Vera

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 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.

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.

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