Vera is a British crime drama television series based on the Vera Stanhope novels by Ann Cleeves. It ran on ITV for 14 years from 1 May 2011 to 2 January 2025 and starred Brenda Blethyn as the principal character, Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope.

Premise

Vera is a nearly retired detective chief inspector of the fictional Northumberland & City Police, who is obsessive about her work. She plods along in a 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 and Aiden Healy.

Production

The series is filmed in Newcastle upon Tyne and throughout Northumberland, County Durham and North Yorkshire in North East England. Locations include Hartlepool, Gateshead, South Shields, North Shields, Whitley Bay, Amble, Warkworth, Alnmouth, Bamburgh, and Holy Island. The farmhouse used for the exterior shots of Vera's home is located on the Snook, part of Holy Island at 55°41′10″N 001°50′29″W or grid reference NU1006543635.

"Hidden Depths", "Telling Tales" and "The Crow Trap" from the first series, as well as "Silent Voices" from the second series, are based on novels of the same names by Ann Cleeves.