The cast has been announced for the upcoming second series of Happy Valley, the hit BBC One drama that starts filming next week.
From Red Production Company and BAFTA award-winning writer Sally Wainwright, Happy Valley stars Sarah Lancashire. The new series will also star Siobhan Finneran (Benidorm, Downton Abbey) James Norton (Life in Squares, Granchester), George Costigan (Scott & Bailey, Homefront), Karl Davies (Emmerdale, Game of Thrones), Charlie Murphy (Love/Hate, The Village) return to the six-part drama and will be joined by Katherine Kelly (Coronation Street, Mr Selfridge), Julie Hesmondhalgh (Coronation Street, Cucumber), Shirley Henderson (Southcliffe, Jamaica Inn), Amelia Bullmore (Scott & Bailey, Twenty Twelve), Kevin Doyle (Downton Abbey, The Crimson Field), Matthew Lewis (Harry Potter, The Syndicate,) Con O’Neill (Cucumber, Uncle) and Vincent Franklin (Cucumber, The Thick Of It).
As series two opens, we join Catherine (Sarah Lancashire), the no-nonsense police sergeant who is back heading up her team of dedicated police officers in The Calder Valley in West Yorkshire. With Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) firmly behind bars, Catherine suspects there may be another serial killer on the loose and makes a gruesome discovery that will have shocking repercussions for her and her family. Meanwhile, a new detective, DS John Wadsworth (Kevin Doyle) arrives on the block with his own set of problems, and despite being firmly under lock and key, Tommy forms a bond with a mysterious female admirer (Shirley Henderson).
Happy Valley was a big ratings hit for BBC One last year pulling in almost 8 million viewers. It has been nominated for and won over 30 awards including winning the prestigious Best Drama Series award at this year’s BAFTAs with writer Sally Wainwright also named Best Writer at the 2015 BAFTA Craft Awards.
Writer and Executive Producer Sally Wainwright said: “I am thrilled to be embarking on a second series. We were delighted and overwhelmed with the viewers’ response to series one and it’s clear that there’s a huge appetite to see more of the characters and drama among the TV viewing public”.
Happy Valley series 2 will begin filming next week in Yorkshire and will be broadcast on BBC One in 2016.
