Happy Valley wins Best Drama in the Where to Watch Awards with Humax

Another award for Happy Valley

Thousands of you have voted Happy Valley best Drama in the 2023 Where to Watch Awards with Humax. The series, which concluded earlier this year, won with a huge percentage of the votes.

Cast you mind back to New Year’s Day this year and more than ELEVEN million of us were gripped by the launch of the third and final season of the epic drama series.

The BBC’s Chief Content Officer, Charlotte Moore says: “Happy Valley is the ultimate event TV, Sally Wainwright’s emotional rollercoaster has gripped the nation and grown week on week across the start of 2023. Water cooler moments don’t get much bigger than the unmissable final ever episode this Sunday.”

Sally Wainwright adds: “I’m thrilled and delighted that so many people are enjoying the show.”

The series, which commenced in 2014, has earned multiple Baftas for best drama, and James Norton recognized its “special” quality from the outset.

Set in the Calder Valley, West Yorkshire, this police drama revolves around the life of Sergeant Catherine Cawood (portrayed by Lancashire), haunted by the menacing presence of James Norton’s character, the violent criminal Tommy Lee Royce.

Following the filming of the initial two seasons, the cast faced a seven-year hiatus, allowing young actor Rhys Connah, who plays Tommy’s son Ryan, to age and the storyline to progress.

Reflecting on the significant time gap, Norton remarked, “I think people change in seven years. Tommy obviously has a lot of trauma. We’ve delved into his mental health and explored what propels him forward. Tommy has evolved, matured, and in some ways, he has become more composed. He now harbors a Jesus complex. He’s a different person.”

Indeed, he is different. Tommy’s relationship with Ryan develops, revealing his softer side. His motivations have shifted away from revenge and hatred, now characterized by what Norton describes as a “narcissistic” form of love.

The actor emphasized the intensity of scenes filmed with Connah, citing them as “incredibly charged” due to the evolution of his character.

“There’s something troubling about being in a very disturbed mind like Tommy” said James. “You have to delve a lot into psychopathy and spend time in the headspace of a man who’s very mistrustful and quite a sad, angry person.

“But there’s this other side of it where you feel kind of invincible because he doesn’t care what people think about him.

“There’s something incredibly empowering about that playing the bad man – intriguing, always playing the kind of subversive dark criminal mind.”

Stream the series on BBC iPlayer.

Sponsored: Download all your favourite apps and games from Google Play. Including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and 20,000+ titles on Google Play Movies. Stream the entertainment you love from your phone, tablet or laptop to your TV. Look for the Chromecast icon on your smart device. 

All this for under £60? Click here for more information.

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Travel