Dickheads are everywhere

Continuing my trip down The Guardian's Top 50 TV Shows of 2023 

#3 : Happy Valley

Fans waited seven years for Sally Wainwright to give us the third and final instalment of one of the best British TV shows of all time, and it didn’t disappoint. Sarah Lancashire returned on flawless form as weathered police officer Catherine Cawood, about to retire but still living under the threat of an incarcerated Tommy Lee Royce (the excellent James Norton) as she brings up his son/her grandchild Ryan. The strength of the show was, as always, in the finer details. From talk of Todmorden aliens to that confrontation in a Sheffield cafe, we were treated to highlights including a meme-worthy comment about having stew for tea and a final showdown in which Catherine tells Tommy: “That boy is a prince.” Once again, Wainwright delivered a writing masterclass.

Wow - was it really seven years between the second and third seasons?  I watched the first two seasons in the intervening period and really enjoyed them so I watched this season "live"(ish) - look at me having already seen two of the top three entries on the list!

And, like Succession, there's not really a lot of point in me saying anything about this.  If you wanted to watch it, you probably already have; if you didn't want to watch it, then you won't do so, no matter what I say; and if you're not aware of it, then you should watch it but you shouldn't start here.  And you won't thank me for telling you anything about it.

It's a reasonably small cast who tie together interconnecting storylines pretty well - obviously it's all completely unbelievable, but it's very well done unbelievable.  I actually don't think I need to tell you anything more about it - it's gritty, it's Northern and I loved it.  I also didn't have the faintest idea how the last episode was going to pan out - there was a lot of stuff still to resolve, but of course it was all done well.  If you fancy it, you should watch it from the beginning - there's quite a lot that hangs over from one season to the next.

Sarah Lancashire is an actor who is a marker of quality - if she's involved in something, it's worth a look (although this is only the second time we've seen her on a list after Julia) and she's on top form in this.  But I tell you what, there are a load of class actors involved in this with Siobhan Finneran (she's also been seen in Time and Alma's Not Normal), Susan Lynch, Con O'Neill (recently seen in The Batman) and James Norton.  All proper good!  I'm also going to call out Rhys Connah who gives us a very convincing confused 16 year old and Amit Shah who plays a pharmacist somewhat out of his depth.  I was also amused to see George Costigan in a minor role - he played Bob in Rita, Sue and Bob too, with Rita having been played by - Siobhan Finneran.  35 years ago!

This is a great series and this season was a fine way to wrap it all up - beautifully written, acted and shot with a great balance of humour and tension.  It's always hard to rank these things but I certainly think a lot of "normal" people would mark this higher than Succession - it's certainly a lot more relatable to your average person this side of the pond.  If you've not caught it yet then all seasons are available on iPlayer, so start at the beginning and work your way through some glorious telly.

#2 - A fine send-off
#4 - Certainly different