This show is based on the works of crime author Ann Cleeves. Her stories are set in Northumberland and North Tyneside, where the author has lived for more than two decades. According to Cleeves, the variety of the area and landscape gives the stories texture.
Oddly, this hit TV series has never been nominated for a single BAFTA award.
On August 23, an 81-year-old fan, who was nearby watching production, became unwell. The show's medical team assisted and when they were satisfied the patient was OK, Brenda Blethyn pretended to be a nurse checking on the fan to cheer her up. The lady got a photo with Brenda who was in full Vera attire.
The series was filmed in and around the North East of England.
As Brenda Blethyn was born in 1946, she appears to be much older than the character she is playing and someone in their 70s would have long since retired from the police force. However, in Silent Voices (2012), it is revealed that Vera Stanhope was aged 10 in 1963, making Blethyn only seven years older than Vera.