Vera (TV series)

Vera
Genre	Crime drama Mystery
Created by	Ann Cleeves
Starring	Current Brenda Blethyn David Leon Jon Morrison Riley Jones Steve Evets Sarah Kameela Impey
Composer	Ben Bartlett
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	12
No. of episodes	50 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Elaine Collins Kate Bartlett Kate Lewis Myar Craig-Brown Michael Dawson Will Nicholson Letitia Knight
Producers	Elaine Collins Elwan Rowlands Margaret Mitchell
Running time	2 hours including adverts
Production companies	ITV Studios (2011–2017) Silverprint Pictures (2018–present)
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	1 May 2011 (2011-05-01) – present

Vera is a British crime drama series based on the Vera Stanhope series of novels written by crime writer Ann Cleeves. It was first broadcast on ITV on 1 May 2011, and to date, twelve series have aired, with the latest concluding on 19 February 2023. The series stars Brenda Blethyn as the principal character, Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope.

On 27 August 2020, it was confirmed that the show had been renewed for an eleventh series. Its first four episodes aired in August 2021 and January 2022, with a further two episodes confirmed to air in January 2023. In March 2022, it was confirmed that a twelfth series had been commissioned and had begun filming. The twelfth series premiered on 29 January 2023, a week after the final episode of Series 11 was broadcast. In March 2023, it was confirmed that the show had been renewed for a thirteenth series.

Premise

Vera is a nearly retired employee of the fictional 'Northumberland & City Police', who is obsessive about her work and driven by her own demons. She plods along in a constantly dishevelled state, but has a calculating mind and, despite her irascible personality, she cares deeply about her work and colleagues. She often proves her superior skills by picking up small errors in her team members' thought processes. Vera forms a close relationship with sergeants Joe Ashworth (David Leon) and Aiden Healy (Kenny Doughty).

Production

Hidden Depths, Telling Tales and The Crow Trap from the first series, and Silent Voices from the second series, are based on the novels of the same names by Ann Cleeves. The episode Sandancers from the second series was due to be broadcast on Sunday, 13 May 2012. However, the episode was pulled from the schedule as its storyline was about a soldier's death in Afghanistan and it coincided with news of two servicemen dying there.

In August 2012, Vera was renewed for a third series of four episodes, with both Brenda Blethyn and David Leon confirmed as returning for the new series. Filming on the third series finished in February 2013. The last three episodes of the series were broadcast in a later timeslot, from 9:00pm–11:00pm.

On 22 April 2013, ITV renewed Vera for a fourth series, before the third series had even been broadcast. Filming on the fourth series completed in October 2013, and included an adaptation of the then-unpublished novel On Harbour Street, which was subsequently published in January 2014, ahead of the TV broadcast. This made the opening episode the first since the second series to be a direct adaptation from the Vera novels and leaves The Glass Room as the only novel yet to be filmed.

On 5 June 2014, ITV announced that a fifth series had been commissioned but that David Leon would not be returning. Kenny Doughty was unveiled as his successor. Latisha Knight was announced as executive producer for this series. Cush Jumbo returned to the main cast following her two episode guest stint in series two, while Lisa Hammond joined the cast as newcomer Helen Milton.

In March 2015, ITV announced that the show had been renewed for a sixth series, with filming commencing in June. The third episode was announced to be an adaptation of the novel The Moth Catcher, which was set to be published in September 2015. Noof McEwan joined the cast following the departure of Cush Jumbo.

On 14 January 2020, while attending the TCA Press Tour, Brenda Blethyn confirmed that Vera was renewed for an eleventh series. Production for series 11 began in April 2020 and new episodes began airing in 2021. As of September 2022 a twelfth series had begun production.

The farmhouse used for the exterior shots of Vera's home is located on the Snook, part of the Holy Island of Lindisfarne at 55°41′10″N 001°50′29″W or grid reference NU1006543635.

Cast

Current Cast
Character	Actor	Duration
DCI Vera Stanhope	Brenda Blethyn	Series 1–present
DS Joe Ashworth	David Leon	Series 1–4, 13-present
DC Kenny Lockhart	Jon Morrison	Series 1–present
DC Mark Edwards	Riley Jones	Series 3–present
PC George Wooten	Steve Evets	Series 7–present
Dr. Paula Bennett	Sarah Kameela Impey	Series 12-present

Riley Jones appeared in two episodes as PC Mark Edwards, once in Series 1 and once in series 2 before being transferred into CID and joining the main cast in series 3.

