Fans of Happy Valley have been transfixed by straight-talking Sergeant Catherine Cawood over the past three series of the hit BBC drama, written and created by Sally Wainwright. While rooting for Catherine to head off into the sunset on a safe road to retirement in her restored Land Rover, viewers are binge-watching Sally's other Yorkshire-based series Last Tango in Halifax on iPlayer - and there's a fascinating crossover between the two BAFTA award-winning shows.
Actress Sarah Lancashire plays headteacher Caroline in Last Tango in Halifax, screened on BBC One from 2012 to 2020, and has also been winning hearts as Catherine in Happy Valley since 2014. In the fifth and final series of Last Tango in Halifax there was a moment when PC Cheryl, played by Rachel Lescovac who also starred in Happy Valley as Julie the wife of drug dealer Ashley Cowgill, talked to Caroline about Sergeant Cawood being "terrifying" in a sweet tribute to its Calder Valley sister show.
Sue Spedding asked on Facebook: "I have just finished binge watching Last Tango in Halifax and in the final series Gillian’s ex Robbie’s ex Cheryl, a policewoman, threatens a character with Sergeant Cawood. I wonder which came first - at what point did Sally Wainwright get inspired to create a series around Sergeant Cawood?"
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And fans were talking about this when the last series of Last Tango in Halifax was aired back in February and March 2020. Matt Leys tweeted: "Just remembered that the police officer in Sunday's Last Tango In Halifax referred to Sgt Cawood. I believe this makes it a canon part of the Happy Valley Cinematic Universe."
Josh gasped: "Omg does Catherine Cawood exist in the same universe as Last Tango?!" And @D_Hollingsworth said: "Bonus meta point for tonight’s Last Tango In Halifax mentioning an offscreen Sergeant Cawood which is also the name of Sarah Lancashire’s character in Happy Valley (Sally Wainwright’s other show)."
@_ACasso tweeted: "Last Tango mentioning Happy Valley’s Sergeant Cawood." And Ifan asked: "DID THEY JUST REFERENCE HAPPY VALLEY IN LAST TANGO IN HALIFAX? SERGEANT CAWOOD? #LastTangoinHalifax."
@WorksWithWords said: "I'm hoping that the reference to Sgt Cawood in this week's Last Tango in Halifax means that we are finally going to get a WCU - Wainwright Cinematic Universe."
Ella wrote: "Sally Wainwright referencing Catherine Cawood in Last Tango in Halifax has made my week. The woman is a god. It’s actually made me so happy. Too much of a Wainwright fangirl clearly #LastTangoInHalifax."
Referencing the brutal scene in Happy Valley that kicked off series two when Catherine put a sheep out of its misery @TheDGrimmett commented: "So Last Tango in Halifax is connected to Happy Valley because Sheryl said: 'Your lucky you got me and not Sergeant Cawood.' This was over the sheep incident that Gillian had - some of the sheep are still missing. I’m questioning this scene now."
@janpallett commented earlier this month: "Can’t wait! Just finished watching Last Tango in Halifax and I just loved the reference to Sgt Cawood in the final series by another police officer!" And @BessieBuckle1 wrote: "What a great actress Sarah Lancashire is. Just finished watching Last Tango back to back. Fabulous.
"Her character Sgt Cawood was mentioned in it by the young PC who came to the farm when the sheep escaped. Missed that first time around."
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