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It’s been dubbed one of the best shows on TV right now, but since it left Netflix in 2021, you’re probably wondering how to watch Happy Valley in the US. You’re in luck.
The BBC crime drama first debuted in 2014 and has amassed a dedicated fanbase over the span of just two seasons. After a seven-year gap, the Sally Wainwright-created series is back for its third and final season. Ironically titled Happy Valley, the show tells the story of police sergeant Catherine Cawood and how her tumultuous work and home lives interweave, with a harmonious cocktail of humor and gripping drama.
In response to why it’s been such a long break between the second and third seasons, Wainwright told Variety: “It was always the plan to leave the gap because I wanted Ryan [Rhys Connah] to be old enough and have agency in the world to make his own decisions and form his own opinions that aren’t a childish reaction,” she said. “So, more or less the right amount of time has elapsed. He was nine in the last series and he’s 16 in this series. I think if he’d been any younger, it would have felt a bit less credible, but he is now able to make choices and be slightly more independent.”
Here’s how to watch Happy Valley in the US for free to see why Esquire called it “better than anything HBO or FX or AMC or any of the streamers has produced in a decade” and The Independent dubbed it “one of British television’s greatest sagas.”
How to watch Happy Valley in the US
How can one watch Happy Valley in the US? Happy Valley is available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer’s website, which has all the episodes from the first season. However, to watch the show in the US, Americans will need a VPN, a service that allows users to set their computer’s location to another country and access websites that would otherwise be restricted by location. The most popular VPNs out there are ExpressVPN, NordVPN and PureVPN—all of which offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Read on for how to sign up for them to watch Happy Valley in the US for free.
Courtesy: Everett Collection
ExpressVPN is one of the most popular VPN services and the one we recommend above all others for a simple reason. The service—which allows users to set their location to more than 160 locations in 90 countries with unlimited bandwidth—offers a 30-day free trial and a money-back guarantee. After the free trial ends, Express VPN costs $6.67 per month for a 12-month plan + 3 extra months with their current Special Deal discount ($99.95 in total), $9.99 per month for a six-month plan ($59.95 in total) or $12.95 per month for a pay-by-the-month plan. Along with access to more than 160 locations, Express VPN—which takes about five minutes to set up—also promises lightning-quick connectivity, 24-hour live-chat support and allows users to connect to any device, from computers to phones to tablets. Of course, users can do more than watch international events and shows in the US with a VPN. Along with this event, VPNs also allow users to access international versions of Netflix, Disney Plus and HBO Max (which have different content than in the US) as well as stream international services like Hayu, which has access to programs like the Real Housewives, Below Deck, The Bachelor and hundreds of other reality TV shows.
Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch Happy Valley in the US with ExpressVPN’s free trial.
- Sign up for ExpressVPN and create an account
- Log into your ExpressVPN account and click “Download” on the “Dashboard” or in “Set Up Your Devices”
- Once you’ve installed Express VPN, enter the “Activation Code” from the “Dashboard” or in “Set Up Your Devices”
- Once ExpressVPN is set up, change your location to “UK” by clicking the connect icon to read “Connected” and selecting the country in the “Smart Location” menu
- Visit the Happy Valley page on BBC iPlayer‘s website
- Sign in or create an account and watch Happy Valley in the US
Nord VPN is another popular VPN service recommended by YouTubers like PewDiePie, Casey Neistat and Philip DeFranco. The service—which offers a 30-day free trial and a money-back guarantee—costs $3.29 per month for a two-year plan ($78.96 in total), $4.99 per month for a one-year plan ($59.88 in total) or $11.99 per month for a monthly plan. Along with access to more than 59 countries, NordVPN also allows users to connect to multiple devices (from computers to phones to tablets) and offers 24-hour live-chat support. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch Happy Valley in the US with NordVPN’s free trial.
- Sign up for NordVPN and create an account
- Log into your NordVPN account and click “Downloads” on the left-side menu
- Once you’ve installed NordVPN, log into your account
- Once NordVPN is set up, change your location to the “UK” by clicking “Quick Connect” or searching the country in the menu
- Visit the Happy Valley page on BBC iPlayer‘s website
- Sign in or create an account and watch Happy Valley in the US
Another popular VPN service is Pure VPN, which offers a 31-day free trial and a money-back guarantee. After the free trial ends, users can sign up for Pure VPN for $2.08 per month for a two-year plan + 3 free months ($49.95 in total), $3.24 per month for a one-year plan or $10.95 per month for a monthly plan. Pure VPN offers more than 6,5000 servers in over 78 countries across the world, as well as 24-hour live chat support. Read on for step-by-step instructions for how to watch The Traitor UK in the US with PureVPN’s free trial.
- Sign up for PureVPN and create an account
- Once you’ve created your account, scroll to the bottom of PureVPN‘s homepage and select the VPN that fits your device: Windows, MAC, IOS, etc.
- Click “Download the app”
- Once you’ve installed PureVPN, log into your account
- Once PureVPN is set up, change your location to the “UK” by searching for the country in the right bar
- Visit the Happy Valley page on BBC iPlayer‘s website
- Sign in or create an account and watch Happy Valley in the US
Courtesy: Everett Collection
What is Happy Valley about?
Happy Valley is about a strong-willed police sergeant in West Yorkshire, England. Catherine Carwood is still coming to terms with the suicide of her teenage daughter, Becky, eight years earlier. Like we said before, ironic title. Becky became pregnant as a result of a brutal rape and delivered a son, Ryan, whom Catherine looks after along with her sister, Clare, who is a recovering addict. Becky took her own life shortly after Ryan was born.
Throughout the seasons’ six episodes each, Catherine’s lives as a police officer and grieving, vengeful mother intertwine in the most genius way. It’s what makes this show such compelling viewing and an absolute must if you’ve gotten tired of the same old police dramas.
Who’s in the cast of Happy Valley?
The cast of the BAFTA-winning series is small but the beauty is that we really get to know these characters across three short seasons. Here’s the total list:
- Sarah Lancashire as Sgt Catherine Cawood
- Siobhan Finneran as Clare Cartwright
- Charlie Murphy as Ann Gallagher
- James Norton as Tommy Lee Royce
- George Costigan as Nevison Gallagher
How many seasons of Happy Valley are there?
There are three seasons of Happy Valley and Wainwright has made it clear there’ll be no more. “We made a definite decision that this was going to be the final season,” she told RadioTimes on January 15, 2023. “Just because it’s been successful, we weren’t going to let it drift on until it became a pale shadow of itself.”
Happy Valley is available to stream on BBC’s iPlayer with a VPN Here are the best free VPNs.
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