Happy Valley - In einer kleinen Stadt

I love how the British do crime shows! So raw and realistic. The main actress is amazing, she does such a good job at being equally scary and sweet. It's got some good twists and shock moments. Definitely worth watching.

The fact that Sgt Catherine Cawood is not a real person but a character played by an actress is completely 100% inconceivable. The portrayal is SO real in every aspect. It's real in every mannerism, in the shift between her persona as a private person and police officer, in the way she dresses, the way she wears her hair, her make up, the choices she makes and how she behaves. I've never seen a performance like it in my life. So extremely vulnerable, yet so extremely strong and when push comes to shove so extremely brave and tough. I for one would not want to cross her, for she would surely kick my behind severely, at the same time I sure would want her to talk to if ever I was victimized.

As for the series, both one and two, the plot squeezes the characters so hard that it's sometimes unwatchable because you relate so intensely to the psychological pressures their under, both the good guys and the bad.

An absolute must to watch!

I expected something slow paced, in the vein of The Killing. Not at all, but it's absorbing and tense from the start, very mainstream-accessible, and always intriguing. The acting from all involved is pretty excellent, especially Sarah Lancashire. An amazing performance, one that I hope gets serious awards recognition next year. I ultimately liked this more than I expected to, it's easy to get caught up in its plot and I also think that it does a great job moving it along at a surprisingly fast pace while also having some fantastic character moments. At times it gets a bit too over-the-top in its melodrama, but it never actually fails to emotionally hit home. I'm super ecstatic that it's coming back for a second season.

This was not a show that I expected to be blown away with, although I am a long term fan of Sarah Lancashire, and with Sally Wainwright involved I should have expected it to be good.

This is beyond good, if you don't get hooked and wanting more after the first episode you probably should not be watching.

There are so many good things to say about this show that I run out of words, but one word that sums up how I feel is gob-smacked.

Having watched 4 out of the 6 episodes so far, I have to say that it has been quite a while since I wished that the days would speed by so I can get my mitts on the next episode.

I thought 'Scott & Bailey" to be extraordinary - and it is - but "Happy Valley" is gut wrenching, heart stopping, uncomfortable, and totally, totally brilliant. Firstly, nothing of quality can be created without a very good script, and Sally Wainwright's script is her best yet, and rivals her Scott & Bailey scripts. The dialogue crackles with its own rhythm, and sharp observations of modern life, while the emerging story is all at once shocking as it is at times ordinary.

Happy Valley is the name the police use to describe this neck of the woods, around Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire. Drugs, unemployment, and the resultant crime are part of everyday life. Within this mix, we meet Catherine Cawood, a policewoman (formerly a detective) played by Sarah Lancashire. At the risk of throwing too many superlatives into this review, I believe Ms Lancashire should win a BAFTA in 2015 for her portrayal of a dedicated, often jaded, but loyal and determined copper. I *believed* her character, through her heroics, as well as her anti-heroism. Her ambivalence towards her young grandson is uncomfortable to watch, but completely understandable. It would be too easy to say that Sarah Lancashire *is* the show, but that would be unfair to some of the other fine performers, such as James Norton, George Costigan, Siobhan Finneran, and a stellar performance from Steve Pemberton, whose character, Kevin, sets off the whole mess of events which kept me breathless for the 6 episodes.

The environment - around Hebden Bridge and Halifax, in West Yorkshire - is beautiful, and the buildings appear to have grown directly out of the landscape, and while this may be an ancient environment, the problems which occupy the police all belong in the modern world. I am really hoping there will be a Series 2.