Former Cast
Character	Actor	Duration
DS Aiden Healy	Kenny Doughty	Series 5–12
DC Holly Lawson	Wunmi Mosaku	Series 1–2
DC Bethany Whelan	Cush Jumbo	Series 2, Series 5–6
DC Rebecca Shepherd	Clare Calbraith	Series 3–4
DC Hicham Cherradi	Noof McEwan	Series 6–7
DC Jacqueline Williams	Ibinabo Jack	Series 8–12
IO Helen Milton	Lisa Hammond	Series 5–7
Dr. Billy Cartwright	Paul Ritter	Series 1–3
Dr. Anthony Carmichael	Christopher Colquhoun	Series 7
Dr. Marcus Sumner	Kingsley Ben-Adir	Series 4–6, Series 8
Dr. Malcolm Donahue	Paul Kaye	Series 9–12
Celine Ashworth	Sonya Cassidy	Series 2–4

Clare Calbraith appeared in one episode as RMP Captain Rebecca Shepherd in series 2, before joining the main cast in series 3 as a detective constable.

Episodes

Series overview

Series	Episodes		Originally aired		Average UK viewers (millions)
			First aired	Last aired
1	4		1 May 2011 (2011-05-01)	22 May 2011 (2011-05-22)	6.60
2	4		22 April 2012 (2012-04-22)	3 June 2012 (2012-06-03)	6.37
3	4		25 August 2013 (2013-08-25)	15 September 2013 (2013-09-15)	6.53
4	4		27 April 2014 (2014-04-27)	18 May 2014 (2014-05-18)	6.42
5	4		5 April 2015 (2015-04-05)	26 April 2015 (2015-04-26)	6.19
6	4		31 January 2016 (2016-01-31)	21 February 2016 (2016-02-21)	7.88
7	4		19 March 2017 (2017-03-19)	9 April 2017 (2017-04-09)	8.07
8	4		7 January 2018 (2018-01-07)	28 January 2018 (2018-01-28)	9.03
9	4		13 January 2019 (2019-01-13)	3 February 2019 (2019-02-03)	8.48
10	4		12 January 2020 (2020-01-12)	2 February 2020 (2020-02-02)	8.30
11	6		29 August 2021 (2021-08-29)	22 January 2023 (2023-01-22)	6.97
12	4		29 January 2023 (2023-01-29)	19 February 2023 (2023-02-19)	6.02

Series 1 (2011)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
1	1	"Hidden Depths"	Adrian Shergold	Paul Rutman	1 May 2011 (2011-05-01)	6.75
DCI Vera Stanhope has two apparently unrelated murders and a kidnapping. Her life is complicated by the death of her father and her decision to live in his home which sadly contains the cluttered remains of his life. The story unfolds with Vera discovering that the murders are tied to photos and a missing camera.
2	2	"Telling Tales"	Peter Hoar	Paul Rutman	8 May 2011 (2011-05-08)	6.57
Jeannie Long escapes from custody, 10 years after she was convicted of the murder of Abby, the teenaged daughter of her lover. Coldly rejected by her father after she returns home, Jeannie kills herself. News of her death finally brings evidence that proves she was innocent, as she had long claimed, leading to Vera reopening the case.
3	3	"The Crow Trap"	Farren Blackburn	Stephen Brady	15 May 2011 (2011-05-15)	6.58
Vera investigates when an old associate, Bella Furness, is found bludgeoned to death in the barn of her farmhouse. Environmentalist Ann Preece, who discovered the body, denies having a motive for murder. Suspicion falls upon Bella's stepson, Neville, who stands to inherit the land on which the farmhouse is located. His connections with a local quarrying firm, who plan to demolish the farmhouse to build an access road for a new quarry, further complicates Vera's investigation. Meanwhile, Vera is confronted by a bereaved mother whose son disappeared whilst up at the farmhouse several years previously. As a complex love triangle involving several of the prime suspects begins to unravel, a second murder throws suspicion upon the identity of Bella's killer, and links between the three cases begin to emerge, suggesting a possible motive for murder.
4	4	"Little Lazarus"	Paul Whittington	Paul Rutman	22 May 2011 (2011-05-22)	6.51
When the body of a badly beaten young mother is found up on the moor, Vera follows a trail of footprints and discovers a young boy submerged in a nearby river. As it transpires that the initial victim was beaten several times with a baseball bat, Vera and Joe set about discovering her identity. A holdall containing £2,000 found in the boot of her car fails to yield any significant clues, and the young boy is unable to recall the events of that night, nor much of his life to date. When the victim is finally identified as 31-year-old Margaret Wilde, a complex web of former relationships and care home abuse begins to unravel. As Vera tries to identify a possible suspect identified only as 'The Shiny Man', she begins to cross wires with a local county judge, Patricia Carmichael, whom she suspects is more involved with the victim than she cares to elaborate.

