Happy Valley

[murraymints]

Wow !

[sunny-dave]

Very, very good.

Sarah Lancashire was exceptional.

[murraymints]

She's come a long way from Ken trying to teach her French in corrie....voulez vous couchez avec moi ce soir ...Lol..

[baza]

good plot,good ending, and the boy was well acted. Lots of people from different progs but so realistic never spent time thinking "where do I know them from?"

[Lie-in King]

If this doesn't win awards all round there's something seriously wrong - it was superb!

[boreas]

Yes, it has to win awards. Sally Wainwright at her darkest. Sarah Lancashire proving beyond all doubt that she is an actor, not just someone who will attract viewers.

There were very tiny flaws in some of the details of the story - but minor niggles.

The drama was discussed on Newsnight tonight in the context of 'are dramas now too graphic/obsessed with violence against women?'.

I was surprised to hear that the readership/viewership for a lot of crime-based drama involving violence with women as victims is predominantly female.

(And yes, I know that we can go back to Shakespeare and even further back to the Greeks for truly horrible things- but we don't really know who their audiences were.)

Not being controversial, just wondering.

[BilSuth]

Boreas, maybe it's a common subject because it allows scope for examination of reactions to it. The kidnap victim almost joked about gang-rape, as if a way for her to cope with it. That's difficult to do without trivialising it, shrugging it off, yet it seemed okay.
But I didn't like Catherine's son talking about his sister having been "asking for it". It's credible dialogue for a jealous brother, but dangerous territory.
I thought it was a great production. Lighter moments in some of the other episodes of police incidents for Catherine to deal with but there were no wasted scenes.
On the question of unpleasant themes for drama, I am always fascinated by the incidence of murder, from Agatha Christie to Morse, the early Taggart's catchphrase "there's been a murder", and especially the light-weight Murder She Wrote. The taking of precious life is as serious as it gets, and unfortunately there's too much of it on the news in real life, yet it is the essential subject matter of a branch entertainment. Curious?

[boreas]

Yes, curious.

[AliceTickband]

definitely one of the best progs that's ever been on the box.

[chanel5]

Great series and superb ending. I liked the way at the end Catherine stood on the hill above the town, thinking back. When she remembered and re-lived how she had given Tommy the kicking of his life she smiled and felt good. Some people might see that as controversial - but that is how it is in real life. She got him. He deserved it. Brilliant.

[lozzer50]

one of the best programs in ages ....lovedit