Beloved ITV drama Vera will end after 14 series in a tough blow for millions of viewers, not just in the UK but globally. Lead actress Brenda Blethyn and her Vera co-stars shot the final two episodes during the summer, and it has now been announced that these feature-length mysteries will be aired on consecutive nights in early January.
Brenda, 78, said it was a “hard decision” to leave the show, but concluded it was the best thing for her and her family.
She said: “It was a hard decision and come March when I would normally be getting ready to go back up there, I'll probably be crying.
“As much as I loved all that, I've got a family at home and I realised I hadn't had a summer for 14 years with my family.
"So I still did another series because I couldn't drag myself away. But anyway it was time, that's all," she added, as reported by The Sun.
Alongside whispers that DCI Stanhope's life will be 'in danger' in the finale as she probes the brutal death of a young student, it has now been officially confirmed that these two new episodes won't be the last we see of Vera in the New Year, as the much-loved drama will also get its own spin-off.
The documentary Vera, Farewell Pet will be broadcast on Friday, January 3, at 9 pm, a day after the final episode. It will commemorate the immense success of the show that first premiered on ITV in 2011.
Vera fans are ecstatic about the documentary, but they're clamouring for ITV to commission a bona fide spin-off show. There have been calls for Brenda's on-screen counterpart, David Leon, to take the lead in an envisioned spin-off, as well as for a 'Young Vera' series, following in the footsteps of hugely successful shows like the Inspector Morse prequel, Endeavour.
The conclusion of Vera signifies a significant change for Brenda, the BAFTA-winning actress who has been portraying the straight-talking DCI Stanhope since 2011. Last week, Brenda shared her unexpected invitation to dance in a Strictly Christmas Special.
Reflecting on the intriguing proposition, Brenda said: "I was actually asked to do Strictly once; I said no to a Christmas special. Who'd want to see me? Actually, now I think about it, getting to learn how to dance would be pretty good. Maybe I could do it in Vera's coat and hat?”
Although Brenda won't be gracing the dance floor in this year's Strictly Christmas special, a star-studded line-up is set to dazzle viewers. The roster includes personalities like Vogue Williams and RuPaul's Drag Race UK finalist Tayce.
Other celebrities joining the Christmas episode, which was filmed last week, are comedian and presenter Josh Widdicombe and sprinter-turned-Gladiator star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.
