Brenda Blethyn has publicly endorsed the show set to “replace” Vera in the Sunday night line-up, expressing her support on social media.
After 14 years of portraying one of television’s most iconic detectives, BAFTA winner Brenda concluded her role as DCI Stanhope when the final series of Vera aired on ITV at the beginning of January.
She starred alongside Auf Wiedersehen Pet legend Kevin Whately in the penultimate episode ‘Inside’ before making her last appearance as Vera on January 2.
The finale saw her well-known character pack up and leave Northumberland and City Police HQ for good, turning down a promotion and deciding to retire from detective work.
Over six million viewers tuned in to watch the end of Vera, leaving a gap in ITV’s schedule, with each new series of Vera traditionally occupying the Sunday night 8pm slot in January/February.
Since Vera ended, both Playing Nice and Out There have premiered on Sunday evenings, with the latter scheduled to air its final two episodes this weekend.
The conclusion of Martin Clunes’ thriller Out There has paved the way for another gripping series to captivate audiences, with the official announcement that the hit crime drama Unforgotten is set to return for a sixth series. The much-anticipated comeback is scheduled for Sunday, February 9.
Sinéad Keenan and Sanjeev Bhaskar are confirmed to reprise their leading roles in the show, which is the brainchild of the multi-award-winning screenwriter Chris Lang.
Chris expressed his excitement about the show’s return on Twitter, posting a photo of Sinead and Sanjeev in character and commenting: “So this is happening #Unforgotten Playing Sundays and Mondays, for three weeks at 9pm on @ITV Very excited for you to see what we’ve been working on for two years. @SineadKeenan @TVSanjeev,” reports Chronicle Live.
Emmet J. Scanlan, known for his work on The Fall and Hollyoaks, retweeted the post, confirming his guest appearance on the show.
Brenda also shared the tweet with her 79,000 followers, suggesting she’ll be among the millions tuning in.
At a press event late last year, Brenda spoke candidly about her decision to leave Vera. She explained that after spending every summer since 2011 filming in the Northeast, she wanted to dedicate more time to her family in the South.
Vera is available to stream on ITVX