her daughter was release from prison (He wasn't convicted of the rape, but another crime) and is back on her patch. What she doesn't know yet, he's involved in a brutal kidnapping......
markfp
Posts: 238
Joined: August 29th, 2007, 12:01 am
Location: Syracuse, New York

Re: Happy Valley, a new UK cop show with a difference

Post by markfp »

Stuart, thanks for posting this. My wife and I are big fans of British police shows, although what with release patterns here in the U.S. sometimes we seem to be the last to discover some of them. This winter we watched the first nine series of NEW TRICKS and are waiting series ten which is being released in June. Will keep an eye out for Happy Valley. Perhaps we'll luck out and either BBC America or PBS will run it soon. :)
stuart.uk
Posts: 1805
Joined: January 21st, 2008, 12:25 pm
Location: Dundee, Scotland

Re: Happy Valley, a new UK cop show with a difference

Post by stuart.uk »

Hi Markfp

I don't knowif this clip will transfer to America.Here goes. It's a bit different to Sarah Lancashire's role of a bisexaul Headmistress in Last tango in Halifax. You may spot Downton Abbey actress, also looking different

stuart.uk
Posts: 1805
Joined: January 21st, 2008, 12:25 pm
Location: Dundee, Scotland

Re: Happy Valley, a new UK cop show with a difference

Post by stuart.uk »

Spoiler

I hope America gets to see this series at some point. Sarah Lancashire deserves to be a global superstar with her performance in this drama. I does remind me,though it's completely different, of Jamie Lee Curtis in Blue Steel in the sense it seems to be building up to a confrontation between a harrassed police woman and a mentally unbalanced villain.

Sarah's come a long way from the young dimpsy Marilyn type Raquel,she played in the soap Coronation Street to both the Bysexual Headmistress, Caroline, she plays so well in Last Tango In Halifax and action herione Catherine in Happy Valley, which may prove to be her best perfromance to date
stuart.uk
Posts: 1805
Joined: January 21st, 2008, 12:25 pm
Location: Dundee, Scotland

Re: Happy Valley, a new UK cop show with a difference

Post by stuart.uk »

Sarah Lancashire just recieved a best ssupporting actress in a tv seriel for Last Tango In Halifax.Well deserved......................Olivia Coleman got best actress in a serial for Broadchurch
stuart.uk
Posts: 1805
Joined: January 21st, 2008, 12:25 pm
Location: Dundee, Scotland

Re: Happy Valley, a new UK cop show with a difference

Post by stuart.uk »

Sorry to keep harping on about this show, The Happy Valley, but in concluded in the UK yesterday and it didn't disappoint. I think Sarah Lancashire who already has won best supporting actress Bafta in a tv drama for Last Tango In Halifax deserves to probably win best actress next year. If the show ever gets to America, she could very well be nominated for an Emmy, she's that good.

What might be of interest is that Downton Abbey's Mrs.O'Brien, as played by Siobhan Finneran,role as Lancashire's supportive sister starts out as a nothing role,but develops strongly episode by episode
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