User reviews

Brenda Blethyn is the best. Only in England would they make a terrific mystery series about a frumpy middle aged woman who leads a homicide squad. No romance, no sex, just plain good mystery and terrific acting. I have just finished all 8 episodes and cannot wait for the next season. If you enjoy brainy mysteries and fabulous cinematography then this series is for you. DCI Vera Stanhope is sometimes temperamental, often blunt, rude and then kind and compassionate. She seems so alone and damaged but her work is her therapy and Her relationship with her Sargent (David Leon) is a thing of beauty. It is mother-son, sometimes best friends, and occasionally adversarial though it is obvious they are devoted to one another. These are murder mysteries that are complex, character rich and rooted in the personal histories of those involved. These stories are not dependent on gore and shock value but are smart, intelligent thrilling puzzles that draw you in for the ride. Watch one and I guarantee you will become a fan!

Vera has developed into the must watch Crime drama series on our screens, I've read all the reviews on here with great interest, Inspector Morse left a massive void, Vera has definitely grown into a show worthy of filling the void.

I'll be honest and say I think it got off to a fairly shaky start, the opening series wasn't brilliant, it was good, but when you compare episodes from Series 2 onwards there is no comparison. Silent Voices from Series 2 is fantastic, Series 6's recent opener Dark Road was up a notch, exceptional.

The filming and locations are always top notch, Newcastle and the surrounding areas are wonderful, the moors are jaw dropping.

Brenda Blethyn is an unbelievably talented actress, her initial Geordie accent I didn't buy into but after a few episodes she became spot on. She has a massive presence in the role and has truly made it her own. I feared when David Leon decided to leave, he was a great sidekick to Vera, but Kenny Doughty has proved to be a more then worthy replacement.

I was gutted that Wunmi Mosaku decided to leave, she bounced off Brenda Blethyn brilliantly, but Cush Jumbo made a great cast member.

I can see Vera running for many years to come, it's getting better and better. 9/10

The plot lines always seem to grab our attention. My husband and I actually enjoy Vera's character. To me she seems like a female version of Colombo, but she is not quite as corny--instead she is more human...just as clever and determined...never giving up until she finds the killer. I think one needs to develop a taste for British detective stories (they are not nearly as "glamorous" as American whodunits) in order to enjoy watching them. We also notice the same actors appearing and reappearing in different series, inevitably playing a variety of different character types. We find British shows well-written and often more original than their American counterparts. In fact, when we started watching British shows we could barely understand the actors and now we are quite comfortable listening to British English. So many excellent shows would never be available in the US if we didn't have public broadcasting. Thank you public television for hours and hours of commercial-free entertainment and a variety of intelligent, stimulating dramas from which to choose.

I have to totally disagree with the previous reviewer who said Vera's character isn't believable. Certainly Vera is moody and temperamental (aren't we all flawed in some ways?),but she gets the job done and gets her team to produce results. While she has her own demons, she's tenderhearted when she needs to be and ultimately kind to her staff if they do their jobs and deserve her kindness. The way she gets people to tell her things is calculated, but the method works on the show and in real life. I find the acting in "Vera" to always be superb, and the plots are clever, fresh and full of surprises. Also, David Leon (Joe) is gorgeous--and this from a 75-year-old woman. I'll miss him in upcoming episodes, but I'm sure the shows will still be top quality. Vera is one of the reasons this U.S. Midwesterner has become a fan of British TV. Aside from public television, sports and a couple of series, I hardly watch any U.S. TV anymore.

Love this series...only downside is they make me feel cold! :-) The weather where it's filmed is terrible! So different from Southern California where I live. It's really great to see a smart mature woman as the lead. At least she's not a 20 year old blonde bimbo! Too many series in the US are full of the tall skinny blondes...boring! This is true of many of the British series that make it over to the United States. They are full of characters who look like REAL people and not Hollywood starlets or runway models. You see the same in "Scott and Bailey", another British TV series I really love. I wish we'd see more of British dramas and comedies. I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting the quality of programs the Brits put on. Keep up the great work.

Gutsy, gritty police drama series has an unusual format and a great star: Brenda Blethyn.

This is not a weekly series, nor is it a miniseries. It's a yearly series of four 90-minute movies that loosely tie up together, especially in the character of Vera Stanhope, a driven and crotchety character who excels in her work but who has trouble connecting to the people around her or in dealing with her past life.

Brenda Blethyn is just perfect as the middle-aged copper and just as changeable as the North England weather. She's just as likely to lash out at her colleagues as she is the suspects in the series of murders she must solve.

Chief among the supporting cast are David Leon as Vera's sergeant Joe Ashworth, later replaced by Kenny Doughty as Aiden Healy. There's also Jon Morrison as Kenny Lockhart and Riley Jones as Mark Edwards. In the first couple of seasons, Peter Ritter as the weirdly comic pathologist Billy Cartwright is a delight. But there are plenty of other quirky coppers and suspects lurking about the Yorkshire dale and towns. The location shooting is quite stunning as well.

The mysteries are based on characters created by Ann Cleeves and most of them are excellent. It's never easy to guess the killer. You won't see a parade of famous actors but that works in the show's favor.

