ITV has announced that much loved North East detective drama series, Vera, starring Brenda Blethyn, will come to an end after its next season (14).
The news comes as actress Brenda Blethyn said that she would no longer play the part of Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope, a part she has played since 2011. The series Vera, based on the novels by Ann Cleeves, has racked up 54 episodes, with supporting characters played by David Leon, Jon Morrison, Riley Jones, Wunmi Mosaku, Paul Ritter, Cush Jumbo and others.
The series is filmed in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and throughout Northumberland in North East England in locations including Gateshead, North Shields, Whitley Bay, Amble, Warkworth, Alnmouth, Bamburgh, and Holy Island.
Vera Stanhope is a Detective Chief Inspector of the fictional Northumberland & City Police, obsessive about her work but seemingly eternally near retirement (Brenda Blethyn is 78, while the compulsory retirement age for superintending police ranks is actually 65). Vera is famous for being dishevelled, irascible and seemingly dithery, but has a calculating mind and often proves her superior skills by picking up small errors in her team members’ thought processes. Vera often clashes with her superiors but forms a close relationship with her sergeants.
The news will likely be disappointing to fans who have watched the drama from the start and have come to love the Geordie character and her signature hat, trench coat and battered Land Rover.The latest series of the show hit screens earlier this year, with David Leon returning as DS Joe Ashworth after leaving the role 10 years prior.
Brenda Blethyn has been nominated for two Oscars, two Emmys, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award. In 2003, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her contributions to acting.
Camaraderie
Brenda Blethyn commented: ““Working on Vera has been a joy from beginning to end and I’m sad to be saying Cheerio. But I am so proud of our achievements over the last 14 years. I’ll be forever grateful to the wonderful Ann Cleeves who created Vera, and to Elaine Collins who saw fit to cast me in the role. The producers, dream cast and crew have been fabulous and I’m going to miss them, but I won’t forget their huge talent, the camaraderie, laughter or kindness we shared nor the friendship of the people of the north east and our fans worldwide. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Filming on the final season will take place this summer in Northumberland and North East England, and will consist of two 120-minute episodes, to be shown in 2025.
All 13 series of Vera are available for streaming on ITVX.
The news comes as another popular ITV detective show, Midsomer Murders, ran into trouble with reports of poor viewing figures, and the second episode of the current season being rescheduled amid suggestions that this might be the show’s last season.
See also: Horrible Histories Celebrates 15 Years on TV