Series 2 (2012)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
5	1	"The Ghost Position"	Peter Hoar	Paul Rutman	22 April 2012 (2012-04-22)	6.12
When an old colleague of DCI Vera Stanhope, Sergeant Stuart Macken, commits suicide at the hospital where his daughter lies critically injured after his home had been firebombed, the investigation leads to a number of suspects: the daughter's stepfather, a missing protester Sergeant Macken had under surveillance, the protester's pregnant girlfriend and an art teacher. Furthermore, a senior officer's affair with Macken comes to light and a second attempt on the daughter in hospital breaks the case wide open to explain the sergeant's suicide.
6	2	"Silent Voices"	Paul Whittington	Gaby Chiappe	29 April 2012 (2012-04-29)	6.53
Social worker Jenny Lister is murdered whilst out swimming. Everybody speaks of Jenny as if she was perfect, arousing Vera's suspicions, especially when she learns that Jenny was writing a book about some of her cases.
7	3	"A Certain Samaritan"	Ed Bazalgette	Paul Rutman	20 May 2012 (2012-05-20)	6.98
A shoe found in Newcastle matches another found on a dead body found in a skip in Portsmouth. The victim had traces of heroin in his bloodstream, a wallet containing £300 and another man's credit card which seem at odds with his character. The investigation includes a possessive mother, a girlfriend, a gay beekeeper dying of leukemia, and a local drug dealer later found dead on a beach. Vera's private memories about her dead father are also stirred when Joe gives her an address for her father's mistress.
8	4	"Sandancers"	Julian Holmes	Colin Teevan	3 June 2012 (2012-06-03)	5.83
Revenge is behind the clinical murder of Staff Sgt Deverson, a soldier in charge of a bomb disposal unit, The Sandancers. Deverson's second in command, Ollie, who was killed in Afghanistan by an improvised explosive device, was having an affair with his wife. The wife, Ollie's family, and other members of the unit all come under suspicion and the death of another unit member confuses the investigation which is not helped by the army closing ranks.

Series 3 (2013)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
9	1	"Castles in the Air"	Will Sinclair	Paul Rutman & Gaby Chiappe	25 August 2013 (2013-08-25)	6.29
When a young woman, Lizzie Faulkner, is shot late at night outside the holiday chalet where she and two friends are staying for the weekend, Vera and Joe suspect that her murder is linked to poachers operating in nearby fields. They identify a suspect, Robert Doran, but despite being in the vicinity at the time, he denies being responsible for Lizzie's murder. Vera begins to suspect the woman's death may have been a case of mistaken identity, and that the intended victim may have been one of the chalet designers, Corrine Franks, who was meant to have been staying there at the time. A link to a tragic car accident a few months earlier involving Corrine, which led to an innocent woman losing her life, appears to confirm their theory. When Corrine is later killed in a hit-and-run, the team finally get the breakthrough they have been looking for.
10	2	"Poster Child"	Paul Cotter	Paul Rutman	1 September 2013 (2013-09-01)	6.74
An acclaimed doctor, Dan Marsden, is shot through the skull in the living room of his remote country home, and his two daughters, Karen and Mira, are taken against their will. Meanwhile, a new DC, Barry Kelman, is temporarily assigned to the team to help them with the investigation. Initial suspicion falls upon Jonah Regan, an award-winning photographer who had previously tried to adopt Mira before the Marsden family were granted custody. However, it soon becomes apparent that one of Mira's relatives - her estranged brother, Malik - who was thought to have died in a bomb attack in Baghdad - is in fact alive and well, and has been contacting her through her social media accounts. Malik, however, is determined to flee back to his homeland with Mira in tow - but when he comes face to face with Laura Marsden and DC Kelman, tragedy strikes.
11	3	"Young Gods"	Dušan Lazarević	Gaby Chiappe	8 September 2013 (2013-09-08)	6.54
A group of sixth form students on a weekend retreat at a leisure centre bear witness to a man on fire who falls from a cliff into the river below. The victim, Gideon Frane, is discovered to have been a former head boy at a local boarding school for high achieving students, but is also known to have a chequered past, having been responsible for 97 incidents of harassment against his ex-girlfriend. When Billy discovers the cause of death was poisoning, Vera begins to look at the case from a completely different perspective. When the team finally track down Gideon's former best friend, Jamie Levinson, both he and Vera fall victim to a further poisoning. Connections start to build when Joe links the case to the death of a former teacher at their school, whose daughter happened to be present when Gideon was murdered.
12	4	"Prodigal Son"	Thaddeus O'Sullivan	Marston Bloom	15 September 2013 (2013-09-15)	6.54
Former London Metropolitan Police detective and well-documented ladies man John Warnock is found stabbed in an alleyway adjacent to a quayside pub he had been visiting earlier in the evening. Suspicion initially falls on young street thief Reece, who is well known to Kenny, who had arrested him several times in the past. Although Reece admits to lifting the victim's credit card, he denies murder. A complex web of relationships and deceit begins to boil to the surface, and it soon becomes apparent that Warnock had been using his skills as a detective to act as a spy for a local firm of solicitors, to uncover the secrets of his current boss, brewery owner Sam Harper. But with Sam, his wife and his daughter all having rock solid alibis for the time of Warnock's murder, Vera is left to decipher just how one of them managed to slip away to commit the crime.

