Lancashire back in Yorkshire-set drama

They say that roles for people of a certain age are rare, and that if you’re an actress over the age of 40, you may as well forget it.

Well, try telling that to Sally Wainwright, the woman behind two of the BBC’s biggest drama hits of the last five years - HappyValley and Last Tango in Halifax (Monday, BBC One, 9pm).

The former won’ t be back on our screens for a couple of years, apparently, because Wainwrightis so busy working on other projects, but it’s provided Sarah Lancashire, who is 52, with arguably the best role of her career, that of gritty policewoman Catherine Cawood.

She also appears in Last Tango and has been Baftanominated for both parts (winning for Happy Valley in 2014).

“When you read Sally’s scripts, they’ re not like scripts, they’re like transcripts of people’s lives and they breathe immediately,” says Lancashire of Wainwright’s work. “Her words do it for you, you don’t have to think about it too much; in fact it’s often best to let her writing do it for you. She’s just top of her game really.”

But Lancashire isn’t the only actor to benefit from Wa in wright’ s Last Tango-its leads are portrayed by Anne Reid (81) and Derek Jacobi (78), while Nicola Walker (46) also appears.

If you haven’t caught the series bynow, whathaveyou been doing? You’ve certainly been missing a treat - the tale of seventysomething former teenage sweet hearts Alan and Celia finding love again after 60 years apart is touching, moving and, at times, hilarious. It’s also inspired by Wainwright’s own mother who reconnected with an old flame she hadn’ t seen since she was 15.

It’s almost two years since we last caught up with them, and this new, two-parter picks up where the previous series left off, with Celia’s daughter Caroline (Lancashire) still coming to terms with the death of her wife Kate.

Perhaps it’s her struggle to cope that inspires Caroline to consider a fresh start away from the Harrogate home she shares with Alan and Celia. Regular viewers will be aware that Caroline bought her exhusband out of the property with financial help from her mother and stepfather - so where will her decision to move on leave them?

For now, that remains a mystery, and the couple don’t seem unduly concerned about their fate either-perhaps because they are too wrapped up in the local amateur dramatics group to notice; Celia’s debut in a leading role in Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit seems to be taking all their time, attention and energy.

Meanwhile, somebody should keep an eye on Alan’s daughter Gillian. She’s a bit of a loose cannon at the best of times, but she seems to be sailing close to the edge as mysterious goings-on in her farm’s barnlead her to believe that the past is comingbackto haunt her.

The concluding part airs on Tuesday, but there is some good news - a fourth series is on its way.