The creator of Happy Valley has revealed the reason why the smash-hit BBC drama has that title, and she’s admitted it’s pretty “dark”.
In case you’re not currently up to speed, the third series of one of the BBC’s most-popular dramas is currently airing on our screens, with new episodes gripping millions of viewers with tension every Sunday night, and the show’s esteemed cast – led by Oldham-born actress, Sarah Lancashire – raking in all the praise from critics and fans each week.
First hitting our screens back in April 2015, and going on to win the BAFTA for Best Drama right off the bat, Happy Valley follows the story of Lancashire’s character, Sergeant Catherine Cawood, who is a strong-willed police Sergeant in West Yorkshire.
The show is set and has been largely filmed in the Calder Valley in West Yorkshire since it first aired, although the recent series has also ventured out across the rest of the North of England for filming.
Local areas regularly name-checked in the show include Todmorden, Mytholmroyd, Bradford, Keighley, Sowerby Bridge, Hedben Bridge, and Heptonstall.
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Huddersfield, Halifax, Bradford, Leeds, and other West Yorkshire cities are also often mentioned, but they have not main filming locations.
Happy Valley creator reveals the ‘dark’ reason behind the show’s name / Credit: BBC
At the start of the first series, viewers learn that Catherine is still coming to terms with the suicide of her teenage daughter, Becky, eight years earlier.
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Catherine is now divorced from her husband and living with her sister, Clare – played by Siobhan Finneran – who is a recovering alcoholic and heroin addict, and is helping her bring up Becky’s young son, Ryan, who is the product of rape.
Throughout the three series, the show deals with a wide range of other heavy topics and storylines, including kidnappings, serial killings, human trafficking, and more, but one of the common threads running through many of storylines is the reason for the show’s name – drugs.
It turns out the name Happy Valley has taken some some real-world inspiration.
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The show’s creator, writer and director, Sally Wainwright, has explained in a recent interview that she took inspiration from the crimes really taking place in the Calder Valley to name the award-winning BBC drama.
The name Happy Valley has taken some some real-world inspiration / Credit: BBC
She explained: “So Happy Valley… I always work closely with police advisors, who are old police officers who have worked in the area, and one of them told me that is what they call the Valley because of issues with drugs, so for me, it reflected the show.
“It’s dark, but it has also got a lot of humour in it. I think less so in season one, more so in season two.
“We want to continue that in season three. It’s still very much about the dark side of life, but it’s also about how within that people always find ways of being funny and warm and human.”
Wainwright has also given her take on why she believes the show has gained so much popularity over the past few years, and why viewers just seem to be so wrapped-up in all the action, explaining: “It does always seem to capture people’s imaginations when you are writing about things that are on the wrong side of the law.
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“It’s about transgressive behaviour and I suppose humans are fascinated by transgressive behaviour.
“I guess that’s why people are so fascinated by crime.
“It’s a kind of vicarious thing, that we don’t indulge in ourselves but like to watch other people doing it, or we like to see them get caught, or we like to follow the people who sort things out.”
Happy Valley is currently airing on Sunday nights at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
Featured Image – BBC
TV & Showbiz
‘Grow up’ – Matty Healy urges Oasis to ‘stop messing around’ and reunite
Emily Sergeant
Matty Healy has urged Oasis to “stop messing around” and get back together in a new interview.
In a video that’s already amassing tens of thousands of views online, the frontman of Manchester-based indie pop rock band, The 1975, has made his thoughts on the feuding Gallagher brothers known during an in-depth interview with on Q with Tom Power from Canadian broadcaster CBC this week.
During the interview, the 33-year-old singer touched on everything from the process of making the band’s latest record, 2022’s critically-acclaimed Being Funny in a Foreign Language, to his onstage antics, and why he’s decided to embrace sincerity and being earnest – but that doesn’t seem to be the main take-away of Manchester music fans.
It’s his opinion of iconic Britpop band Oasis that’s really got people talking.
In what he called a “public service announcement”, Healy claimed Oasis are still “the coolest band in the world” but questioned what the Gallagher brothers are playing at by continuing to fight with each other after all these years.
