Brenda Blethyn, star of the popular series , has shared her insights into the final season and hinted that her character will continue to ‘crack crime’.
As the show draws to a close, Brenda has spoken candidly about the future of her character, DCI Vera Stanhope. The actress is set to leave the role after the upcoming series on ITV, which premieres on January 1.
Eager to devote more time to her family, Brenda has been transparent about her decision to step away.
The announcement has left fans heartbroken, with many hoping for a spin-off featuring either DS Aiden Healy (Kenny Doughty) or DI Joe Ashworth (David Leon). Despite the end of Vera, Brenda assures that her character’s legacy will live on.
Reflecting on the filming experience and the last scenes they shot, Brenda said: “It was very appropriate that the last day of filming was scheduled to take place in the police incident room where so much of the drama has happened.
“I think our producer Will Nicholson contrived that. Incidentally that is not where the final scene of the episode takes place.
Vera star Brenda Blethyn has given her thoughts on the series ending (Image: Getty)
“You could hear a pin drop when we were filming. Then when I heard, ‘That’s a wrap,’ I was emotional. As, indeed, Vera would have been.”
Brenda shared how she took a moment to express her gratitude to everyone involved with the series, saying: “There were a lot of people behind the cameras and at the end I thanked everybody.
“I said, ‘We’re all as important as one another.’ I might be the one playing the title character but it’s only an ingredient in a great big pot.
Vera will return for a final season (Image: Helen Williams/ITV)
“And all of the ingredients are necessary. Everyone contributes to it. And it’s the sum of all of those parts that made Vera a success,” she recalled.
In spite of the show coming to an end, Brenda assured fans that the legacy of Vera will endure. She explained: “And Vera will, of course continue to crack crime in Ann Cleeves’ books – and there will be 56 episodes available to watch on TV repeats.” Brenda also spoke about the trickiest sequences to shoot, admitting there is one thing she consistently struggles to remember.
She disclosed: “The incident scenes are the hardest because I’ve got all that stuff on the board and I’m hopeless with names.
“Those and the interrogation scenes. One bit of police procedure I could never remember is ANPR Automatic Number Plate Recognition.”
Vera will return for a final series on January 1, airing on ITV1 and ITVX at 8pm.