A lot of you were really, really surprised this didn’t come in higher than no 4 in our list, so good news: it’s at the top of yours. Sarah Lancashire “deserves every award going” for her performance as Sgt Catherine Cawood. Gritty, realistic and believable, Sally Wainwright’s Happy Valley is a crime drama done right.

LondonSpy16
December 2016 8:15amBrilliant series. Those responsible for the cliched mush that makes up just about every other crime/murder drama on British TV should look at how to construct plot out of characters (rather than the other way round – yes, I’m looking at you, The Missing), sidestep cliches, put the comic and the painful together, and portray people who actually seem to have had relationships with each other before the cameras rolled. I’m wondering what three programmes you have ranked above it.

Read Full Story: The best TV shows of the year – as voted by you | Television & radio | The Guardian