A great show for mystery fans and those who like great acting.

And how is it possible that this great show has never gotten a single BAFTA nomination?

I recently binge watched several series of Vera. I feel the review I give has to cover not just the lead actors but the support cast. I love Brenda Blethyn and Kenny Doughty and the chemistry between them the interactions between the rest of the squad but I would also like to mention the weekly guest cast. These are actors who don't always have a huge portfolio of starring work and yet some (heck most) of the performances are amazing. The episode I have just watched the confession of the father to killing his son was heart wrenching and having watched several series in a row the quality never fails. Credit where it's due I say pet!

What a relief to have a good detective series back on the tele that doesn't rely on bad language, bad acting, shock topics and model style looks of the main character. Blenda Blethyn, with her "pet"s and "luv"s is just delightful as the down to earth, emotionally damaged but very clever detective Vera. She allows herself to be stripped back to basics, dressed in frumpy clothes, often shot at unflattering angles, and by doing so "becomes" Vera. As for Vera herself, what a woman to work with! I don't think I'd last long if I were poor old Kenny but the fact that everyone does stick around and work well together getting good results shows that Vera, although in all appearances is so ordinary, she really is extraordinary.

I'll make this review short, English not being my native language.

This is a very very good crime TV series of the following reasons: * always an intriguing and interesting plot, that keep the suspense up all along.

* The characters are credible, and you get to know their personal challenges too.

* Blenda Blethyn really gives life too the main character, With conviction. She really is an outstanding actress, and gives life to Vera in a way that we really feel for her, and her lonely personal life.

* The only negative I can think of is the departure of her co-star David Leon. They really were a good match, and I miss his presence in the latest series.

Inspector Morse's departure from our screens and lives left a gap that was not easy to fill, but Vera seems to have stepped right into his shoes. Brenda Blethyn is a talented actress who brings life to the well-written plots of this new TV crime drama. The setting, in and around Newcastle, is charming too, very different from gritty inner city dramas as well as from picture perfect villages that are typically the sites of crime shows. The relationship between Vera and her sergeant mirrors that of Morse and Lewis (the single work obsessed detective and his long-suffering family oriented colleague). While Morse as a fifty-something bachelor was presented as an oddly desirable, enigmatic, man with his occasional liaisons, Vera as a fifty-something single woman is depicted as lonely and frumpy. Morse's love of booze was endearing; Vera's is merely pathetic. This is, sadly, a realistic comment on the different ways in which single men and women are perceived the world over. Unlike Morse, which was pretty much a two-character series, this one involves the larger detection team as well. The resolution is not the result of inspired, instant, intuition, but careful detection. I watched the series in reverse order, and preferred series 2 to series 1; the second episode of the second series is superb.

...this show is done! Vera, it's time to retire. So many cookie-cutter plots, insolent interviewees (are people really that rude to detectives?!), and who does Vera answer to? Where is her commanding officer? Anyone need a federation rep for those repeated violations from the boss? Wearing her costume to convince us she's channeling Columbo, never without her annoying scarves - does she even change clothes? People all around her in short sleeves or without coats in sunshine and she's dressed for rain...ugh!

I also can't help but notice that there are no couples who are the same skin tone - they have to be black/white combo every time. Apparently it's become very un-PC to marry someone of the same skin tone as yours in that corner of the world.

I could go on about Aiden being her shadow who puts her shoe covers on more than he's being a proper detective, or the fact that she never writes anything down but can cough up conversations verbatim during interrogations. The only bright spot is the prickly pathologist, Malcolm. His retorts to Vera are memorable when she deduces the obvious: "my God, the speed of your mind..." "you should be a detective!" and others.

I'm hoping they stop at season 11, episode 6. Please stop.

I am worried about some of my favorite shows due to Covid but I'mso happy Blevins has returned to her work as the irascible Vera. Hurrah to her acting skills and Britain's acceptance of skill over age. Elderly, overweight, cranky Woman as the protagonist.... I love it!! . Please Britain take care of her. She is a National treasure. .I want to see 10 more years of Vera.

Midsomer murders is coming back next week, November 2021. The stories are carried by more actors plus a dog. Ms. Blyth is in every scene of Vera....and that's what we want and love.

Kudos to use of drones. I can't get enough of this areas scenery.

A perfect blending of superb acting, brilliant dialogue, exceptional photography, somber, moody landscapes and an understated and totally appropriate musical score all result in just about the best detective mystery program I've seen on TV. Totally believable and never overdone. A must see program.

This is the show that made me forsake the glam and predictability of Hollywood productions for the breathtaking landscape of Northumberland and the astounding scripts of British drama. Brenda Blethyn as the sharp- tongued, no-nonsense detective pulls the viewer into each episode and doesn't let go until the end. Each episode is superbly written, with attention grabbing plots and conclusions that mirror human nature at it's best...or worst. Here's hoping for another season.

We have loved the first three seasons of Vera and some of us have watched them again and again, so when Season Four showed up in the US, we jumped right in.

