Vera

A sharp detective with a messy life, DCI Vera Stanhope patrols her “patch” of northeast England, pursuing the truth in cases of murder, kidnapping, and blackmail. Vera is obsessive about her work and faces the world with caustic wit, guile and courage.

Vera (2011-present) is a British national-television police drama created by Ann Cleeves for ITV1, a long-running crime series built around a single, enduring detective. Brenda Blethyn plays DCI Vera Stanhope, a sharp, rumpled senior investigator with a messy private life who patrols her beloved patch of northeast England. Her engine is simple and relentless: she follows stubborn instincts through each case of murder, kidnapping and blackmail, while the people around her, including her loyal detective constable Kenny Lockhart (Jon Morrison) and a rotating set of junior officers and forensic specialists, struggle to keep pace with her. The series runs as a sequence of self-contained mysteries, each feature-length episode built around a new body, a new community and a new set of suspects, so viewers can watch in any order. Its atmosphere is rain-soaked and rural, with bleak moors, market towns and isolated farms that feel both lived-in and quietly menacing. The tone blends caustic wit with melancholy and dogged courage, and the themes of class, loneliness and obsessive duty give the detective work its emotional weight. Fans of Shetland, Prime Suspect and Wallander will find the same blend of character-led investigation and brooding regional atmosphere.

Audiences broadly acclaim Vera as a well-crafted, character-driven British detective series anchored by Brenda Blethyn's performance, though some viewers find its politics heavy-handed.

• Shetlandshared british procedural tone, rain-soaked northern setting, character-driven detective mysteries
• Prime Suspectshared gruff female detective lead, british police procedural with prickly personal life
• Midsomer Murdersshared cosy-yet-dark rural english crime format built on ann cleeves novels
• Wallandershared detective-centred mystery structure and moody regional atmosphere

Created by

Ann Cleeves

Release Date

2011-05-01

Episode runtime

90 min

Rating

8.2 / 10 (182)

What is Vera about?

DCI Vera Stanhope, a caustic and obsessive detective, pursues murder, kidnapping and blackmail across her patch of northeast England.

What is Vera like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Vera as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Vera violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Vera as moderate.

What did critics think of Vera?

Audiences broadly acclaim Vera as a well-crafted, character-driven British detective series anchored by Brenda Blethyn's performance, though some viewers find its politics heavy-handed.

Which shows are like Vera?

Shows with a similar feel include Shetland, Prime Suspect, Midsomer Murders, and Wallander.

How long is Vera?

Vera: 14 seasons, 56 episodes.

Is Vera still running?

No, Vera has ended.

Where can I watch Vera?

In United States, Vera streams on Britbox Apple TV channel, BritBox, BritBox Amazon Channel.