How do you set yourself on fire with a can of lager? (opening scene)
He'd poured petrol on himself, they said. The can was to show us that he was leathered, I suppose. And when he lit one of his petrol soaked cigarettes, that's when she had to extinguish him.
All I was thinking was 'Fargo comes to Yorkshire', haha. Pemberton sure was very William H Macy-esque in his role.
Definitely!
I liked it, but groaned when I saw the very predictable cast, same old "northern matey" ensemble cast. I don't like Sarah Lancashire - I think her chin looks like somebody's a**e - but she was good in this.
The dark haired kidnapper with the chavvy gelled hairdo - I am sure he has been in Corrie before as some bad lad before???
I liked it, but groaned when I saw the very predictable cast, same old "northern matey" ensemble cast. I don't like Sarah Lancashire - I think her chin looks like somebody's a**e - but she was good in this.
The dark haired kidnapper with the chavvy gelled hairdo - I am sure he has been in Corrie before as some bad lad before???
I think they should have chosen a different name for this drama. The name doesn't suit the subject matter. The title may have put people off watching. I thought there would be more posts on here about it.
The name is supposed to be ironic. That was made clear in the pre-publicity for the series and, even if you missed that, it's pretty clear from the off.
For me, better than Prey in that there weren't very obvious similarities with a recent series on another channel. I don't know the cinematic references others have referred to so that wasn't a concern for me. What I did like was that it felt character-driven, rather than contrived, utterly ridiculous scenarios being shoe-horned into dramas that we are expected to take seriously (take a bow, ITV's Undeniable).
And given that this is a six-parter (and presumably potentially a returning series), I'd guess there must be unexpected plot twists ahead … otherwise it's going to run out steam quickly. And I'd've thought Sally Wainwright and Red Productions would not want that, especially as the pace kept up pretty well in the opening episode.
The name is supposed to be ironic. That was made clear in the pre-publicity for the series and, even if you missed that, it's pretty clear from the off.
For me, better than Prey in that there weren't very obvious similarities with a recent series on another channel. I don't know the cinematic references others have referred to so that wasn't a concern for me. What I did like was that it felt character-driven, rather than contrived, utterly ridiculous scenarios being shoe-horned into dramas that we are expected to take seriously (take a bow, ITV's Undeniable).
And given that this is a six-parter (and presumably potentially a returning series), I'd guess there must be unexpected plot twists ahead … otherwise it's going to run out steam quickly. And I'd've thought Sally Wainwright and Red Productions would not want that, especially as the pace kept up pretty well in the opening episode.
Agree with anyonefortennis, the title for me is wrong, it reminds me of a Jackie Collins novel. I enjoyed it very much and looking forward to next weeks episode but the title jars with me
What was happening at the end? When the police woman put the car reg in the computer? Why was she looking at it? Did she recognise the name? Think I have missed something!
The acting was superb, particularly Catherine when telling the headmistress about her daughter's rape and her grandson being the son of a rapist. Whilst some plot elements seem a bit (or very) contrived, I expect the whole thing to come together. Catherine comes across well as a TV police officer from what we've seen (I'd rather watch her than inspector Lewis or Inspector Barnaby), and I'm interested in her getting to the bottom of the kidnapping and the inevitable confrontation with her daughter's rapist.
Steve Pemberton's character I had problems with at the start, but his attempts to back out of the "deal" and his horror at what he had set in motion was good viewing.
I liked it. I've also seen Fargo and Alice Creed movies and was drawn to the similarities from both, but I'm willing to give Happy Valley a chance. Most important for me were the characters: I found them plausible and likeable / disagreeable where appropriate. No-one jarred as being out of place, or shoehorned in purely for effect. Although the plausibility of uncovering a caravan park owner acquaintance as a secret drug baron and then proposing a kidnap plot in the course of three minutes was something of a leap! lol
I've no problem with the title myself. Ironic and imminently memorable and reusable, assuming the production gets a second series or more.
My only concern is whether this particular story can sustain a further five hours of airtime. Time will tell.
I liked it, but groaned when I saw the very predictable cast, same old "northern matey" ensemble cast. I don't like Sarah Lancashire - I think her chin looks like somebody's a**e - but she was good in this.
The dark haired kidnapper with the chavvy gelled hairdo - I am sure he has been in Corrie before as some bad lad before???
..and what's funny is that meanwhile on Channel 4 another British former sitcom actor is channelling Jerry Lundegaard - though of course this time it's more obviously a character equivalent seeing as it's an actual Fargo TV spin-off.
Was it filmed at Hebden Bridge? thought I recognised bits of it
a scene was filmed there, but most of it seemed to be filmed in Sowerby Bridge. The kidnap house and police station are definitely S. Bridge. Other scenes looked to be Ripponden area
A watchable enough drama, but not something I will bother to record. If there's nothing else decent on I'll watch the next one though.
Perhaps it's because it was so 'Northern grim' and because I find Sarah Lancashire a bit meh, but, although the storyline was reasonably gripping, I really don't care enough about the characters to be completely gripped!
Love the ironic title though
Now Prey was 'Northern grim' also, but Lancashire Grim as opposed to Yorkshire grim. Don't know why (I'm from the deep South...) but I prefer the Lancashire type of grim.
However, I did like (well dislike, but I liked his acting) the 'I need a pay rise' guy. IMO he had a more gritty character to play than he did in Whitechapel and he did it well.
What was happening at the end? When the police woman put the car reg in the computer? Why was she looking at it? Did she recognise the name? Think I have missed something!
We're not supposed to think the name means anything to her but as she will undoubtedly follow it up, she will realise it's the man who came into the police station and drove off before her invitation to give a statement. (Sorry I can't remember the names of the characters!)
