Filming begins on final series of "Happy Valley," as new and returning cast are announced

Filming has begun in West Yorkshire on the third and final series of Sally Wainwright's smash hit, multi-BAFTA award winning BBC drama Happy Valley. Sarah Lancashire returns to her iconic role of Sergeant Catherine Cawood for six new episodes, long discussed by Sally Wainwright and Sarah Lancashire as the final chapter of the Happy Valley story.

Happy Valley series three is made by Lookout Point for BBC One and iPlayer, in co-production with AMC Networks, the exclusive home for series three in the U.S. and Canada. BBC Studios is distributing the series internationally.

As previously announced, James Norton and Siobhan Finneran will also return for series three - as Catherine's nemesis, the murderer and sex-offender Tommy Lee Royce, and Catherine's sister, the recovering addict Clare Cartwright respectively.

Announced today, Con O'Neill will reprise his role as Clare's recovering alcoholic boyfriend Neil Ackroyd. George Costigan will return as Nevison Gallagher, with Charlie Murphy as his daughter and Catherine's police colleague Ann. They will be joined by other Happy Valley returning favourites including Derek Riddell as Richard Cawood, Karl Davies as Daniel Cawood, Susan Lynch as Alison Garrs, Rick Warden as Mike Taylor, Vincent Franklin as Andy Shepherd and Rhys Connah as Catherine's grandson Ryan Cawood.

Amit Shah (The Other One, The Long Call), Mark Stanley (The Girl Before, White House Farm) and Mollie Winnard (All Creatures Great and Small, Four Lives) join the cast for series three, and will play pivotal roles in Happy Valley's final chapter.

Most recently airing on BBC One in 2016, Happy Valley is adored by viewers and critics alike, with series two attracting an average audience of 9.3 million. 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.

When Catherine discovers the remains of a gangland murder victim in a drained reservoir it sparks a chain of events that unwittingly leads her straight back to Tommy Lee Royce. Her grandson Ryan is now sixteen 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 series three (6×60') was commissioned by Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama, and is a Lookout Point production for the BBC, co-produced with AMC. Happy Valley is written and created by Sally Wainwright. Series three will be directed by Patrick Harkins and Fergus O'Brien, with Chris Clough as series producer, and Jessica Taylor as producer. Executive producers are Sally Wainwright and Sarah Lancashire, with Faith Penhale and Will Johnston for Lookout Point, and Ben Irving for the BBC. BBC Studios, who wholly own Lookout Point, is distributing series three in addition to series one and two.

Happy Valley series three will premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, and the first two series of Happy Valley are available to watch in full on BBC iPlayer now. In the U.S. and Canada, AMC Networks will be the exclusive home for series three which will be available on the AMC+ premium streaming bundle where series one and two are also now available to binge.

Filming will continue in and around West Yorkshire over the coming months. Further information about Happy Valley series three will be announced in due course.

Notes to Editors

- Happy Valley series one and two premiered on BBC One in 2014 and 2016 respectively.

- On 28-day consolidated viewing data, Happy Valley series one was watched by an average of 8 million viewers, with series two averaging 9.3 million viewers. The series two finale was watched by 9.8 million viewers when it aired in 2016.