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Vera confirms final season

“Working on Vera has been a joy from beginning to end and I’m sad to be saying 'Cheerio,'" says Brenda Blethyn.

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Brenda Blethyn will play the role of Vera Stanhope for one final series, bringing the hit UK detective series to a close.

ITV have commissioned 54 episodes to date before recently confirming a further 2 x 120min which will be the drama’s 14th and final series.

Brenda Blethyn “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 fourteen 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.”

Silverprint Pictures Creative Director Kate Bartlett (Shetland, Vera, Flesh and Blood, The Long Call) said, “It is the end of an era and has been an extraordinary journey over fourteen amazing series of Vera. So many wonderful and talented people have been involved in the making of Vera across all the series, but none of us would be here without two incredible women: firstly, the absolutely extraordinary talent of the inimitable Brenda Blethyn. She is brilliant as DCI Vera Stanhope, a truly iconic character of our times. And – of course – the amazing Ann Cleeves, author of the original novels and creator of DCI Vera Stanhope. We will all be very sad to say goodbye to Brenda and everyone involved in making the show.”

ITV’s Huw Kennair Jones added, “Led by the incomparable Brenda Blethyn, from the moment Vera arrived on our screens in 2011 audiences have been enthralled by her many adventures. And whilst we’re sad she’s hanging up her Mac, we’re hugely grateful for 14 brilliant series. Everyone at ITV would like to thank Brenda, Ann Cleeves, Silverprint Pictures and the amazing cast and crew that have made Vera such a continued success.”

Vera screens in Australia on ABC, 7TWO and BritBox.

8 Responses

  1. An excellent series from beginning to now, and undoubtedly until the end of the final two part series they have just started recording in the UK. Brenda Blethyn utterly superb in the role of Vera. It is not often a book’s character is portrayed so well on the screen. In this case Blethyn nailed the role. She is just as I imagined her from Ann Cleeves’ novels. What a great supporting cast over the years. Good to see David Leon back as Joe after Kenny Doughty’s brilliant run as Aiden. ‘Mark’ and ‘Kenny’ have been wonderful long term support characters. The writing has been sharp throughout, the production quality magnificent. As with ‘Morse’ there could well be an ‘Endeavour’ style spin-off. The back story of Vera’s Dad and other dubious family members lends itself to a prequel. Vera’s earlier years as a youthful determined woman entering the force and being involved in the miners’ strike period, as we know from episodes in the Vera series, all sets itself up for the younger Vera.

  3. When you’re on a good thing…

    Like Endeavour, you will likely see a reincarnation.

    To be inclusive, maybe a daughter she secretly had from a one night stand in India or Ethiopia?

  5. Well past time for the final series to do more with the character of Kenny. The brusque manner in which Vera treats Kenny has long intrigued me; perhaps she harbors a secret crush on this fellow grizzled old detective?

  7. So it would appear that “The Dark Wives” wont make it to TV as the next book in the Vera series is currently scheduled to be released in the UK on the 29th August, 2024. Perhaps the script writers have early access … time will tell.

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