We're not supposed to think the name means anything to her but as she will undoubtedly follow it up, she will realise it's the man who came into the police station and drove off before her invitation to give a statement. (Sorry I can't remember the names of the characters!)
She already knows it's him - it's his car registration number (written on the back of her hand when he drove away) that she was checking up on.
When I realised the ironically named Happy Valley was written by Sally Wainwright of Last Tango fame and also starred Sarah Lancashire that’s when I decided to watch. She’s a versatile actress and it was gripping from …. 47, divorced, one child dead, the other not talking to her, living with her recovering heroin addict sister and a grandson. Everyone’s backgrounds were quickly established and with the thuggish kidnap already having taken place it has all the makings of a dark and murky drama with lots of twists and turns. Great first episode.
...and Todmorden and Sowerby Bridge. All Calder Valley locations.
Pretty much the same fictional locations as Last Tango though some of that was filmed in deepest Lancashire.
Now Prey was 'Northern grim' also, but Lancashire Grim as opposed to Yorkshire grim. Don't know why (I'm from the deep South...) but I prefer the Lancashire type of grim.
In fact, some of the scenes in Prey - the moorland body find and the street scene immediately before were filmed in Saddleworth, Yorkshire.
What was happening at the end? When the police woman put the car reg in the computer? Why was she looking at it? Did she recognise the name? Think I have missed something!
I was wondering about that too. She looked shocked when she saw the driver's details on the computer. She obviously didn't recognise him face to face though.
Started well, but got silly after 20 mins. Alun Armstrong's son is a double for dad when he was a young man.
I was staring at him for ages going "he's somebody's double" but I couldn't think who. I remember the first time saw Keifer Sutherland thinking someone had stuck Donald in a time machine, kind of the same thing for this guy.
Comments
He'd poured petrol on himself, they said. The can was to show us that he was leathered, I suppose. And when he lit one of his petrol soaked cigarettes, that's when she had to extinguish him.
Definitely!
I liked it, but groaned when I saw the very predictable cast, same old "northern matey" ensemble cast. I don't like Sarah Lancashire - I think her chin looks like somebody's a**e - but she was good in this.
The dark haired kidnapper with the chavvy gelled hairdo - I am sure he has been in Corrie before as some bad lad before???
lol
The name is supposed to be ironic. That was made clear in the pre-publicity for the series and, even if you missed that, it's pretty clear from the off.
For me, better than Prey in that there weren't very obvious similarities with a recent series on another channel. I don't know the cinematic references others have referred to so that wasn't a concern for me. What I did like was that it felt character-driven, rather than contrived, utterly ridiculous scenarios being shoe-horned into dramas that we are expected to take seriously (take a bow, ITV's Undeniable).
And given that this is a six-parter (and presumably potentially a returning series), I'd guess there must be unexpected plot twists ahead … otherwise it's going to run out steam quickly. And I'd've thought Sally Wainwright and Red Productions would not want that, especially as the pace kept up pretty well in the opening episode.
Really? I did not know that. *rollseyes*
Well, you were the one complaining about the title …
The acting was superb, particularly Catherine when telling the headmistress about her daughter's rape and her grandson being the son of a rapist. Whilst some plot elements seem a bit (or very) contrived, I expect the whole thing to come together. Catherine comes across well as a TV police officer from what we've seen (I'd rather watch her than inspector Lewis or Inspector Barnaby), and I'm interested in her getting to the bottom of the kidnapping and the inevitable confrontation with her daughter's rapist.
Steve Pemberton's character I had problems with at the start, but his attempts to back out of the "deal" and his horror at what he had set in motion was good viewing.
I've no problem with the title myself. Ironic and imminently memorable and reusable, assuming the production gets a second series or more.
My only concern is whether this particular story can sustain a further five hours of airtime. Time will tell.
Doesn't Siobhan Finneran just get sexier with age? She wasn't much to look at back in the 80's but more recently...
a scene was filmed there, but most of it seemed to be filmed in Sowerby Bridge. The kidnap house and police station are definitely S. Bridge. Other scenes looked to be Ripponden area
yes. The whole cast was outside the Waiters Arms pub opposite the Chinese waiting for the rain to stop one afternoon. I sometimes go to that takeaway!
Perhaps it's because it was so 'Northern grim' and because I find Sarah Lancashire a bit meh, but, although the storyline was reasonably gripping, I really don't care enough about the characters to be completely gripped!
Love the ironic title though
Now Prey was 'Northern grim' also, but Lancashire Grim as opposed to Yorkshire grim. Don't know why (I'm from the deep South...) but I prefer the Lancashire type of grim.
However, I did like (well dislike, but I liked his acting) the 'I need a pay rise' guy. IMO he had a more gritty character to play than he did in Whitechapel and he did it well.
We're not supposed to think the name means anything to her but as she will undoubtedly follow it up, she will realise it's the man who came into the police station and drove off before her invitation to give a statement. (Sorry I can't remember the names of the characters!)
She already knows it's him - it's his car registration number (written on the back of her hand when he drove away) that she was checking up on.
...and Todmorden and Sowerby Bridge. All Calder Valley locations.
Pretty much the same fictional locations as Last Tango though some of that was filmed in deepest Lancashire.
In fact, some of the scenes in Prey - the moorland body find and the street scene immediately before were filmed in Saddleworth, Yorkshire.
I was wondering about that too. She looked shocked when she saw the driver's details on the computer. She obviously didn't recognise him face to face though.
I was staring at him for ages going "he's somebody's double" but I couldn't think who. I remember the first time saw Keifer Sutherland thinking someone had stuck Donald in a time machine, kind of the same thing for this guy.