Happy Valley [BBC 1] [** Spoilers **]

Ruu

Episode 5 tonight. I am all caught up, a bit gorey for me, had to hide behind the couch for some of that. Gripping stuff!

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

I'm not sure I'm fully recovered from last week's episode yet.

Lisha

Jesus it's abit rough

Really hard to watch

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Not quite so intense this week but very heavy emotionally. Broke my heart seeing Catherine disown Ryan like that

HeidiHeidi

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Not quite so intense this week but very heavy emotionally. Broke my heart seeing Catherine disown Ryan like that

I found that much harder going than last week's.

Dark stuff.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I found that much harder going than last week's.

Dark stuff.

Last week's was hard to watch in that it was so nail biting and almost scary. The pace was slower this week but still quite hard to watch on an emotional level.

lovelyhurler

Have to say that I think that this is one of the best things BBC drama has done in a long time.
Is it a one off series or are they planning a second series?

FloatingVoter

I doubt Sarah Lancashire is going to stick around for much longer than a second season (if that) .....she's graduated out of soaps a long time back. I'd rather see it as a great one off.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Given the setting there's probably plenty of scope for a second series but everything just fits so well with this on that I think it'd be hard to recapture what makes this one special.
The main crime story mixes in so well with Catherine's personal life and that's what adds so much of the emotional heft to the story, I think anyway. To have her just investigating something completely unrelated wouldn't work as well, and to have a second major crime relate so much to her personal life would probably be a bit far fetched and unbelievable.

It might be better off as just a mini series.

Mr E

I'm going to plough through this at the weekend - I've heard nothing but positive things about it.

FloatingVoter

Mr E wrote: »

I'm going to plough through this at the weekend - I've heard nothing but positive things about it.

Well worth it - final episode is next week. Its good to see a completely unhyped show turn up as a gem.

somesoldiers

I'll second that, really good show, looking forward to the end. I like the way it didn't just stop after ep 4 but has more to tell

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

It seems to be a real word of mouth show. People seem to be catching up on iplayer after hearing about it and then the figures are higher every week for the new episodes.

Skid X

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

It seems to be a real word of mouth show. People seem to be catching up on iplayer after hearing about it and then the figures are higher every week for the new episodes.

I think Happy Valley would be a great acquisition for RTE, TV3 or TG4. Lots of Irish people who haven't got BBC (or missed the start and haven't got the means to watch it online) would enjoy this series.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

I'm sure it will pop up eventually. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a US remake announced too. They went for Broadchurch which I don't think was a patch on this.

FloatingVoter

Broadchurch was a longwinded road to nowhere. This one has been thought out. Fargo is about as close as it gets to Happy Valley for comparison. Except this is realistic. And I'm a big Fargo fan.

Dozen Wicked Words

Annoyingly I let my preconceived ideas steer me away from this. Ex soap star in story written by last tango in Halifax writer. Nah.

So, I've clearly got it wrong and will have to catch up with this. Last tango supposedly not as trite as my narrow mind presumed either.

I'm off to give myself a stern talking to.

_Whimsical_

Tonight was great again, the scenes with Ryan were absolutely heartbreaking. I really respected how they let this episode flag a little in the high drama stakes and took the time to tease out the emotional tole that everything had taken on Catherine. All too often in these kind of shows the main character bounces back like Road Runner,as if nothing much has happened and it's had no emotional impact.
Still I didn't really see the turn of events with Tommy coming, it throws up something new all the time.
I'm a little in love with this show, I'm really sorry it's ending next week.

FloatingVoter wrote: »

I doubt Sarah Lancashire is going to stick around for much longer than a second season (if that) .....she's graduated out of soaps a long time back. I'd rather see it as a great one off.

I don't think this is soap, it's very well written drama. She's already been in Last Tango for 2 series and will be in a third. I can't see how they could make another series of Happy Valley that would have so much impact but I think the writer is superb and it's surprised me every week so I'm looking forward to being proved wrong.

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

Annoyingly I let my preconceived ideas steer me away from this. Ex soap star in story written by last tango in Halifax writer. Nah.

So, I've clearly got it wrong and will have to catch up with this. Last tango supposedly not as trite as my narrow mind presumed either.

I'm off to give myself a stern talking to.

You deserve a talking too...but at least you'll be rewarded after it
Last Tango is very good too. I thought I would hate it,that it would be some sacherine sweet,trite, sleepy little drama but it actually avoids all the pothole it should have fallen into. Instead it has heart, humour, a bit of grit and it's really feel good. It's a surprising show. You'd never guess you'd find people in their late 70s so entertaining and relatable.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

^ I found the box set of Last Tango in the library the other day and was going to borrow it but thought it might get a bit confusing watching Lancashire in two shows at once. I'm definitely going to watch it after Happy Valley finishes though.

I like Sally Wainwright as a writer but I found with her ITV show, Scott & Bailey, that it lost the plot a little by the 3rd series. I'm not sure I want to see another series of Happy Valley unless she's had it planned out already and it's not just BBC's decision on the back of how successful it's been.

Ruu

That's one evil bastid, wouldn't even call him human! Showdown expected for next week I'd imagine (hopefully with the little lad not involved )

LennieB

Started watching this at Episode 1, wasn't expecting much but what a drama! Sarah Lancashire and all the actors absolutely superb. It really pulls you in emotionally - I could feel Ann's fear when abducted and Catherine's depression and anger when released from hosp. the other night. Also whenever I saw the outside of where Tommy was e.g. the flats I almost didn't want to look inside to see what he was up to next. Cannot wait until next Tuesday to see how it all pans out.

Fiolina

I've been watching this and really enjoying it but I think I must have fallen asleep or something during the last episode. Can someone tell me who stabbed Tommy and the other fella in the house please?

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Fiolina wrote: »

I've been watching this and really enjoying it but I think I must have fallen asleep or something during the last episode. Can someone tell me who stabbed Tommy and the other fella in the house please?

Tommy said that Lewis came at him with the knife and stabbed him. I'm not sure if he was telling the truth or not because it was a bit weird that Lewis was in bed even though his throat had been cut. Me and my mum reckon Tommy decided to kill Lewis, because he heard him trying to get the other guy to turn him in, and in the struggle he got stabbed himself. Either way it was Tommy who killed Lewis and somehow he ended up stabbed too.

somesoldiers

The two on the run had a fight ( not shown ) and tommy killed the other lad and in the process got stabbed. Then the lad that lives in the flat started having a fit when he saw the dead body and tommy stabbed him too. Body Count #3 so far

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

somesoldiers wrote: »

The two on the run had a fight ( not shown ) and tommy killed the other lad and in the process got stabbed. Then the lad that lives in the flat started having a fit when he saw the dead body and tommy stabbed him too. Body Count #3 so far

He didn't stab the other guy, he choked him. Very creepy. Up close and personal.

somesoldiers

oh yeah, I went all Limerick there for a minute

Alfred Borden

Started watching this, what a gem of a show.

prodsc

Great British Drama.....
..but maybe should only be for one series..seems there is going to be series two(at least).

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

^They've said they're in talks about a second series. Not sure they should really. Like I said before, the personal connection to this crime was part of what made it so compelling. Can't see how they'd recapture that magic without herself seeming like the unluckiest lady alive.

FloatingVoter

Yes..I'd vote for keeping it at one great season too. Prime Suspect and Cracker worked because they were set in large cities and involved specialists in serious crime. Having another major crime in a sleepy little English village would be cheapening the show and bringing it into the realms of Midsomer or Murder She Wrote.