The cast line-up has been announced for the brand new series of Happy Valley, which is returning to the BBC for a final instalment.
The third season will be the final chapter of the programme, with many of the show’s iconic characters reprising their roles once more.
And there will also be some new faces added to the line-up who are said to play ‘pivotal’ roles in the storyline.
The BAFTA award-winning show, written by Sally Wainwright, last aired in 2016 and became a huge hit, drawing in audiences of millions.
And now six years later the BBC is preparing for a major comeback to give the show it’s grand finale.
Filming for the show is taking place in and around West Yorkshire over the coming months as we prepare for the return of our favourite Sergeant Catherine Cawood.
Here’s what we know so far about Happy Valley series 3 and who will be starring in it.
Happy Valley season 3 cast
Many of the original Happy Valley cast members will be returning for series 3.
Sarah Lancashire
Sarah Lancashire will be reprising her role as the iconic Sergeant Catherine Cawood for the third season of Happy Valley.
The English actress, 57, also appeared as Caroline in Last Tango in Halifax, and in Coronation Street from 1987-2000 as Rachel Wolstenhulme.
James Norton
James Bond contender James Norton will be returning to Happy Valley as Catherine’s nemesis - the murderer and sex offender Tommy Lee Royce.
Norton, 36, won a BAFTA for his role in the first season in 2015 and has also appeared in Grantchester, War and Peace, and McMafia.
Siobhan Finneran
Siobhan Finneran will be reprising her role as Catherine’s sister, the recovering addict Clare Cartwright.
The 55-year-old has starred previously in Coronation Street, Netflix’s The Stranger, Clocking Off and Benidorm.
Con O’Neill
Con O’Neill will be starring once again as Clare’s recovering alcoholic boyfriend Neil Ackroyd in Happy Valley series 3.
The 55-year-old has also appeared in Chernobyl, Vengeance is Mine and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.
Other returning Happy Valley series 3 cast members
George Costigan will be returning as local business owner Nevison Gallagher, with Charlie Murphy playing his daughter and Catherine’s colleague Ann.
Also reprising their roles in series 3 will be Derek Riddell as Richard Cawood, Karl Davies as Daniel Cawood and Susan Lynch as Alison Garrs.
Rick Warden will be returning as MIke Taylor, Vincent Franklin as Andy Shepherd and Rhys Connah as Catherine’s grandson Ryan Cawood.
New Happy Valley series 3 cast members
The new season of Happy Valley will also have some new faces on the line-up.
Amit Shah, formerly of The Other One and The Long Call, will be joining the cast.
Mark Stanley, who has starred in The Girl Before and White House Farm will also be appearing in series 3.
And Mollie Winnard, who has previously been in All Creatures Great and Small and Four Lives will be joining too.
At this stage we don’t know what characters they will be playing but the BBC have said they will be playing ‘pivotal’ roles in the final chapter.
Happy Valley season 3 plot
The last series of Happy Valley aired in 2016 and attracted an average audience of 9.3million.
The first two series each won the Bafta Television awards for both Drama Series and Writing: Drama for Sally Wainwright, with Sarah Lancashire winning the Bafta Television award for Leading Actress for series two.
The synopsis for the third season says the story being when Catherine discovered the remains of a gangland murder victim in a drained reservoir.
A series of events leads her straight back to her nemesis Tommy Lee Royce.
Her grandson Ryan is now 16 and still living with Catherine, but he has ideas of his own about what kind of relationship he wants to have with the man Catherine refuses to acknowledge as his father.
Still battling the seemingly never-ending problem of drugs in the valley and those who supply them, Catherine is on the cusp of retirement.
Happy Valley season 3 release date
At the moment, all we know about Happy Valley season 3 is that it will be ‘announced in due course’.
The series will include six new episodes, will premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, and will be the final series of Happy Valley.
Seasons 1 and 2 are available to watch now on iPlayer for those who want to refresh their memories - or have never seen them.
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