With Happy Valley coming to an end, we have a feeling that when all's said and done people won't be left talking about the shocking twists and turns, but instead about the stellar performance from Sarah Lancashire.

Of course, for those who know Lancashire's previous work, this isn't a surprise - she has routinely proven herself to be a hugely impressive actor, able to move between hilarious and heartbreaking at the drop of a hat.

Lancashire was born in Oldham, Lancashire in 1964, to father Geoffrey and mother Hilda. Geoffrey was a television scriptwriter, particularly known for his work on Coronation Street. She attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 1986.

Outside of Happy Valley, Lancashire is perhaps best known for her role in Last Tango in Halifax, another series from Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright in which she played Caroline, a role for which she won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress.

However, she has also made her name in long-running shows including Coronation Street and Doctor Who, the latter of which she appeared in for one episode as a guest star, as well as acclaimed dramas including Julia, The Paradise and MotherFatherSon.

She also narrated the popular BBC period drama Lark Rise to Candleford, playing an adult version of Olivia Hallinan's character Laura Timmins.

While Lancashire is mainly known for her TV work, that hasn't stopped her from putting in some phenomenal performances in high-profile British films across the years.

These have included the Richard Curtis/Danny Boyle romantic comedy Yesterday, the Dad's Army reboot film and Prime Video's adaptation of theatre hit Everybody's Talking About Jamie.

She also appeared in And When Did You Last See Your Father?, the deeply moving drama film starring Jim Broadbent and Colin Firth.

Lancashire has said she doesn't enjoy being recognised in public, and has said: "I've learnt that it's possible to be as anonymous as you want. It's a choice, and I've become very, very good at being anonymous."

If you're looking to catch up on some of Sarah Lancashire's films and TV shows, then see below for how you can watch the best performances she's given throughout her career.

Best Sarah Lancashire films and TV series to watch

Showing items 1 to 16 of 16

  • Happy Valley

    • 2014
    • Drama
    • Crime/detective
    • 15

    Summary:

    Crime drama by Sally Wainwright, with Sarah Lancashire as a police sergeant in the Yorkshire valleys battling her own demons when she becomes involved in the hunt for a kidnapped girl.

    How to watch
  • Kiri

    • 2018
    • Mystery
    • Drama
    • 15

    Summary:

    Four-part drama with Sarah Lancashire. It finds a social worker caught up in the middle of a police investigation when a young girl called Kiri goes missing on one of her supervised visits.

    How to watch
  • The Accident

    • 2019
    • Drama
    • 15

    Summary:

    Drama series. A Welsh community devastated by tragedy is forced to confront difficult truths amid the search for justice.

    How to watch
  • Rose and Maloney

    • 2002
    • Crime/detective
    • Drama

    Summary:

    Cases of a woman and her male assistant who work for the fictional CJRA (Criminal Justice Review Agency), an organization which seeks out miscarriages of justice.

    How to watch
  • Everybody's Talking about Jamie

    • Comedy
    • Musical
    • 2020
    • Jonathan Butterell
    • 115 mins
    • 12A

    Summary:

    Jamie New celebrates his 16th birthday with a gift of glittery red heels from his supportive mother, Margaret. Nurturing a dream of performing on stage, Jamie recruits Hugo Battersby aka drag doyenne Loco Chanelle as his mentor to step confidently into the spotlight. Comedy drama, starring Max Harwood, Sarah Lancashire, Lauren Patel and Shobna Gulati

    How to watch
  • Last Tango in Halifax

    • 2012
    • Drama
    • Comedy
    • PG

    Summary:

    Sally Wainwright's comedy drama with Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid. Old friends Celia Dawson and Alan Buttershaw fall in love again when they are reunited over the internet after 60 years.

    How to watch
  • Where the Heart Is

    • 1997
    • Drama
    • PG

    Summary:

    Drama series set in a small Yorkshire town, focusing on the professional and personal lives of the district nurses who work there. The original leads were Sarah Lancashire and Pam Ferris.

    How to watch
  • Julia

    • 2022
    • Drama

    Summary:

    Drama inspired by Julia Child's extraordinary life and her long-running television series, The French Chef. Starring Sarah Lancashire and David Hyde Pierce

    How to watch
  • Dad's Army

    • Comedy
    • War
    • 2016
    • Oliver Parker
    • 95 mins
    • PG

    Summary:

    Wartime comedy based on the BBC TV sitcom, starring Toby Jones, Bill Nighy and Catherine Zeta-Jones. England, 1944: when a glamorous reporter is sent to profile the Home Guard of Walmington-on-Sea, it's not long before romance rears its head. Meanwhile, MI5 has reason to believe a German spy is operating in the town...

    How to watch
  • The Paradise

    • Drama

    Summary:

    'The Paradise' is a costume drama set in a Victorian city in the north of England. It tells the story of a love affair set against the backdrop of The Paradise, the country's first department store. Denise Lovett (Joanna Vanderham) takes a job at the store and is soon seen by its owner, John Moray (Emun Elliott), as a rising star, much to the annoyance of head of ladieswear Miss Audrey (Sarah Lancashire). In pursuit of Moray's affections is the upper class daughter of a rich banker, Katherine (Elaine Cassidy), who is determined to get what she wants. It premiered on BBC One in 2012.

