Happy Valley Series 2

Gripping love it.

despite all the stick we get
not as much as when they are set in the West Country (country bumpkin yokels ) ooh arrr

gettngonabit - I suspect if Catherine could pick up Ryan from school she'd have been on 6am - 2pm shift.

It's filmed around Hebden Bridge - a glorious town in happy valley, surrounded by glorious moorland. Hebden is a rather like Totnes in that it's a bit alternative. However it's in the north so a bit more gritty. I'm allowed to say that, I'm not being patronising - I live not far away and love being a northerner, despite all the stick we get e.g. referring to Happy Valley and Clocking Off (add Last Tango etc) as being "up north". No one ever refers to London centric programmes as being set 'down sarf" do they?!

Yes, Clocking Off was good. Again, very believable characters. I think Siobhan Finneran was in that too, wasn't she?

Just remembered Angela Pleasance as the elderly neighbour-she was Catherine Howard in Henry VIII back in the day!

Any TV programme set "up North" seems to have at least 2 characters from Clocking Off. That too was a great series.

I've been watching this with dd and saying "oooh look, it's wotsisface"! every couple of seconds. I think this is partly why I like the programme so much.

Such great acting. So many familiar faces:
Becky from Corrie.
Hayley from Corrie.
James Norton from War and Peace, Grantchester.
Ramon Tikaram from This Life (showing my age now).
George Costigan from Rita, Sue and Bob Too, together with Siobhan Finneran.
Racquel from Corrie!
The love interest, Neil, has been in something too. Fab voice.
Wassisname (John) from Downton.
Sally Lindsey (series 1) from Corrie.
Amelia Bullmore (Corrie-Des Barnes' wife).

I'm beginning to agree about Catherine's mumbling. I thought it was the sound quality at first. And, yes, she should smarten up. She's not even 50. Like a pp said, she's got plenty of help with Ryan and any working woman who can get back in time to pick up a child from school is pretty lucky in my experience.

On the point of Ryan, something has been bothering me. In series 1, Ryan was allowed to come home from school on his bike. At the time, Tommy was at large. I find it strange that Ryan was allowed to be alone when it was known that Tommy was around and had already made attempts to befriend Ryan. I remember Claire saying to Catherine: " he wasn't back by 5 like I told him to" or some such. Now if school finished at 3.15, allowing a boy such freedom when his murderous father is likely to be on the lookout for him was a bit strange, wasn't it?.

Yet in this series, when Ryan is older, Catherine is asking Daniel to take Ryan to school for her. Ryan is now 10, and Tommy is safely behind bars.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't get James Norton. I think his looks are utterly repulsive. I like his acting, though; he'll forever be Tommy Lee, no matter what else he does. In my eyes anyway.

I think the programme is great, and the best thing on since Wolf Hall. It has a great sense of place; I like the fact that the locations are used to such great effect. It makes me want to go there! In fact, I spent a good few hours minutes Googlemapping the area yesterday. Any gransnetters out there who know the area?

You read it here first (or perhaps not ) [smug emoticon]

Jalima Wed 10-Feb-16 12:59:07

I thought it was Shirley Henderson (The Way We Live Now?, haven't seen Harry Potter) but she doesn't seem to age, so I wasn't sure. Gosh, I just looked her up and she's 50!! She must keep a mirror in the attic.

in Hamish Macbeth as the love interest of Hamish

When was Hamish Macbeth on - I missed it
I read the books and enjoyed them

I don't either. Although I think he is a good actor.

Apparently 'in a relationship' with the actress who played his sister in War and Peace, Jessie Buckley.

Another one who doesn't find him attractive here. Masculine looking yes but not handsome.

I agree he's revolting looking! Think it must be a case of mass hypnosis.

I think I must be the only person on the planet who doesn't think James Norton is good looking or in the least bit sexy.

It's his lips.

He's not my type at all - hate big lips on a man!

"you are right, this series she is speaking so fast and in a monotone and looks grumpy the whole time.Her face is now so white and set that it resembles a plate of cold porridge.

She was not portayed quite this way in the first series, so it's all about direction, is it a new director?"

I think Jane and Roses had this conversation and I agree.

It's a great series and I've enjoyed both but I think the director may have been going for some kind of authenticity by asking Sarah Lancaster to 'underact' and in doing so she just doesn't enunciate. The dialect/accent doesn't worry me. I am from the north but viewers are supposed to catch what the actors are saying.

I find it maddening that an actor mumbles. She hardly moves her lips either, and although I've re-run some of the scenes, catching exactly what Sarah Lancaster is saying is often totally impossible.It didn't happen in the first series.

I know it's meant to be grim ooop north but no characters laugh, smile, muck about, and the buildings looks grim and the weather is wet and murky. I think it's a great series but it really is dark, and I can understand why some people have given up on it.

Oh and the strangest conversation I've had recently was agreeing that James Norton is such a good looking rapist! It's just so wrong.

He is a superb actor, and a tasty one too.

Shirley Henderson (Creepy Frances) was in Hamish Macbeth and was Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films and Bridget Jones' best friend.

Yes, she also played Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films.

Really, Ana ? then it could be the same actress,she has worn well then.

roses, Creepy Girlfriend is actually 50 - I googled her!

Why do people keep calling The Night Manager 'the Night Porter'?

It's nothing to do with the accent (am fine with that) it's the sound quality!
Wasn't the actress playing Frances (aka creepy girlfriend) in Hamish Macbeth as the love interest of Hamish ( although she was keener on him than he was on her.)She doesn't seem to have aged much.

Norton is a great actor, a relief to see him in Grantchester after Tommy!

I get subtitles on my terrestrial tv but they lag behind, however I am getting used to the accent.
It is a violent story, (rather like reading the Daily Mail) I would not like to think of younger people watching it, however I think the whole thing is brilliant. It is very scary the way Tommy (?) is manipulating the girl. The actor is so good at portraying all his moods, his outburst at his mother's funeral, and his interactions with his girlfriend, his face shows his frustration, etc, with her. She, in turn is decidedly creepy and the most scary character.
Perhaps such programmes - this one, Night Porter etc should be on after 10pm - they would, I hope, be rated 15 at the cinema or am I living in a fantasy world?

I did notice that there was a tangle of that blue rope in the back of his car when they showed a shot of it in the yard with the boot open. Could be something he uses for work of course, so perhaps just a red herring...

I think it's excellent .

Nothing about it troubles me to be honest. I think they have Catherine's character, style , moodiness and the police force related matters just about right to be honest.
She's police seargent 'p--s--d off from the Calder Valley' .

I thought that 'bunny boiler' was connected to Claire's boyfriend and I guess PC Ann Gallagher will catch out the detective.

I can' t work out the farmers story line yet though, am I missing something.??? There must be a connection somewhere, is he the prostitutes murderer. What's the story behind him and his mother? Why bother putting their story into such a hard hitting story line to simply show tension between a farmer and her son and the local housing estate trouble makers?

Answers on a postcard please.

Especially if his wife has been having an affair as well, and has chucked him out of the house anyway!!

I would expect sister Claire to be the one who is grumpy, coming back to Miserable Valley after all that lovely sun in Benidorm.

And a police officer should look tidy and well-groomed, except when under cover.