The first episode didn't seem up to snuff though. It was slow and the characters didn't show the intelligence they'd been given in the past and we had to deal with a bit of barnyard vocab. Ew. We also had to watch whiny and ornery teenagers which are never interesting. Oh, and we were sad to see the original set of Joe's children gone. They were beautiful. After enduring these changes, we were hoping hoping hoping that the other three episodes would be better. And they were!! The last three episodes are practically perfect Vera again. Yay!!!!!

Besides enjoying the characters and the stories and the locations, we also love that they're able to make the scenery bleak w/o washing out the color like some other current UK shows. And we love that they keep the vocab high road and often throw in local slang. We miss Billy a LOT, but enjoy the new coroner. And we'd like to see more of Mark and we'd like to see Joe do more. Have noticed that he might not be sticking around though. Bummer.

These are good stories and they're filmed well. We haven't read the books yet, which is probably a good thing. When we read the books first, we're almost always disappointed with the films. Films are better when the book author's stories are adhered to as much as possible. We're doing films first, books second this time around.

Mysteries to me win by way of their main characters. If we see them develop or at least are privy to their lives and challenges in a way that satisfies, then we like them. It isn't really about the mystery although that has to be good as well. Vera is a tremendous character. Thank goodness the Brits can show nuanced women.

I had a hard time following all of the plots and characters particularly in the first season. I'm still not sure what was up with the 4 bird watchers from the first episode. But by the 2nd season , all was good. There was one plot that seemed to wrap up too easily but I have forgotten already which one.

The pinacle so far is episode 4 of season 2. I hope my local provider will add more seasons toot sweet.

I am now into Season 9.

My faithfulness to Vera is unending, and I truly hope we'll have Vera for many years to come.

Why? Because it is a flawless crime drama, with perfectly written and directed episodes (one case per chapter) which keep suspense and tension in the exact degree without descending to using cheap tricks. It portrays realistic, believable and lovable characters (despite their failures), which are exceptionally well performed by the whole cast (Brenda Blethyn, come on, what a tremendous actress!). It avods many cliches which sometimes turn detective shows rancid and exhaust the genre lovers. The atmosphere, cinematography and photography are fascinating.

But the strongest of it all is... Vera! There is not a single detail which does not ooze «character building» in itself.The way she plays with the suspects brandishing her old-lady-neighbour «luvs» and «pets» to feign simplicity and proximity; her Perramus, dresses, stockings and hat... (a manifesto in themselves); the relationship with her sargeant; her relentless wit and alert mind as a crouching cat entrapping the mouse... The balance between a cold scalpel-mind and a sensitive, sensible heart. It is a festival for detective and crime shows fans!

One of the most remarkable suspense shows in Brit TV since 2011! A must see! Long life to Vera Stanhope and to dame Blethyn!

One of my favourite series! Seniors will love her too, but turn up the volume, as the accents are strong and sometimes hard to understand...unless you're British!

A few reviews haven likened Vera to Morse - soz guys, but not even close. She's a lot like David Jason's Frost, I'm fairly sure ITV have wheeled out the same Mac and Hat for both characters.

Vera is watchable and the cinematography is excellent. It's not that original though, and it is a little contrived - but so are most detective dramas.

I love a good mystery, I watch anything and everything from Law and Order SVU, to Miss Marple, Morse to elementary. If there is a crime link I'll give it a try, Vera is in the top 20 percent of the crime genre, but there is a steep bell curve. I'm the grand scheme of things this show won't be remembered.

Watch it though, Brenda Blethyn is cracking and David Leon's DS (1-4) seems to get more attractive the more you watch.

I love every episode and season. If only they would renew Vera I'll be the first to watch. I love writing and the actors

I had no idea so few white people lived in Newcastle these days.

The early series were quite good, apart from some awful north east accents, Vera's amongst them. We live in the north east so to be honest watched it more for the locations than anything else. It's often amusing to see them driving across the Tyne Bridge one minute and then the High Level the next.

The series started to go downhill when the excellent David Leon (Sgt Joe Ashworth) a good actor and a real Geordie left to be replaced by. Kenny Doughty who is pretty wooden in comparison.

The supporting cast of detectives never seem to add much to the plot other than to carry out Vera's often screechy orders and I find it hard to believe that in such a small team they would all always call her maam even in the close quarters of their office.

What is particularly amusing is to see how, as the series progress more and more ethnic minorities are shoehorned in. In later series whenever they are going to see 'the bloke who runs the youth club' or 'the owner of xyz business or some random witness they are almost always black or asian despite (with the exception of the west end of Newcastle), Tyneside and particularly Northumberland having probably the lowest percentage of non white residents in the country.

It's interesting too that while the programme makers are keen to have as many minority actors as possible, they are far less keen on having genuine Geordie and Northumbrian (and no, they are not the same) actors.

The plots are pretty pedestrian and despite the long run, character development is threadbare and we know pretty much nothing about them as people. In particular the character of Kenny, the eldest and longest serving member of the team is one that could have been made much more of than just the occasional 'yes maam' that he is reduced to. Oh, and Vera's habit of calling everyone Luv is definitely not normal Geordie vernacular.

Time to retire Vera pet.