    How to watch
  • Yesterday

    • Comedy
    • Fantasy
    • 2019
    • Danny Boyle
    • 111 mins
    • 12

    Summary:

    Fantasy comedy starring Himesh Patel and Lily James. Cycling home after a gig, aspiring musician Jack is hit by a bus during a strange power cut. He wakes up to find himself in a world where nobody has heard of the Beatles, so takes advantage of this by passing their songs off as his own. Success soon comes his way, but it threatens to come between him and his manager and best friend, Ellie.

    How to watch
  • Lark Rise to Candleford

    • 2008
    • Drama
    • Romance
    • PG

    Summary:

    "Lark Rise to Candleford" is a BBC period drama adapted from Flora Thompson's trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels about the English countryside towards the end of the 19th century. Laura Timmins (Olivia Hallinan) leaves her friends and family in the hamlet of Lark Rise to start her first job at the post office in the wealthier neighbouring market town of Candleford. She works for postmistress Dorcas Lane (Julia Sawalha), who offers her a warm welcome when the other residents of Candleford are not so friendly. The popular programme ran for four series on BBC One between 2008 and 2011.

    How to watch
  • MotherFatherSon

    • 2019
    • Thriller
    • Drama
    • 15

    Summary:

    A political thriller that sits at the intersections of police, politics and the press, and is as much a family saga as it is a savage drama. Richard Gere stars.

    How to watch
  • Coronation Street

    • 1960
    • Drama
    • Soap
    • 12

    Summary:

    'Coronation Street', created in 1960 by Tony Warren, is the world's longest running soap. After debuting on December 9 of that year, the ITV show, which was expected to run for just a few episodes, soon struck a chord with millions. Centring on a typical Manchester cobbled street in working class Weatherfield, where local residents laughed and cried between the local pub, corner shop or their respective houses, the show has seen a handful of key figures become household names: Ken Barlow, the studious teacher who romanced just about every attractive lady that passed through; Emily Bishop, the do-gooder who has spent almost as much time in the soap, local businessman - and mayor - Alf Roberts, and classic, much missed characters such as warbling cleaner Hilda Ogden, pompous Rovers landlady Annie Walker, love rat builder Ray Langton, Foghorn Leghorn-style butcher Fred Elliott, amorous supermarket manager Reg Holdsworth and those feuding legends Ena Sharples and Elsie Tanner. Plots have involved armed sieges at the local supermarket, a lorry crashing into the Rovers Return, murderous Tracy Barlow beating her two-timing boyfriend (Charlie Stubbs) to death, along with assorted affairs, scandals, and those unhinged characters we loved to hate, such as Alan Bradley, Jez Quigley, Richard Hillman and Tony Gordon. However, if one storyline really caught the imaginations of millions it was the love triangle between Ken Barlow, wife Deirdre and knicker factory boss Mike Baldwin. Thanks to some stunning acting from William Roache (Ken), the end of the affair made TV history and helped turn soap stars into tabloid favourites. Aside from making the likes of Anne Kirkbride (Deirdre) and Johnny Briggs (Mike) household names, Corrie has attracted no end of famous faces, including Joanna Lumley, Ben Kingsley, Ian McKellen, Noddy Holder, Molly Sugden, Maureen Lipman and Roy Hudd.

    How to watch
  • Doctor Who (1963+)

    • 1963
    • Drama
    • Sci-fi
    • PG

    Summary:

    Sci-fi drama following the adventures of a Time Lord and his time-travelling companion as they explore the universe in his Tardis. William Hartnell (1963-66) was the first Doctor to pilot the Tardis, taking it from a junkyard at 76 Totter's Lane into the realms of the fourth dimension. He was succeeded by Patrick Troughton (1966-69), Jon Pertwee (1970-74), Tom Baker (1974-81), Peter Davison (1981-84), Colin Baker (1984-86) and Sylvester McCoy (1987-89, 1996). The series was axed in 1989. A TV movie starring Paul McGann as the Doctor appeared in 1996, but it wasn't until 2005 that a revamped version materialised on BBC One with Christopher Eccleston (2005) at the controls of the Tardis. He was followed by David Tennant (2005-10), Matt Smith (2010-13) and Peter Capaldi (2013-). The world's most famous Time Lord has been accompanied by a variety of young companions and has battled many foes, most famously the Daleks, Cybermen and the Master. 'Doctor Who' premiered on BBC One in November 1963.

    How to watch
  • And When Did You Last See Your Father?

    • Drama
    • 2007
    • Anand Tucker
    • 88 mins
    • 12A

    Summary:

    Adaptation of Blake Morrison's memoirs about his turbulent relationship with his father, starring Colin Firth and Jim Broadbent. Arthur Morrison has a terminal illness and is near death, prompting his son Blake to attempt a reconciliation with the man who has dominated his life.

    How to watch
See more Best Sarah Lancashire TV shows and films
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