The wonder of VERA

As the crime drama celebrates its 50th episode, creator ANN CLEEVES tells TV Times what sets her detective apart

- TESS LAMACRAFT

 

VERA 

LAST ONE SUNDAY, 8PM, ITV1 DRAMA

It’s almost 12 years since no-nonsense sleuth DCI Vera Stanhope first stomped on to our screens sporting her mac and bucket hat to solve grisly crimes in ITV1’s Vera. And this week, the hit Northumberland-set drama, which stars Brenda Blethyn as the eponymous detective, chalks up its 50th episode!

‘I could never have imagined it would prove to be so popular,’ smiles award- winning crime writer Ann Cleeves, whose Vera Stanhope book franchise inspires the series, as she joins TV Times for an exclusive interview. ‘I’ve just watched a preview of the 50th episode, The Darkest Evening, and I’m delighted with how it’s been adapted.’

Based on the 2020 novel of the same name, the story finds Vera driving home at night during a storm when she comes across an abandoned car with a baby in the back seat.

Here, Ann – whose other bestselling book series provided the inspiration for BBC1’s Shetland and ITV1’s The Long Call – tells us more about this week’s milestone episode and reveals why Vera will always hold a special place in her heart…

Can you give us any teasers about what to expect in The Darkest Evening?

Vera ends up taking the abandoned baby she’s found to nearby Brockburn House, which is where relatives of Vera’s still live.