Happy Valley’s Sarah Lancashire is back on Netflix as a mother jailed 30 years for drowning her children
Netflix is brewing a dark new series led by a Doctor Who star — think modern-day witch hunt, and you’re not far off.
Here comes another mysterious drama heading to Netflix, and it sounds properly grim. Sarah Lancashire isn’t just solving crimes or doing the Sunday roast for this one – she’s leading a dark tale called Witch Hunt, and the premise is fairly full-on: returning home after 30 years away would be fraught for anyone, but try doing it when you’ve just spent those decades in prison for drowning your children. You can imagine the neighbours' faces.
Sarah Lancashire leads Netflix’s Witch Hunt as August Howell, returning to her old university town after three decades in prison for the deaths of her daughters.
The Story
So what’s actually going on in Witch Hunt? You’ve got Lancashire as August Howell, a woman who’s apparently descended from the so-called ‘Witch of Cambridge’—not the sort of family reputation that helps one blend in. She’s been locked up for 30 years after being found guilty of killing her three young daughters. When she rocks up back at her university town, the welcome’s less 'bunting and cake' and more 'pitchforks and paranoia'. The locals’ suspicions spiral, and soon whispers swirl that August’s homecoming has triggered something sinister—cue talk of a modern-day witch hunt cropping up in this very ordinary English setting.
If you thought that was enough drama, it’s not. Someone in town starts turning up dead, and suddenly it’s a full-blown murder investigation. That’s when the police track down August’s last surviving daughter, Professor Wren Howell. They ask her for help, hoping unpacking her family’s complicated past might actually clear up who the present-day killer is.
Netflix has yet to announce a release date for Witch Hunt.
Behind the Curtains
The entire thing comes from the mind of Abi Morgan—she’s writing and executive-producing, with Lancashire herself also acting as executive producer. Morgan and Netflix are already familiar partners: she previously brought them the series Eric, so Witch Hunt marks another collaboration. For now, Netflix are keeping quiet about any further casting or a proper release date.
Sarah Lancashire’s TV Repertoire
For anyone scratching their head thinking they know Lancashire outside of Doctor Who and this, you probably caught her best known as gruff but brilliant Sergeant Catherine Cawood in Happy Valley. That BBC crime series had a storming run—three seasons and a heap of awards. She also held her own in Last Tango in Halifax (Caroline Dawson), not to mention standout appearances in The Paradise, Kiri, The Accident, and a rather different role as chef Julia Child in Julia. Most recently, she’s been in Netflix’s spy drama Black Doves. Crime, kitchen, or smalltown secrets—it’s safe to say she’s not shy of complicated characters, and Witch Hunt is certainly keeping with that tradition.
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