Though Sally Wainwright has previously hinted at a return for Sarah Lancashire's police officer Catherine Cawood and the frankly crime-ridden Yorkshire borough of Calderdale, we now have official confirmation that, after a six-year gap, Happy Valley will be back for a third and final series.
With Wainwright returning for a six-part series, the show will also find James Norton back as murderer and sex offender Tommy Lee Royce, with Siobhan Finneran reprising her role as Catherine's sister. "It's time to let the dog see the rabbit," says Lancashire of coming back to one of her best acting role. Norton describes taking Tommy on for one final time as "a wonderful and daunting privilege".
The new series kicks off filming next year, as Catherine discovers the remains of a gangland murder victim in a drained reservoir. It sparks a chain of events that again unwittingly leads her straight back to Royce.
We predict the need for a good long hug will skyrocket once the show returns...