Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright has given an update on the show's upcoming third season.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com, the writer revealed that the new season is set "seven years on" from the last one, which means Ryan (Rhys Connah) is no longer a child but a teenager with more agency. Of course, he will have to fully confront the heinous crimes of his father, convicted murderer and sex offender Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton). 
Wainwright said of the new season: "Everyone's back – all the characters you'd expect to see are back. We're seven years on. The plan was to wait for Ryan to be older so that he can make his own choices about whether he wants to have contact with his dad or not. So it really explores that."
Wainwright also confirmed that the first two episodes of the new season are already in the can.
Shooting on the new season of Happy Valley began in West Yorkshire in April, when AMC Networks and the BBC shared a first look image of Sarah Lancashire as Catherine Cawood. At the time, three new cast members were announced: Amit Shah (The Other One), Mark Stanley (The Girl Before), and Mollie Winnard (All Creatures Great and Small). Their roles are said to be "pivotal."
Season three will premiere on BBC One and AMC+ at a date yet to be confirmed. 
Are you excited about the new season of Happy Valley?