Series 4 (2014)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
13	1	"On Harbour Street"	Thaddeus O'Sullivan	Paul Rutman	27 April 2014 (2014-04-27)	7.00
Joe's daughter is a witness to the death of a pensioner, seemingly stabbed, on a rush hour train she and her father were travelling on. Her seemingly quiet life turns out to be anything but as Vera's investigation begins to unravel a tangled web of lies and deceit. An old friend of Vera's father appears to hold the key to the entire mystery, which involves unraveling a murder committed thirty years previously, a rape, and an affair which nobody suspected would be likely to have taken place. Vera realises that the answer may lie in events which have started to repeat themselves.
14	2	"Protected"	Daikin Marsh	Martha Hillier	4 May 2014 (2014-05-04)	6.44
When a young property developer dies on a beach in Whitley Bay, Vera's investigation begins to tread on many toes. It appears that the victim not only had resumed contact with his estranged sister, but that he had confronted a local arcade owner, whose son had died at his family's house many years before, having slipped from a flat roof in a supposed 'burglary'. When the victim's father dies of cardiac arrest, Vera suspects foul play, but it turns out not to be the case. However, a scam involving the family's rental business may hold the key to the motive behind the victim's death. But in order to place all of the pieces of the puzzle together, Vera has to reveal some long buried - and heartbreaking - secrets, leading to a shock revelation which points the team firmly in the direction of the real killer.
15	3	"The Deer Hunters"	Will Sinclair	Steve Coombes	11 May 2014 (2014-05-11)	6.01
A man killed by a single gunshot wound is found by his car in a quarry. The victim was in Northumberland to sell his recently deceased grandfather's property but at the last minute pulled out of the sale to a wealthy couple who own a nearby deer shoot. A second vehicle is found burnt out with the remains of a dead stag in the back and poaching is suspected.
16	4	"Death of a Family Man"	David Richards	Martha Hillier	18 May 2014 (2014-05-18)	6.22
A man, outwardly happily married, is discovered in the river with his shoe laces tied together suggesting suicide until the post mortem confirms murder. The victim was an informant for Revenue and Customs, on a case regarding the smuggling of alcohol which widens the suspects from family to include his business associates.

Series 5 (2015)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
17	1	"Changing Tides"	Marek Losey	Martha Hillier	5 April 2015 (2015-04-05)	6.52
With Joe now promoted, Vera and her new sergeant, DS Aiden Healy, investigate a fatal explosion at a caravan park that killed Deena Viner, sister of the park's owner, Jim. The mystery deepens when Vera and Aiden discover that Deena died in the caravan before it blew up.
18	2	"Old Wounds"	Daikin Marsh	Martha Hillier	12 April 2015 (2015-04-12)	5.91
The discovery of skeletal remains in Hollowthorp Woods leads to Vera re-opening the case of a seventeen-year-old school girl, Carrie Telling, who went missing some thirty years earlier. Found with the body's remains were a camera, a company credit card and a telephone number for an abortion clinic. When another murder occurs, it becomes apparent to Vera that the killer is somebody who had something to hide thirty years ago.
19	3	"Muddy Waters"	Stewart Svaasand	Glen Laker	19 April 2015 (2015-04-19)	6.20
Vera and her team investigate the death of a young man dredged up from a slurry pit. Vera discovers the victim was a traveller who had left his camp following a row with his parents about his being gay. Vera locates the victim's camper van, which contains a wad of notes, suggesting the victim was involved in something illegal. However, it is a deaf little boy who presents Vera with the solution to the case.
20	4	"Shadows in the Sky"	Will Sinclair	Martha Hillier	26 April 2015 (2015-04-26)	6.13
Vera must uncover a life of secrets and lies when Owen Thorne, a well-loved family man, plummets to his death from a multi-storey car park.

Series 6 (2016)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
21	1	"Dark Road"	Marek Losey	Martha Hillier	31 January 2016 (2016-01-31)	7.93
When Anne-Marie Richards is found dead on the moors, shoe-less, Vera deduces that she was killed at home and the body dumped. Later, Vera discovers that Anne-Marie was keeping secrets, including a secret boyfriend and a hidden mobile phone. Suspicion falls on her family, a seemingly respectable teacher married to a veterinarian, with a young daughter, and a former drug addict, but the conclusion of the investigation is marked by a deadly attack on one of her team.
22	2	"Tuesday's Child"	Jill Robertson	Glen Laker	7 February 2016 (2016-02-07)	7.91
Vera investigates the death of a local lad whose body is found wrapped in plastic sheets at a rural teenage hang out.
23	3	"The Moth Catcher"	Jamie Childs	Paul Matthew Thompson	14 February 2016 (2016-02-14)	8.14
Vera investigates the murder of 22-year-old Alex Gartside, victim of a hit and run in a remote Northumberland Valley.
24	4	"The Sea Glass"	Paul Gay	Paul Matthew Thompson & Martha Hillier	21 February 2016 (2016-02-21)	7.55
Former trawler-man Tommy Stonnall's corpse is pulled from the sea six weeks after his sons reported him missing. He was depressed following his wife's death, huge debts and an accusation - never proved - by unpopular siblings Ellie and Jay Connock that he burned down their fish market, killing their father. Vera however discounts suicide when she finds an abandoned van stained by Tommy's blood, leading her to a lodgings house where he stayed for the missing weeks and where she finds contraband cigarettes. She also uncovers a more sinister smuggling racket in which Tommy was involved, along with a secret liaison and an explanation for the arson attack.

