Happy Valley fans are delighted to have the BBC drama back on screens, and ahead of tonight’s penultimate episode, Mark Stanley, who depicts abusive husband Rob Hepworth, appeared on Sunday Brunch to talk about the show’s popularity. He mentioned the appeal of the series and praised writer Sally Wainwright for her unique approach to the show.
Actor Mark joined Sunday Brunch hosts Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer to discuss his latest roles.
Addressing one of the most popular series currently on television, Tim eventually remarked: “Nothing’s bigger than Happy Valley though, is it?”
He continued: “I mean, that’s the biggest thing on the telly.”
“People just absolutely love it,” Mark agreed, before explaining how easy it is to get hooked on the drama.
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“And your character’s a wrong’un,” Simon pointed out.
“Yes,” Mark agreed. “He’s someone who definitely struggles with authority.
“He creates this domestic abuse kind of situation.
“Yeah, he’s someone who has to diminish people in order to elevate himself, and that’s got to come from something which is lacking in himself.”
“It’s exciting, isn’t it, to work in something like Happy Valley?” Tim enthused.
“It is, it is – it’s lovely, Mark confirmed. “They’ve left it a good amount of time to have people hankering after it.
“And luckily, from what I’ve heard and people’s responses, they love it.”
Tim referred to the series’ huge social media response, which sees Twitter explode on Sunday evenings with reactions from fans.
“I’m so glad that I can’t binge it!” Simon added. “Because my friends, family, everybody – we talk about it and say we can’t wait for Sunday night. I think I miss that with telly.”
“I think it’d be a real shame if it was all to be put out there, and then people could spoil it for others,” Mark stated.
Sunday Brunch airs weekly from 9.30am on Channel 4, while Happy Valley continues on Sunday at 9pm on BBC One.