It is called Happy Valley, but the landscape of the BBC’s new crime drama is unrelentingly bleak. The programme has drawn criticism for showing ‘gratuitous’ violence in a string of graphic scenes. In Tuesday’s episode, the lead character - police sergeant Catherine Cawood, played by Sarah Lancashire - was savagely beaten in a basement. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT . Beaten: In Tuesday's episode of Happy Valley, the lead character - police sergeant Catherine Cawood, played by Sarah Lancashire - was savagely beaten in a basement. Above, Cawood is pictured following the beating . As the show ended, she collapsed in the road, her face covered in blood, leaving viewers guessing whether she had died. It followed a harrowing incident last week in which another policewoman was murdered on a lonely country road. The camera panned into her terrified face as she was repeatedly run over by a car, before her body was shown lying in a pool of blood. An average of 5.8million viewers tuned in to Happy Valley’s first four instalments, and most praise its gripping plot and realistic police procedure. Cornered: An average of 5.8million viewers tuned in to Happy Valley's first four instalments, and most praise its gripping plot and realistic police procedure. Above, Cawood is pictured being cornered in a basement . Frightened: But some have expressed concern at the show's increasingly gruesome twists and graphic depictions of violence against women. Above, Cawood is beaten against the windows of the basement . But some have expressed concern at its increasingly gruesome twists and graphic depictions of violence against women. Reacting to the latest show on Twitter, viewer Richard Foster said: ‘Not so much happy valley as brutal, violent, drug-ridden, death valley!’ Francois Garcia added: ‘Happy Valley on BBC is far from happy, more incredibly violent. Is this a real reflection of Yorkshire life? God help us if it is.’ Zoe Smith said: ‘Still shaking from the stress of it all. Gruesome, gripping, great TV.’ A fourth, using the name Loopy Lobes on . the BBC’s Points of View online message board, said: ‘A cracking . programme, but I have to confess that I wouldn’t have started watching . if I’d known there’d be so much violence, not my thing at all, but it . had me jumping out of my seat urging the women on.’ Rescued: Cawood is pulled out on to the street following the beating in Tuesday's episode of Happy Valley . Collapse: As the show ended, Cawood collapsed in the road (pictured), her face and hands covered in blood . The BBC said it had received 15 complaints about the episode, which aired between 9pm and 10pm after the watershed, while 45 viewers contacted the corporation to say how much they enjoyed the show. Broadcasting regulator Ofcom received one complaint. However, Vivienne Pattison of Mediawatch-UK, which campaigns for stronger regulation, said: ‘This is part of a worrying trend in TV drama. Over the last couple of years, we have seen more and more shows depicting gratuitous  violence, often against women. 'The hit series Game of Thrones has really upped the ante, and we saw it in BBC shows like Peaky Blinders and Line of Duty. Uncertain fate: The end of the episode left viewers guessing whether Cawood had died . ‘This kind of graphic violence dehumanises us all, and studies have shown that watching it can stunt your emotional growth.’ Happy Valley is written by Sally Wainwright, creator of last year’s hit Last Tango in Halifax. The drama also starred Miss Lancashire and earned her a Bafta on Sunday for best supporting actress. In Happy Valley, the 49-year-old plays a police sergeant in a small, drug-riddled town in Yorkshire, who investigates a kidnapping plot. The show’s title was inspired by a nickname police gave Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, after it became known for cannabis cultivation. Miss Wainwright has said: ‘Like a lot of people, I guess I thought those kind of things just didn’t happen in a place like Hebden Bridge, but of course they do. ‘I’m not saying it’s worse than anywhere else, but everywhere – even market towns with lovely cafes and restaurants – has a dark side.’ A BBC spokesman said: ‘It was broadcast in a post-watershed slot and was clearly signposted with an on-air announcement before the episode started.’
In Tuesday's episode, character Catherine Cawood was savagely beaten .
As the show ended, she collapsed in the road with face covered in blood .
It followed the murder of a policewoman last week on lonely country road .
Average of 5.8million viewers tuned in to Happy Valley's first instalments .