Series 7 (2017)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
25	1	"Natural Selection"	Jamie Childs	Helen Jenkins	19 March 2017 (2017-03-19)	8.83
Vera is drawn into the suspicious death of Gemma Wyatt on Ternstone, a remote and inaccessible island off the coast of Northumberland. Although the victim's friends and family believe her death was an accident, marks found on her body quickly prove otherwise. As suspicions turn to Gemma’s family and workmates, Vera starts to piece together an altogether different portrait of the popular and successful ranger. But as Gemma was left alone on the island overnight, the question remains, who could have made the treacherous journey out to sea and up the island’s impenetrable coastline to kill her, and why?
26	2	"Dark Angel"	Louise Hooper	Paul Matthew Thompson	26 March 2017 (2017-03-26)	7.72
The body of a young man is discovered face down in a river, bludgeoned to death. But with no ID on the body, tracing the victim's identity proves difficult for Vera and her team. She is forced to make headway with the only clues they have: a mourning ring worn around the young man’s neck, needle marks on the body, and a drugs wrapper with a distinctive stamp – ‘Dark Angel’. Tracing the stamp draws Vera to Gateshead and into Newcastle’s criminal underbelly, where the victim, Nathan, had several ties with people both dangerous and vulnerable – all people with good reason to want Nathan out of the picture. But the investigation takes an unexpected turn when a witness sighting leads Vera and DS Aiden Healy to the scene of an old crime, a remote farm in which a brutal murder took place some 13 years ago. Could there be a link between Nathan’s murder and the historic crime?
27	3	"Broken Promise"	Lee Haven Jones	Robert Murphy	2 April 2017 (2017-04-02)	7.86
Vera is called to the University of Northumberland when Jamie Marshall, a young, promising journalism student, plummets to his death from the top of a disused science building. With no eyewitnesses and no immediate leads, Vera turns to friends and family to glean all she can about Jamie, and to discover who might have wanted him dead. Her investigation delves further into Jamie’s academic and personal life, as it becomes apparent that all is not as it seems. His sunny persona is betrayed by vlog posts that cast Jamie in a different light altogether, with anger and resentment bubbling to the surface. But what was Jamie railing against?
28	4	"The Blanket Mire"	John Hayes	Paul Matthew Thompson & Martha Hillier	9 April 2017 (2017-04-09)	7.87
Surveyors out on the Northumberland moors make a shocking discovery: the body of a young woman buried beneath the soil. On the scene, assumptions are that this is the body of local teenager, Mia Hinkin, who disappeared six weeks ago. Vera is forced to deliver the terrible news to a broken family, desperate for answers. With her body found so close to home, Vera must re-trace the vulnerable young woman’s footsteps from her isolated rural life and into a dark and tangled web of deceit to track down her killer.

Series 8 (2018)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
29	1	"Blood and Bone"	Paul Gay	Paul Matthew Thompson	7 January 2018 (2018-01-07)	9.37
Vera is called upon when the charred remains of a body are discovered in an abattoir incinerator. The body is found to be that of DC Harry Fenton, of the Northumberland & City Fraud Unit, who had been on his final day of the job before retirement. After one of Fenton's colleagues, Jac Williams, gives Vera a useful tip-off, Vera looks into one of Harry's fraud cases.
30	2	"Black Ice"	David Leon	Martha Hillier	14 January 2018 (2018-01-14)	9.21
Vera is called to the scene of a violent car crash. She quickly realises that the crash was not accidental. After the victim, Faye Wakeland, dies in hospital, Vera suspects that her murder may be connected to the recent suicide of a local man. But Vera and Aiden find it difficult to get to the truth when everyone they interview seems to be protecting a secret.
31	3	"Home"	Chris Baugh	Paul Logue	21 January 2018 (2018-01-21)	8.97
Quiet life in suburbia takes a dark turn when a 43-year-old mother of two, Alison Glenn, is discovered in her back garden by her young son, bludgeoned to death. Vera and Aiden are forced to expand their enquiry when Alison's long-lost family comes out of the woodwork and suspicions begin to mount. Then they discover that the Glenns have skeletons in their cupboards.
32	4	"Darkwater"	Lee Haven-Jones	Paul Matthew Thompson	28 January 2018 (2018-01-28)	8.55
The body of teenager Ethan Dewley is found floating in a reservoir. When Vera and her team discover that Ethan had been missing for three days, they look to a rural timber community for answers.

