If you liked 'Mare of Easttown' you have to watch this British series: one of the best police dramas in history

When it premiered in the spring of 2021, Mare of Easttown immediately became one of the series of the year. A mystery that kept viewers intrigued week after week, high-level performances, and a solid script were part of the success of this drama about a murder that serves as a driver to explore the lives of the characters.

The other, is the character played by Kate Winslet, the woman who gives the series its title, a detective in a small community where everyone knows each other by name and has always known each other, a character that draws heavily from Catherine Cawood, the protagonist of the British series we recommend today.

One of the best police dramas in history

From Prime Suspect to Line of Duty, Broadchurch, or Luther, British television has a long tradition of exceptional police series. One of the most outstanding, included in the BBC's list of the 100 best of the 21st century, is Happy Valley.

Winner of six BAFTA awards, including the award for best drama series of 2024 for its third and final season, this series created by Sally Wainwright (Gentleman Jack, Last Tango in Halifax) surprised viewers when it premiered in 2014 and solidified as one of the must-watch series of the last few decades with its three seasons.

'Happy Valley'

Two very similar series

A precursor to Mare of Easttown in tone, its approach to cases, the idea of community, family, and the profile of its protagonist, Catherine Cawood, portrayed by the magnificent Sarah Lancashire (Julia), who like Mare is also a dedicated working-class woman who is a police officer working in a community that, like Easttown, has been plagued by drugs and economic crisis.

Domestic life is also very similar. Both divorced protagonists raise their grandchildren and are grieving the death of one of their children. They also have a very close relationship with a female family member. In Happy Valley's case, it is her sister, a former heroin addict, a pair that gives us some of the best scenes of the series. Some are dramatic, but others are very comforting, accompanied, as the English tradition dictates, by a hot cup of tea.

Siobhan Finneran and Sarah Lancashire in 'Happy Valley'.

Catherine is a veteran police sergeant from Yorkshire, a place far from as peaceful as the title of the series suggests. Catherine is efficient in her work and uncompromising with crime and the neglect of her superiors. Her introduction scene is masterful, and from the first minute, the viewer understands what makes her a good police officer.

Her character immediately captivates, but hers is not an idealized portrait of an impeccable police officer, but that of a complex woman full of contradictions. The trigger of the season's conflict and what turns the protagonist's world upside down is the release from prison of Tommy Lee Roce, the man she holds responsible for the rape and suicide of her daughter.

A coincidence with the investigation of a young woman's kidnapping in the city, so her obsession with solving this case and sending that man back to prison will guide the intense first season of the series.

You won't be able to stop watching it

Despite being a social drama that touches on very serious topics, Happy Valley, like the best series, has small moments of everyday humor that lighten the weight of the enormous emotional burden. However, the dramatic moments are so intense and the physical violence so raw and stark that those are the scenes that will be etched in your memory.

It can be very tough and uncomfortable at times, but the script and performances are so masterful, and the character of Catherine Cawood so memorable, that you won't be able to stop watching it, even though sometimes you may want to look away.

*This article has been automatically translated using artificial intelligence