Happy Valley is coming to an end after three gripping series and, we’re not going to lie, we’re devastated – so here are some TV shows just like it to binge watch.
Of course, nothing can really come close to the Sarah Lancashire drama which has kept us on the edge of our sofas since 2014.
But there are a handful of gems that might come close to filling that Happy Valley-shaped hole in your lives.
Here’s a look at the top shows to binge if you’ll miss Happy Valley!
Shows like Happy Valley: Last Tango in Halifax
Don’t be fooled by the cosy name, and the bounteous cardigans.
Last Tango in Halifax dealt with some hard-hitting issues, and had a sense of humour as sharp as a knife.
The BAFTA-winning series followed the surprising and uplifting journey of Celia and Alan as they rekindled a passionate relationship after 60 years apart.
But their renewed love affair was complicated by numerous factors…
Not least by the presence of Nicola Walker’s troubled character Gillian.
Writer Sally Wainwright based the story on the experience of her mother Dorothy, who was put in touch with her childhood sweetheart Alec via Friends Reunited after being widowed at the age of 75.
Like Happy Valley, the cast included some amazing names, including Anne Reid, Derek Jacobi, and Sarah Lancashire.
Of course, fans will know it was also written by the genius behind Happy Valley.
It’s set in Halifax too (the clue’s in the name).
Although Last Tango in Halifax was a BBC series, all previous series of Last Tango in Halifax are currently available to binge watch on ITVX.
Where the Heart Is
Watching Where the Heart Is after more than 20 years is like playing a game of Famous Faces Bingo.
The drama series about community nurses in the small (fictional) Yorkshire town of Skelthwaite first aired in April 1997, and ran for 10 seasons before ending in 2006.
The show starred many actors who went on to achieve huge fame.
In the very first series, real life friends – and future Happy Valley co-stars – Siobhan Finneran and Sarah Lancashire both appeared.
Pam Ferris, Leslie Dunlop, Lesley Ash, Samantha Giles, Holliday Grainger, Brian Capron, and Georgia Tennant all appeared – and dozens of others.
More Call the Midwife than Happy Valley in content, the show celebrates the North, and is a chance to see Happy Valley’s Clare and Catherine looking totally different!
Series 1 and series 2 are currently available to watch on ITVX.
Shows like Happy Valley: Clocking Off
BBC One’s Clocking Off is one of THE best dramas of the early 2000s.
Yes, it’s another chance to see Sarah Lancashire in all her glory, but it’s so much more than that.
The series started in 2000 and introduced us to a group of workers at a Manchester textile factory.
It ran for three years and was, quite rightly, nominated for a Best Drama BAFTA every single year.
Like Happy Valley it focused on very ‘ordinary’ people, but played by exceptional actors, including Christopher Eccleston, Jason Merrells, Philip Glenister, William Ash, Nicola Stephenson, and Lesley Sharp.
And, yet again, Siobhan Finneran and Sarah Lancashire got to work together again!
Clocking Off series 1 to 4 are currently available to watch on ITVX and BBC iPlayer.
The Lakes
More than two decades ago, The Lakes was the most talked about TV series of the 90s.
And it remains one of the most unforgettable and highly regarded TV series of recent times.
Not least because it launched the career of several actors who went on to achieve huge success, including John Simm and Holby City star Kaye Wragg.
Recent fans of Sherwood may well have spotted a connection between the iconic TV show of the 90s, and the more recent BBC series – not least some of the same cast.
It’s been more than 20 years since The Lakes ended in 1999, but its legacy remains.
The series is still considered one of the best to ever be televised in the UK.
John Simm starred as Danny Kavanagh in the series, which ran from 1997 to 1999.
Viewers saw Danny leave Liverpool for the Lake District, finding work at a hotel and love with a local girl named Emma.
However, Danny remained an outsider in the close-knit community, made more pronounced when he found himself implicated in a tragedy…
When four young girls died in a terrible boating accident, the harsh finger of blame was pointed at Danny by the whole community.
The drama which aired for two series over two years was created and written by Jimmy McGovern.
The Lakes is currently available to watch on ITVX and BritBox.
Shows like Happy Valley: Accused
Like The Lakes, Accused was written by the phenomenal Jimmy McGovern.
And the cast is to die for – quite literally.
Each episode of the BAFTA-winning series examined a person accused of a crime and looked at what led them to end up in the Dock.
The series was gritty, gripping, and well-written.
Sadly it only ran for two series, from 2010 to 2012.
The epic cast included Juliet Stevenson, Andy Serkis, Naomie Harris, Peter Capaldi, Olivia Colman, Robert Sheehan, Anne-Marie Duff and Anna Maxwell Martin.
Sean Bean and Stephen Graham famously appeared in one episode together, with Sean playing a drag queen.
They were reunited in Time last year.
All series of Accused are currently available to watch on ITVX.
Our Friends in the North
Another classic, BAFTA-winning TV series which should never be forgotten is Our Friends in the North.
And we’re pretty sure you’ll recognise a few of these famous faces!
Our Friends in the North – a total of nine episodes – aired on BBC Two in 1996.
Written by Peter Flannery, it told the story of four friends from Newcastle upon Tyne over a period of 31 years, from 1964 to 1995.
The plot wasn’t afraid to touch on political and social events, and was considered controversial at the time as its stories were partly based on real people and events.
It’s commonly regarded as one of the most successful BBC television dramas of the 1990s, and has been named by the British Film Institute as one of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes of the 20th century.
The four lead actors Daniel Craig, Christopher Eccleston, Gina McKee and Mark Strong all went on to achieve great fame.
It’s considered 007 Daniel Craig’s breakthrough role.
Series 1 is currently available to watch on ITVX.
Mare of Easttown
Mare of Easttown was THE Sky Atlantic hit of 2021.
And many wondered if the Kate Winslet drama had been inspired by Happy Valley.
The seven-part series followed Mare Sheehan, a police officer in the small Pennsylvania town of Easttown.
With the murder of a teenage girl – and the disappearance of another – to contend with, she also had a lot going on in her private life.
Not least the suicide of her son, Kevin.
However, the US series was very definitely not a remake of Happy Valley.
It’s brilliant, though, and very much worth watching.
Sky Atlantic subscribers can still stream the series.
Read more: Last Tango in Halifax series 6: Sally Wainwright gives fans of the show hope
Happy Valley series 1 to 3 are currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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