It is called Happy Valley, but the landscape of the BBC’s new crime drama is unrelentingly bleak. The programme has drawn criticism for showing ‘gratuitous’ violence in a string of graphic scenes. In Tuesday’s episode, the lead character - police sergeant Catherine Cawood, played by Sarah Lancashire - was savagely beaten in a basement. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT . Beaten: In Tuesday's episode of Happy Valley, the lead character - police sergeant Catherine Cawood, played by Sarah Lancashire - was savagely beaten in a basement. Above, Cawood is pictured following the beating . As the show ended, she collapsed in the road, her face covered in blood, leaving viewers guessing whether she had died. It followed a harrowing incident last week in which another policewoman was murdered on a lonely country road. The camera panned into her terrified face as she was repeatedly run over by a car, before her body was shown lying in a pool of blood. An average of 5.8million viewers tuned in to Happy Valley’s first four instalments, and most praise its gripping plot and realistic police procedure. Cornered: An average of 5.8million viewers tuned in to Happy Valley's first four instalments, and most praise its gripping plot and realistic police procedure. Above, Cawood is pictured being cornered in a basement . Frightened: But some have expressed concern at the show's increasingly gruesome twists and graphic depictions of violence against women. Above, Cawood is beaten against the windows of the basement . But some have expressed concern at its increasingly gruesome twists and graphic depictions of violence against women. Reacting to the latest show on Twitter, viewer Richard Foster said: ‘Not so much happy valley as brutal, violent, drug-ridden, death valley!’ Francois Garcia added: ‘Happy Valley on BBC is far from happy, more incredibly violent. Is this a real reflection of Yorkshire life? God help us if it is.’ Zoe Smith said: ‘Still shaking from the stress of it all. Gruesome, gripping, great TV.’ A fourth, using the name Loopy Lobes on . the BBC’s Points of View online message board, said: ‘A cracking . programme, but I have to confess that I wouldn’t have started watching . if I’d known there’d be so much violence, not my thing at all, but it . had me jumping out of my seat urging the women on.’ Rescued: Cawood is pulled out on to the street following the beating in Tuesday's episode of Happy Valley . Collapse: As the show ended, Cawood collapsed in the road (pictured), her face and hands covered in blood . The BBC said it had received 15 complaints about the episode, which aired between 9pm and 10pm after the watershed, while 45 viewers contacted the corporation to say how much they enjoyed the show. Broadcasting regulator Ofcom received one complaint. However, Vivienne Pattison of Mediawatch-UK, which campaigns for stronger regulation, said: ‘This is part of a worrying trend in TV drama. Over the last couple of years, we have seen more and more shows depicting gratuitous  violence, often against women. 'The hit series Game of Thrones has really upped the ante, and we saw it in BBC shows like Peaky Blinders and Line of Duty. Uncertain fate: The end of the episode left viewers guessing whether Cawood had died . ‘This kind of graphic violence dehumanises us all, and studies have shown that watching it can stunt your emotional growth.’ Happy Valley is written by Sally Wainwright, creator of last year’s hit Last Tango in Halifax. The drama also starred Miss Lancashire and earned her a Bafta on Sunday for best supporting actress. In Happy Valley, the 49-year-old plays a police sergeant in a small, drug-riddled town in Yorkshire, who investigates a kidnapping plot. The show’s title was inspired by a nickname police gave Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, after it became known for cannabis cultivation. Miss Wainwright has said: ‘Like a lot of people, I guess I thought those kind of things just didn’t happen in a place like Hebden Bridge, but of course they do. ‘I’m not saying it’s worse than anywhere else, but everywhere – even market towns with lovely cafes and restaurants – has a dark side.’ A BBC spokesman said: ‘It was broadcast in a post-watershed slot and was clearly signposted with an on-air announcement before the episode started.’
scenes. In Tuesday’s episode, the lead character Sarah Lancashire - was savagely beaten in a character - police sergeant Catherine Cawood, following the beating . As the show ended, she collapsed in the road, her face covered in blood, followed a harrowing incident last week in which in to Happy Valley’s first four instalments, and 5.8million viewers tuned in to Happy Valley's