Brenda Blethyn with Kenny Doughty in the middle. — © vrt
Many viewers will not like to hear it, but Inspector Vera quits. The fourteenth season will be the last.
One small consolation for viewers: the final season consists of only two episodes, but they are each 120-minute episodes. The British crime series was a ratings hit from the start. The series also achieved scores in Flanders and the Netherlands that were always far above the average for a foreign series.
Lead actress Brenda Blethyn, who plays the sulky Vera Stanhope, had been doubting whether to continue with it for some time. The actress is now 78 years old. Her age played a role, as did the remote shooting location. Since the start of the series, filming has taken place in Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland and East England. Blethyn stayed in a hotel for the entire shooting period and had to miss her husband for quite some time.
But what was decisive was the departure of her loyal co-star Kenny Doughty who played DS Aiden Healy. He has appeared in 35 episodes over the past eight years. The two were comrades on the set, Blethyn no longer wanted to continue without him. The series has had many cast changes over the years, but… Vera of course this cannot happen without Brenda Blethyn. The final episodes will be broadcast in early 2025.
(tove)