Series 9 (2019)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
33	1	"Blind Spot"	Paul Gay	Paul Logue	13 January 2019 (2019-01-13)	8.63
Vera is called to the scene of the murder of trainee forensic psychologist Joanne Caswell, whose body has been found dumped at a landfill site. Vera zeroes in on Joanne's re-examination of an old crime, following the trail of the dead woman's investigation in order to catch her killer.
34	2	"Cuckoo"	Lawrence Gough	Paul Matthew Thompson	20 January 2019 (2019-01-20)	8.37
Vera is confronted with the sight of Caden Lennon's murder, by knife, in a coastal town's shipyard. The teenager had absconded from his support worker's care six weeks previously but, with few leads, Vera looks into a gang connection and discovers a drugs network.
35	3	"Cold River"	Carolina Giammetta	Martha Hillier	27 January 2019 (2019-01-27)	8.50
Successful business woman Lisa Varsey throws a party for her family and friends on the River Tyne. But it goes horribly wrong when her sister Dani is found dead in the water. At first the family believe that Dani’s death was an accident but Vera and pathologist Malcolm know that the forensics point to murder. Vera and the team alight on concerning rumours that Dani could have been in an abusive relationship and questions whether this could have led to her death. But the investigation takes a turn when evidence points to the fact that something was rotten in another area of Dani’s life. Vera begins to believe that Dani was going to expose an unpalatable truth. Vera must unpick the tightly woven threads that hold the family together to discover who killed an innocent woman.
36	4	"The Seagull"	Declan O'Dwyer	Paul Matthew Thompson	3 February 2019 (2019-02-03)	8.43
DCI Vera Stanhope must open up a cold case to find the connection between a skeleton discovered underneath the site of a notorious burnt-out night club and a present-day murder.

Series 10 (2020)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
37	1	"Blood Will Tell"	Paul Gay	Paul Logue	12 January 2020 (2020-01-12)	8.59
Vera has to unravel the circumstances of self-styled entrepreneur Freddie Gill's death when his body is found by bailiffs attempting to repossess his house.
38	2	"Parent Not Expected"	Rob Evans	Colette Kane	19 January 2020 (2020-01-19)	7.98
Vera must unravel a tangled web of deceit between two wildly different families when the body of a teenage boy is discovered floating near a Northumberland salmon farm.
39	3	"Dirty"	Delyth Thomas	Sally Abbott	26 January 2020 (2020-01-26)	8.21
Luke Sumner’s body is discovered close to his flat in Newcastle, but pathology concludes that the killing blow could have occurred several hours before he succumbed to his injuries, prompting Vera to piece together Luke’s final hours in order to investigate his murder.
40	4	"The Escape Turn"	Caroline Giammetta	Paul Matthew Thompson	2 February 2020 (2020-02-02)	8.40
When wealthy betting shop magnate Alun Wilmott is shot and killed after returning home early amid a terrifying home invasion, it's assumed that he is the unlucky victim of a burglary gone wrong. The culprits abscond with a huge amount of cash from Alun's personal safe, leaving his wife and daughter traumatised in their wake. Vera suspects an inside job and immediately targets the affluent neighbourhood's shady head of private security, Ciaran Duggan, whose history of violent crime calls his reformed character into question.

