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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Ellie Kemp

BBC Happy Valley: How many episodes, when does it end and will there be a series 4?

BBC drama Happy Valley has returned for a third and final season this January.

The first episode was broadcast on New Year's Day, six years after the gripping drama last graced our TV screens. It follows Sergeant Catherine Cawood, who is played by Oldham's very own Sarah Lancashire.

She has discovered the remains of a gangland murder victim in a drained reservoir, sparking an unfortunate series of events that leads her to Tommy, the father of her grandson Ryan and her late daughter’s rapist. But as Ryan, played by Rhys Connah, is now 16, he is starting to question the kind of relationship he should have with his dad.

READ MORE: BBC Happy Valley fans queue to eat at Bolton cafe where THAT scene was filmed

The latest series has had viewers hooked, while Mancunians noticed a popular Bolton café make an appearance in a recent episode. During Happy Valley's third instalment, police sergeant Catherine confronted her sister Clare over the devastating discovery that she had been helping her grandson Ryan visit his father behind bars.

Catherine trailed her sister and her boyfriend Neil as they were heading to Sheffield Prison. But when Clare headed to sit in a local cafe, Catherine seized the moment to confront her about the duplicity.

Viewers took to social media to share their excitement that Boton haunt Amico cafe made an appearance on the show - despite the drama being set in Sheffield.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. Here is how long we have left to enjoy new episodes of Happy Valley, when season three concludes and why we won't be getting a season four.

How many episodes are in Happy Valley season 3?

In total, there will be six episodes of Happy Valley in its third and final series. Each episode is an hour long. They have been airing on Sunday nights at 9pm on BBC One.

Seasons one and two were also made up of six episodes each.

When does Happy Valley finish?

The BBC drama's concluding episode will air on Sunday, February 5.

There will be no further seasons of the drama, with series creator Sally Wainwright and Sarah Lancashire agreeing it would only return one more time.

According to the Radio Times, Executive producer Will Johnston confirmed: “It definitely isn’t coming back – and again this is [from] Sally and Sarah who completely and rightly feel that you can have too much of a good thing.

“The two vital things are that Rhys [Connah, playing Ryan Cawood] is now at an age to make his own decisions about his life and the relationships in it, and [Lancashire’s character] Catherine’s on the brink of retirement, and those felt like such juicy things to explore."

Series one and two of the show won Baftas for best drama series and writing, while Lancashire won the leading actress prize for the second series.

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