‘There are high expectations'

On location in Yorkshire, Anne Reid and Sir Derek Jacobi chat to TV Times about the long-awaited return of their award-winning drama

The course of true love never runs smooth, and that’s certainly been the case for octogenarian lovebirds Alan and Celia Buttershaw, whose romance has touched our hearts over four series of BBC1 drama Last Tango in Halifax.

The story of the childhood sweethearts who rekindled their romance decades later proved an immediate hit, and viewers have been begging for BAFTA-winning screenwriter Sally Wainwright (Happy Valley, Gentleman Jack) to pen more episodes since the last season aired at Christmas 2016.

As the drama returns after a three-year hiatus, TV Times is thrilled to be invited on location in Leeds, where the show is filmed, to watch Sir Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid in action as Alan and Celia, along with Nicola Walker and Sarah Lancashire playing their respective daughters, put-upon Gillian and formidable Caroline.

During a break, Anne, 84, and Sir Derek, 81, sit down with us to chat about how a new job drives a wedge between their characters, and counting Hollywood stars among their many fans…

We’re so excited the show is back – were you just as keen?

Anne: It was quite weird at the first read-through, like going back to a place you’d been on holiday – it looked the same but it was slightly different. I know there are high expectations. I just hope people will like it as much as they always have.