Rupert Graves joins cast for 'Last Tango in Halifax 3'
In years past, fans of a British comedy or drama series would traditionally be left hanging for months not knowing whether or not their favorite series would be commissioned for another season or be unceremoniously axed for no apparent reason. With few exceptions, the fate of most series are not known when the final episode is transmitted as to whether or not there will be another. In the case of Spooks and Hustle, writers knew before the final series was completed that it would be the last one and they could write an ending that befitted the brilliance of both series. Others, like the brilliant BBC series, The Hour are crafted with a massive cliff-hanger ending to a season thinking there will be more only to hear after the fact that it will cease to be.
Monster hits like Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife have had new series commissioned before the previous one sees the light of day but that seems to be the exception rather than the norm. Such in the case also for Last Tango in Halifax. As PBS viewers in the States are settling in to enjoy the current series 2, filming has begun in the UK on series 3. The Sally Wainwright-written drama, which stars Sarah Lancashire, Derek Jacobi, Anne Reid and Nicola Walker, was spotted filming in Market Arcade, Borough Market and the Upstairs Downstairs Café in Halifax this week. Filming will continue in Yorkshire throughout the week. Although no story lines have surfaced as of yet, Wainright, who also writes Scott & Bailey and Happy Valley promises the best is yet to come. “What’s so great about writing for characters like Celia and Alan is that there is a wealth of back story to explore. Series three will be a whole new emotional ball game“, said Wainwright. Let the dysfunctional games begin!
Joining the cast, which already boasts the likes of Sir Derek Jacobi, Anne Reid, Sarah Lancashire, Nicola Walker, Tony Gardner and Dean Andrews, for series 3 will be Sherlock and Scott & Bailey star, Rupert Graves. Graves will play a character called ‘Gary Jackson’ in series 3 but no details as to what the character will add to the dysfunctional table as of yet.
Targeted for a December 2014 transmission, the winner of the Best Drama Series in the 2013 British Academy Television Awards, Last Tango in Halifax tells the story of two widowers, (Jacobi and Reid), reunited after 60 years via Facebook.