Telling them to “grow up”, Healy urged Liam and Noel to “get back together and stop messing around”.
Healy told the interviewer: “What are Oasis doing? Can you imagine being in potentially, right now, still the coolest band in the world, and not doing it because you’re in a mard with your brother? I can deal with them dressing like they’re in their twenties but being in their fifties, but acting like they’re in their twenties?
“They need to grow up.”
Matty Healy urges Oasis to ‘stop messing around’ and reunite / Credit: Tom Power & CBC’s Q (via Instagram)
Healy continued: “Stop marding. They’re men of the people, and they’re sat around in, like, Little Venice and Highgate crying over an argument with their brother.
“Grow up. Headline Glastonbury. Have a good time. Have a laugh.”
The Wilmslow lad also took a second to speak on the popularity of both the Gallagher brothers’ post-Oasis solo projects and endeavours, and claimed fans aren’t as interested in seeing Liam Gallagher or Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds live as they would be going to an Oasis gig.
“There is not one person going to a High Flying Birds gig or a Liam Gallagher gig that would not rather be at an Oasis gig,” Healy claimed.
“There is not one person.
“Not one person is there going, ‘you know what? I loved Definitely Maybe, but my favourite thing is f***ing Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’.”
“Do me a favour – get back together, stop messing around. That’s my public service announcement for today,” he concluded.
You can catch Matty Healy’s interview on Q with Tom Power in full on YouTube here.
Featured Image – CBC | Oasis (via Facebook)
TV & Showbiz
New TV series following on from smash-hit film Boiling Point begins filming in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
The full cast for a brand-new TV series that follows on from one last year’s most critically-acclaimed films has been released.
And filming for it has already begun right here in Manchester.
In case you haven’t had the chance to watch 2022’s fast-paced and tension-filled Boiling Point yet, the film is set on the busiest night of the year at one of the hottest restaurants in London.
Written and directed by breakthrough British filmmaker Philip Barantini, the film stars beloved Northern actor Stephen Graham as charismatic and commanding head chef Andy Jones, who balances along a knife’s edge as multiple personal and professional crises threaten to destroy everything he’s worked for.
The film was met with huge acclaim from fans and critics when it was released back at the start of last year, and even went on to be nominated worldwide for over 30 awards in multiple categories, including clinching wins at the BAFTAs, BIFAs, National Film Awards, and more.
So it’s no wonder the BBC has scooped it up for a follow-up TV series, is it?
🍳 Yes Chef! Full casting's been announced for Boiling Point, as filming begins on the brand new BBC drama series – which picks up six months on from where the film left off…
Set to hit our screens soon, the series – which is also titled Boiling Point – picks up six months on from where the film left off, and, according to the plot teaser on the BBC website, sees Sous Chef Carly as Head Chef at her own restaurant, with many of Andy’s original team alongside her.
As the pressure mounts to keep the restaurant full, Carly begins to feel the magnitude of responsibility that comes with running her own place.
The series will see Stephen Graham, Vinette Robinson (Carly), and Hannah Walters (Emily) reprise their roles from the multi award-winning film.
The three leads will be joined by their co-stars Ray Panthaki (Freeman), Gary Lamont (Dean), Áine Rose Daly (Robyn), Taz Skylar (Billy), Daniel Larkai (Jake) Stephen McMillan (Jamie), Hannah Traylen (Holly), and Izuka Hoyle (Camille).
Several other newcomers are also joining the celebrated cast of actors.
New TV series following on from smash-hit film Boiling Point begins filming in Manchester / Credit: Vertigo
The Boiling Point series also reunites the film’s co-writer and director Philip Barantini, who will direct episodes one, two and five, and co-writer James Cummings, alongside the film’s producers.
“We are over the moon to get the band back together,” Boiling Point’s executive producers admitted.
“Not only that, we are excited to introduce new members to the Boiling Point family, and we are immensely grateful to the BBC for giving us this moment and we are all raring to get going on the series.”
No official release dates for the new series have been announced as of yet, but fans might want to keep their eyes peeled to see the show filming around the city centre.
Emily Sergeant -
20th January 2023 