Series 11 (2021–2023)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
41	1	"Witness"	Paul Gay	Paul Logue	29 August 2021 (2021-08-29)	7.66
A local builder, Jim Tullman is found dead on the steps of Collingwood Monument after being attacked. Tullman was scheduled to testify against aspiring footballer Marcus Hynde who is accused of assaulting Victor Samassi. Vera and the police suspect Marcus's brother Patrick, who has a violent history and also fought Tullman earlier. Malcolm discovers that Tullman had GHB in his body coupled with alcohol. In addition, a betrothal ring is discovered in his throat, having been put there after his death. The police learn that Tullman had been meeting secretly with Leslie Clayton, the wife of his best friend Gary Clayton. Marcus Hynde runs away from home and is captured by police. He tells Vera that he wanted to admit to the assault, but Tullman had offered to change his testimony and clear Marcus of any wrongdoing. Vera questions Tullman’s estranged wife about the Fig Tree, a restaurant where the family had gone two years earlier. Outside the restaurant Jim and his son assaulted a young lawyer, Aldo Rossi, who later collapsed and died.
42	2	"Recovery"	Christiana Ebohon-Green	Colette Kane	5 September 2021 (2021-09-05)	7.10
Vera is called to the scene when the body of addiction support worker Angela Konan is found hidden among the bleak woodlands of Northumberland National Park. Vera and her team must pull back the layers of the introverted victim's life to uncover her closely-guarded secrets and surprising depths. An increasingly erratic Angela had clashed with two clients in the weeks before she died. One of whom, Beth Draper, approached Angela's estranged daughter the preceding week. Suspicions also turn to Draper’s daughter Maya, who was not home the night Angela was murdered.
43	3	"Tyger Tyger"	Paul Gay	Paul Matthew Thompson	9 January 2022 (2022-01-09)	7.65
When security foreman Gary Mallon is fatally wounded during a robbery at a Blyth container port the evidence points to an audacious heist that went awry. Vera begins to suspect an inside job. But the investigation takes an unexpected turn when Gary’s ex-wife contacts police with the news that their 13-year-old son is missing. Gary Mallon was acting under duress - the victim of a tiger kidnapping. His son was being held as collateral - but where is he now? In order to rescue the missing boy, Vera first needs to work out who was behind the robbery. Further complications ensue when she finds herself forced to collaborate with an NCA Officer who is working on a covert surveillance operation with links to organised crime. As Vera closes in on the kidnappers a misstep in the investigation leads to tragic repercussions, and she finds herself taken off the case.
44	4	"As the Crow Flies"	Waris Islam	Sally Abbott	16 January 2022 (2022-01-16)	7.58
Lizzy Swann, a primary school teacher, is found dead at the bottom of a cliff-side coastal walkway. What appears at first to be a terrible accident, quickly becomes a murder investigation as Vera discovers evidence the body has been tampered with. The Swann family are horrified by the news; it is the latest in a string of tragedies to befall them; Lizzy's husband Phil was pensioned out of the army following an injury, his brother died in a car accident and the family's farm is falling into ruin. Vera's interviews paint a troubling picture of a guarded and paranoid woman who in the days leading up to her death seemed to be burning bridges with friends and family alike. When Vera discovers Lizzy was recently suspended from work for recklessly accusing a father of physically abusing his son - and her family were kept in the dark - she begins to wonder what other secrets lie at the heart of this case. A perpetual feud with her bereaved and envious sister-in-law, Rose; clashes with her youngest daughter’s willful boyfriend, Greg, and a public confrontation with Phil’s close-friend and tenant, Jamie 'Macca' McCarthy, leave no shortage of suspects, but Vera begins to suspect the truth behind Lizzy's murder maybe far more insidious.
45	5	"Vital Signs"	Rob Evans	Paul Logue	15 January 2023 (2023-01-15)	5.92
Vera is called out to the grim scene of a body found in the back of a burnt out car parked in a quarry. When the body is identified as popular local GP, Lucy Yo, the team enters an unexpected web of betrayal and lies. NOTE: This episode was available in the US on BritBox and in Italy on Giallo, prior to being screened in the UK.
46	6	"The Way the Wind Blows"	Chris Foggin	Michael Bhim	22 January 2023 (2023-01-22)	5.91
The body of Lisa Mullworth, an HR advisor of a local turbine company, is washed up on the banks of the River Tyne. Vera and her team discover a mountain of lies as told by Lisa's family regarding both their own and Lisa's whereabouts and their knowledge of the incident. NOTE: This episode was available in the US on BritBox and in Italy on Giallo, prior to being screened in the UK.

Series 12 (2023)

ITV had announced that the 12th series has been commissioned and filming began in March 2022. It began airing on BritBox on 29 January 2023.

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
47	1	"Against the Tide"	Will Sinclair	Lucia Haynes	29 January 2023 (2023-01-29)	5.96
DCI Vera Stanhope is called to a remote lighthouse where a body has been discovered lashed to a sailboat. Immediately setting about her investigation, Vera soon discovers that the body is local council enforcement officer and experienced amateur sailor Frank Channing. A family man, with strong friendships, who was well respected at work, surely this really was just an accident? However, it's not long before Vera discovers evidence suggesting foul play. Vera and her team piece together Frank’s final days and soon discover that his life wasn’t all plain sailing.
48	2	"For the Grace of God"	Claire Winyard	Sally Abbott	5 February 2023 (2023-02-05)	5.81
Lance Corporal Conn Burns was a dedicated, diligent and decorated soldier with a loving young family but all of that fell apart when he left the army. Adapting to civilian life was not easy and after a series of bad life choices, Conn found himself desolate, down and out on the streets of Newcastle. Attempting to get his life back on track, Conn had recently been making moves that would see him repay old debts, rebuild relationships and get him off the streets but a dark secret from his past, and betrayal in the present, left his future looking uncertain, and deadly.
49	3	"Blue"	Khurrum M. Sultan	Paul Logue	12 February 2023 (2023-02-12)	5.86
Joel Kingston is a copper’s copper from a respected and notable police family but when he is found dead, floating in a park lake, DCI Vera Stanhope finds herself investigating both sides of the thin blue line in order to find his killer. A complex family dynamic, tensions at work, and brushes with the underworld, paint a dark and complex picture. Joel was there to serve and protect but did his stubborn commitment to justice at any price lead to his death? Or, was he killed to stop him revealing a secret that would destroy someone’s life? Vera steps on toes and ruffles a few police feathers as she searches for answers as to why PC Joel Kingston is no longer on the beat.
50	4	"The Darkest Evening"	Paul Gay	Colette Kane	19 February 2023 (2023-02-19)	6.46
On the night of a massive storm, trying to get home, DCI Vera Stanhope comes across an abandoned car with a baby inside. With no mobile signal and blocked roads at every turn, Vera is forced to seek refuge somewhere she’d rather not be, Brockburn House, the Stanhope’s ancestral pile. Vera doesn’t exactly receive a warm welcome from her estranged family as there’s a function in full swing and her turning up with a baby isn’t a great look. Things start to look even worse and take a far sinister turn when a body is found on the track leading to Brockburn House.

