TV SERIES · 2011– · UK
Vera
27 archived facts 3 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (27)
- #001
The series is based on the works of crime writer Ann Cleeves. Her stories are set in Northumberland and North Tyneside, where the author has lived for more than twenty years. According to Cleeves, the variety of the region and its landscape gives the stories texture.
- #002
On 23 August, an 81-year-old fan who was watching the production nearby fell ill. The series' medical team helped, and once they were satisfied the patient was fine, Brenda Blethyn acted as a nurse checking on the fan to cheer her up. The woman had her photo taken with Brenda, who was dressed in full Vera costume.
- #003
Brenda Blethyn stated that she did not want Vera Stanhope to be a glamorous fashionista, but rather to look like a bag lady.
- #004
Strangely, this hit series was never nominated for a single BAFTA award.
- #005
The series was filmed in and around the North East of England.
- #006
Since Brenda Blethyn was born in 1946, she looks much older than the character she plays, and someone in their 70s would already have retired from the police force. However, in Silent Voices (2012), it emerged that Vera Stanhope was 10 years old in 1963 and that Blethyn is only seven years older than Vera.
- #007
Riley Jones appeared as PC Mark Edwards in two episodes, once in Series 1 and once in Series 2, and then joined the main cast of Series 3, by which point he had been promoted to DC.
- #008
The scarf Vera wears in the first story is the same as the scarf she wears in the last story.
- #009
The Land Rover with the registration P392 SUM that Vera uses in the series was donated to The Great British Car Journey museum in Ambergate, Derbyshire, after the series ended. Despite Vera warning the various sergeants who drive it to be careful with the clutch, and Vera's occasional gear-shifting sounds, it was actually modified to have an automatic transmission because Brenda Blethyn's licence only permits her to drive automatics.
- #010
The second series drew an average audience of 6.36 million across four episodes. Vera was subsequently commissioned for two more series.
- #011
Filming locations for the sixth series included the A68 outside the Tone Inn, the top of Wannie Crags with its wind turbines, and the Otterburn firing range.
- #012
Because of an allergy to the sun, Vera wears her notorious hat and coat when outdoors.
- #013
On 28 January 2018, Brenda Blethyn confirmed that a ninth series of Vera would be made.
- #014
In his interview with Martin Short, standing in for Jimmy Kimmel, Steve Martin described himself as a big Vera fan.
- #015
The series first aired on ITV on 1 May 2011. As of August 2022, 10 series had aired and an 11th was halfway through.
- #016
Before joining the main cast of Series 3 as a detective police officer in Northumberland and City Police, Clare Calbraith appeared in one episode of Series 2 as RMP Captain Rebecca Shepherd.
- #017
Some stars of the series "Heartbeat", such as John Duttine, Lisa Kay, Sophie Ward and Clare Willie, appear in this series.
- #018
The third series drew an average audience of 6.53 million across four episodes, while the fourth series drew a slightly smaller audience of 6.42 million across four episodes. In 2018, ratings rose to between 8 and 9 million viewers.
- #019
In the United States, the series airs on public television channels. Series One was also available for online streaming in the US through the Netflix service. Series 1, 2 and 3 are available for online streaming through Amazon Video, Acorn TV (series 1, 2, 5-7), BritBox (series 1-3) and Hulu.
- #020
In Canada, Knowledge Network (British Columbia) aired series 1 from December 2014. Series 1, 2 and 3 are available for online streaming through Britbox (series 3) and Acorn (series 1-2 and 4-7).
- #021
The typeface used in each episode's opening title sequence for the episode title, cast names and crew names contains several typographic quirks: the capital M and lowercase m are respectively an upside-down capital W and a lowercase w; the lowercase i is mirrored (its side serif is on the *right*); and the capital I is missing its upper-right diagonal stroke, making it look more like a lowercase L.
- #022
The first series drew an average combined audience of 6.60 million (a 25% share) across four episodes. The series was then recommissioned by ITV for four more episodes.
- #023
In Denmark, the national public service broadcaster DR aired the first four episodes late on Sunday evenings on its popular channel DR1. In 2013, series 2 aired on DR1 on Saturday evenings instead of Sunday evenings. Likewise, series 3 and 4 aired on Saturday evenings on DR1 in the autumn of 2014.
- #024
Up to S10e4, Brenda Blethyn, Phyllis Logan, Ron Cook and Angela Curran were the only actors to appear in both Vera and Secrets And Lies. Of them, only Ms Logan appeared in every scene in which Ms Blethyn appeared in the film.
- #025
In Belgium, the Dutch-speaking channel Eén began broadcasting the series. It is subtitled in Dutch.
- #026
In Australia, the first series aired on the Seven Network. Series 2 was shown on 7Two from 20:30 on Wednesday, 18 July 2012. Series 3 began on ABC1 at 20:30 on Sunday, 23 August 2015, followed immediately by series 4. ABC returned to series 1 episode 1 at 20:30 on Sunday, 27 December 2015. ABC began showing series 5 at 20:30 on Sunday, 28 August, and series 6 at 20:30 on Sunday, 5 March 2017.
- #027
On the subscription TV provider Foxtel, series 1 to 5 air every weekend at 20:30, and series 6 began airing on Monday, 7 March 2016, showing every Monday at 20:30 on 13th Street Channel 118, with episode 4 airing on 28 March 2016.
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