It has felt like forever since we last checked in with Catherine Cawood in the hit series Happy Valley, with season two airing way back in 2016.
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While both the writer, Sally Wainwright, and the cast, have previously confirmed the show’s return, just when will it be back? Find out everything we know so far…
WATCH: Have you caught up with Happy Valley yet?
What will Happy Valley season three be about?
Described as the "final chapter of the Happy Valley story," season three will see Sergeant Catherine Cawood on the verge of retirement when she's pulled into a new case that reunites her with her nemesis, murderer and sex-offender Tommy Lee Royce.
The official synopsis from the BBC reads: "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.
The series follows Sergeant Catherine Cawood
"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."
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Who will be returning in the cast of Happy Valley season three?
Naturally, Sarah Lancashire will be returning as the no-nonsense Catherine, alongside many familiar faces from the first two series, including James Norton and Siobhan Finneran, who portray Tommy Lee Royce and Catherine's recovering sister addict Clare Cartwright, respectively.
James has opened up about returning as Tommy
Also reprising their roles are Charlie Murphy as Catherine's colleague Ann Gallagher, Con O'Neill as Neil Ackroyd, George Costigan as Nevison Gallagher, 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 the now-teenage Rhys Connah as Catherine's grandson Ryan Cawood.
Additionally, viewers can expect a few new faces in the form of The Long Call's Amit Shah, White House Farm's Mark Stanley and Mollie Winnard, best known for her roles in All Creatures Great and Small and Four Lives.
Catherine's addict sister Clare, played by Siobhan Finneran, will also be back
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When will Happy Valley season three be released?
There's no news yet on when the new series will be released, and filming is expected to continue in and around West Yorkshire over the coming months, so it seems that we still have a while to wait.
However, speaking to Digital Spy in 2021, Charlie Murphy, who plays Ann Gallagher, teased that fans could maybe expect a release date before the end of the year, saying: "Timeline-wise, probably [2022]."
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