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.
MORE: Happy Valley season 3 shows first look at grown up Ryan – and return of Tommy Lee Royce
The year 2022 brought some good news when a third and final series was finally confirmed by writer Sally Wainwright and the BBC – and it's almost here! Ahead of its highly-anticipated return, find out all there is to know about series three of the police procedural drama below...
WATCH: Happy Valley series three - the official trailer
What will Happy Valley season three be about?
Described as the "final chapter of the Happy Valley story," series 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.
MORE: Happy Valley: very surprising cast member to return for season three
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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."
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.
MORE: Did you spot this Happy Valley reference in Last Tango in Halifax?
James Norton is reprising his role as the villain Tommy Lee Royce
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.
Siobhan Finneran is also back
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.
When will Happy Valley season three be released?
The first episode of Happy Valley series three will air on Sunday 1 January 2023 at 9pm on BBC One. The episodes will then air on a weekly basis each Sunday. What better way to start the new year?
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