Happy Valley return date finally confirmed as BBC drop gritty new season 3 teaser

HAPPY Valley’s return date has been confirmed by the BBC – and fans don’t have long to wait.

The third and final series of the hit crime drama will air during the festive period – six years since the last instalment.

Sarah Lancashire reprises her iconic role of Sergeant Catherine Cawood for the brand new six episodes.

Happy Valley will begin on Sunday 1 January 2023, New Year’s Day at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

It will see Catherine discover the remains of a gangland murder victim in a drained reservoir, and it sparks a chain of events that leads her straight back to Tommy Lee Royce [James Norton].

Her grandson, Ryan [Rhys Connah], is now sixteen and has ideas of his own about the kind of relationship he wants to have with the man Catherine refuses to acknowledge as his father, leaving Catherine’s sister Clare [Siobhan Finneran] caught in the middle.

In another part of the valley, a local pharmacist gets in over his head when a neighbour is arrested.

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

Sally Wainwright previously said she was “delighted” to see the final instalment of the hit series renewed. 

She said: “I’m delighted to find myself back in the world of Catherine Cawood and her family and colleagues for the final instalment of the Happy Valley trilogy.

“It’s been wonderful to see the lasting impact this series has had on audiences all over the world.

“I’m thrilled that Sarah, James and Siobhan are back on board for what I hope will be the best season yet.”