A classic will-they-won’t-they, a history-changing drama, one of the the most talked about shows of all time and the return of Muslim punk – the year’s best telly so far
January 2024
TV review
Julia season two review – I could watch Sarah Lancashire argue about pastry for hours
This gorgeous, indulgent drama about TV chef Julia Child is back for a second helping. After taking a moment to warm up, it is rich with sumptuous scenes, spiky speeches and top talent
December 2023
‘Oh my God, was Happy Valley slow and wrong?’ The demons of writer Sally Wainwright
She finally said goodbye to her Calder Valley classic this year. But why did her star beg for the ending to be changed? And why is she so excited about menopausal punks?
September 2023
Sarah Lancashire describes menopause hot flushes she felt during TV awards
Happy Valley star says she needed two hidden fans during last week’s ceremony and has experienced brain fog in supermarket
February 2023
Observer TV reviews
The week in TV: Funny Woman; Happy Valley; Consent; The Shamima Begum Story
Val McDermid on Happy Valley: ‘TV every bit as manipulative as Tommy Lee Royce’
Happy Valley: episode-by-episode
Happy Valley recap: series three finale – Sarah Lancashire is utterly monumental
TV review
Happy Valley finale review – one of TV’s greatest trilogies gets a fiery farewell
A lowly sergeant, but Happy Valley’s Catherine Cawood is top of the cops
Rachel Cooke
Will Catherine die? The Happy Valley characters least likely to make it out alive
January 2023
Happy Valley: episode-by-episode
Happy Valley recap: series three, episode five – is Tommy about to launch a siege?
Happy Valley: episode-by-episode
Happy Valley recap: series three, episode four – pandemonium in court!
Happy Valley: episode-by-episode
Happy Valley recap: series three, episode three – that confrontation scene deserves Baftas
Observer TV reviews
The week in TV: Happy Valley; Stonehouse; The Rig; Ukraine: The People’s Fight
Life in Happy Valley is grim – but there’s nowhere I’d rather spend January
Emma Brockes
TV review
Happy Valley review – Sally Wainwright’s masterwork is back!
Happy Valley: episode-by-episode
Happy Valley recap: series three, episode one – a sweary return for one of TV’s most unforgettable characters
‘She has a big laugh that bounces off the houses’: How Sarah Lancashire and Happy Valley brought cheer to Yorkshire
TV tonight
New Year’s Day TV: Sarah Lancashire storms the final season of Happy Valley
December 2022
‘I had really violent dreams’: Happy Valley’s stars on its brutal, explosive final season
As one of the finest TV dramas of the 21st century prepares for its last ever series, we spoke to its stars and creator Sally Wainwright about brutality, sisterhood – and looking like Jesus
