Can anyone escape from ‘Happy Valley’?

Sarah Lancashire stars in a compelling crime thriller written by Sally Wainwright, revolving around the personal and professional life of a hard-working, dedicated police woman. Tune in Saturdays at 10 p.m., beginning March 24.

Catherine Cawood is a police sergeant in a beautiful small town full of drunks and drug addicts and where teenage pregnancies are a way of life. Her world is turned upside down when the man she believes is responsible for her daughter’s death – Tommy Lee Royce – is released from prison. She is convinced Tommy is dangerous and it’s only a matter of time before he hurts someone else…

Meanwhile, quiet middle-class accountant Kevin Weatherill feels unappreciated and underpaid at work. Desperate to give his daughters a decent education, he asks his wealthy boss Nevison for a pay raise so he can send them to private school. When Nevison refuses, something finally snaps inside Kevin and he enlists the help of local criminal Ashley Cowgill to kidnap his boss’ daughter and hold her for ransom. But things quickly spiral out of control when Ashley involves the unpredictable Tommy in the plan.

As the police search for the missing girl intensifies, Catherine’s obsession with Tommy reaches breaking point and Kevin starts to lose his grip and nerve. How far will any of them go to get what they really want?