Additions to Happy Valley cast announced by the BBC

The BBC has announced a host of actors who will appear alongside Sarah Lancashire in the second series of Happy Valley.

Katherine Kelly (Coronation Street, Mr Selfridge), Julie Hesmondhalgh (Coronation Street, Cucumber), Shirley Henderson (Southcliffe, Jamaica Inn), Amelia Bullmore (Scott & Bailey, Twenty Twelve), Kevin Doyle (Downton Abbey, The Crimson Field), Matthew Lewis (Harry Potter, The Syndicate,) Con O’Neill (Cucumber, Uncle) and Vincent Franklin (Cucumber, The Thick Of It) are all joining the hit Yorkshire-set crime drama.

Reprising their roles are Sarah Lancashire (Last Tango In Halifax, The Paradise), Siobhan Finneran (Benidorm, Downton Abbey), James Norton (Life In Squares, Granchester), George Costigan (Scott & Bailey, Homefront), Karl Davies (Emmerdale, Game Of Thrones), Charlie Murphy (Love/Hate, The Village) return to the six-part drama

“I am thrilled to be embarking on a second series. We were delighted and overwhelmed with the viewers’ response to series one and it’s clear that there’s a huge appetite to see more of the characters and drama among the TV-viewing public.” – Writer and Executive Producer, Sally Wainwright

Filming will begin this week on the much-anticipated second series of Red Production Company and BBC One’s acclaimed drama series. The beeb notes that the original airing of each instalment of series one was viewed by almost 8 million viewers once catch-up data was taken into account. The series has won numerous accolades including the prestigious Best Drama Series award at this year’s BAFTA Television Awards with writer Sally Wainwright named Best Writer at the 2015 BAFTA Craft Awards. 

Series two joins no-nonsense police sergeant Catherine (Sarah Lancashire), who is back heading up her team of dedicated officers in The Calder Valley in West Yorkshire. With Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) behind bars, Catherine suspects another serial killer could be at large and makes a gruesome discovery that will have shocking repercussions for her and her family. Meanwhile, a new detective, DS John Wadsworth (Kevin Doyle) arrives with his own set of problems, and despite being firmly under lock and key, Tommy forms a bond with a mysterious female admirer (Shirley Henderson).

“Sally created a truly magnificent series with very real, complex characters, an engaging plot and breathtaking storylines. I am delighted and excited to be delving deeper into Catherine’s world in series two.” – RED Production Company’s Founder and Executive Producer, Nicola Shindler

Comprising of six hour long episodes, the second series of Happy Valley will air on BBC One in 2016.

Pictured: Sarah Lancashire as Catherine in Happy Valley