International broadcast

• In Australia, the first series was broadcast on the Seven Network. Series 2 was shown on 7Two from Wednesday 18 July 2012 at 8:30 pm. Series 3 commenced on ABC1 on Sunday 23 August 2015 at 8:30 pm and was immediately followed by series 4. The ABC reverted to series 1 episode 1 on Sunday 27 December 2015 at 8:30 pm, and has continued to broadcast the programme since. Series 5 commenced on Sunday 28 August at 8:30 pm, and series 6 on Sunday 5 March 2017, in the same timeslot.
• On Australian subscription TV provider Foxtel, series 1–5 is aired every weekend at 8:30 pm and series 6 began airing on Monday 7 March 2016 and aired every Monday at 8:30 pm on 13th Street Channel 118, with episode 4 airing on 28 March 2016.
• In Canada, Knowledge Network (British Columbia) aired series 1 beginning in December 2014. Series 1-12 are available for online streaming exclusively with a Britbox direct subscription or through BritBox on Amazon Video.
• In Denmark, the national public service broadcaster DR aired the four first episodes on their popular channel DR1 late Sunday evenings. In 2013, series 2 was broadcast on DR1 on Saturday evenings, rather than Sunday evenings. Likewise, series 3 and 4 were broadcast on Saturday evenings, in autumn 2014, on DR1.
• In the United States, the series is broadcast on public television stations. Series One was also available in the U.S. for online streaming via the Netflix service. All 10 series are available for online streaming via Amazon Video, Acorn TV (series 7), Britbox (series 1-12).
• In Finland the national broadcasting company Yle started airing all episodes starting on 21 December 2012 on Friday nights at 7pm.
• In The Netherlands the series is aired by KRO-NCRV on NPO 1; repeats commenced on RTL8 in 2021, starting from Season One.
• In Belgium, Flemish-speaking channel Eén started airing the series.
• In New Zealand the series is shown on TV One and more recently on Vibe, a SKY channel.
• In Italy the series was shown on Giallo since 10 October 2016.
• In Germany the series was shown on ZDFneo before moving to Sat.1 Gold in June 2019.
• In Croatia the series is shown on HRT2.
• In Spain the series is shown on La 2 , and TV3 in Catalan
• In Portugal the first series was shown on public broadcaster RTP2. It was repeated and subsequent series shown on Fox Crime from 2013.
• In Norway the series is shown on public service broadcaster NRK.
• In France the series is shown on France 3, starting from Sunday 11 January 2015.
• In Hungary the series is shown on Galaxy4.
• In Slovenia the series is shown on RTVSLO.
• In Poland the series is shown on Ale Kino+.
• In Sweden the first series started on 3 July 2015 on SVT.
• In South Africa the series is shown on DSTV ITV Choice. Series 6 was to be broadcast 24 hours after first showing in the UK.
• In Japan the series is shown on AXN Mystery.
• In Ireland the series is shown regularly on Virgin Media Three.

Home releases

Series	Release date
	Region 1	Region 2 (UK)	Region 2 (Germany)	Region 4
1	30 August 2011	23 May 2011	4 April 2014	9 August 2012
2	6 November 2012	21 May 2012	24 July 2015	3 December 2014
3	28 January 2014	16 September 2013	4 September 2015	3 December 2014
4	28 October 2014	19 May 2014	19 February 2016	3 December 2014
5	22 September 2015	11 May 2015	3 February 2017	9 September 2015
6	28 June 2016	7 March 2016	2 February 2018	13 April 2016
7	24 October 2017	17 April 2017	7 May 2018	13 September 2017
8	4 December 2018	26 February 2018	27 September 2019	8 May 2019
9	7 January 2020	25 February 2019	14 February 2020	5 August 2020
10	5 January 2021	2 March 2020	TBA	4 November 2020
11	TBA	27 February 2023	TBA	31 August 2022
Multiple sets
1–2	No release	13 August 2012	No release	No release
1–3	No release	16 September 2013	29 January 2021	No release
1–4	No release	25 August 2014	No release	No release
1–5	No release	5 October 2015	No release	9 September 2015
1–6	No release	No release	No release	14 September 2016
1–7	23 October 2018	No release	No release	13 September 2017
1–8	No release	19 March 2018	No release	8 May 2019
1–9	No release	25 February 2019	No release	5 August 2020
1–10	No release	9 March 2020	No release	4 November 2020
1–11	No release	27 February 2023	No release	31 August 2022

External links

• Vera at IMDb
• Vera at epguides.com