BBC One has renewed their hit drama series Happy Valley for a second season, TVWise has learned.
Happy Valley revolves around the personal and professional life of a hard-working, dedicated police woman in a small town. Her world is turned upside down when the man she thinks is responsible for her daughter’s death – Tommy Lee Royce – is released from prison. The series stars Sarah Lancashire, Joe Armstrong, Steve Pemberton, Siobhan Finneran, George Costigan, James Norton, Adam Long, Karl Davies, Ramon Tikaram and Charlie Murphy
The series from Sally Wainwright and Red Production Company completed its run back in June after pulling in in a weekly consolidated audience of almost 8 million viewers and an average overnight audience of 5.5 million viewers. The show’s six episode second season, which was commissioned by BBC One Controller Charlotte Moore and the BBC’s Controller of Drama Commissioning Ben Stephenson, will enter production early next year and is expected to air in late 2015.
“Sally Wainwright’s sensational series gripped the nation. Visceral, emotional and provocative from beginning to end, it’s been fantastic to see our audience on tenterhooks, begging for more”, said BBC One Controller Charlotte Moore. “The series is testimony to the creative ambition, quality and breadth of original British drama on BBC One and I can’t wait for the second series.”
The second season pick up had been expected for some time given Sally Wainwright’s stated desire to continue the series, as well as the huge critical and commercial success of Happy Valley. In addition to being one of BBC One’s highest rated dramas of 2014, the series has been sold to numerous broadcasters around the world, including Netflix in the United States and ABC in Australia.
