Brenda Blethyn, 78, makes feelings clear on rival dramas ahead of ITV Vera ending: ‘Don’t think they work’
Actress Brenda Blethyn aimed a subtle dig at other crime dramas as she talked about saying goodbye to her iconic ITV character, Vera Stanhope.
The trench coat-wearing detective has graced screens since 2011, but it was announced earlier this year the crime drama would be coming to an end as Blethyn, 78, retires from the role.
Vera fans were heartbroken to learn the upcoming episodes, set to air on January 1 and 2, will be the last in the series.
Many are clutching to any hope of Vera being back on screens in any form, with some fans pleading for a prequel-style show depicting the Geordie detective’s earlier story.
BAFTA-winning Blethyn has quashed the suggestion though, taking aim at other shows which have gone down the route of creating prequels following the conclusion of the main series.
When asked if there were plans for a Vera spin-off, she replied: “Not that I’m aware of. No, I’ve not heard any.”
She continued: “People sometimes say is there going to be a prequel? Personally, I don’t think they ever work.”
The actress admitted that, while she does enjoy some prequels, she doesn’t think their connections to the original show remain.
On ITV drama Endeavour, a prequel to the long-running Inspector Morse series, she commented: “That’s not to say I don’t like Endeavour.”
“I do, and I love Morse, and I loved Endeavour, but I saw no connection between the two,” she confessed to The Sun.
“It was just an excuse to make a period set piece, which I liked, but it had nothing to do with Morse as far as I could tell,” the Golden Globe-winner added.
Moving onto the Prime Suspect prequel which aired for one series in 2017, titled Prime Suspect: Tennison, she added: “Same with Jane Tennison. They did a prequel that didn’t work at all.”
It’s not the first time the actress has touched on the potential for future Vera episodes in a different format.
“I wish there could have been an episode where I stayed at home in Kent: ‘Vera Goes South,'” she joked to PA earlier this month as she talked about wanting to spend more time in the south with her husband and dog rather than shooting scenes in Northumberland.
However, she made clear why any kind of spin-off would, in her eyes, fail: “But, of course, the series is dyed in the wool Northumberland and the North East and I understand that’s where it has to be.”
As she announced her plans to hang up the iconic Vera hat in April this year, she explained: “Working on Vera has been a joy from beginning to end and I’m sad to be saying Cheerio.
“But I am so proud of our achievements over the last fourteen years. I’ll be forever grateful to the wonderful Ann Cleeves who created Vera, and to Elaine Collins who saw fit to cast me in the role.
“The Producers, dream cast and crew have been fabulous and I’m going to miss them, but I won’t forget their huge talent, the camaraderie, laughter or kindness we shared nor the friendship of the people of the north east and our fans worldwide. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Creative director of the show, Kate Bartlett commented: “It is the end of an era and has been an extraordinary journey over fourteen amazing series of Vera.”
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He continued: “So many wonderful and talented people have been involved in the making of Vera across all the series, but none of us would be here without two incredible women: firstly, the absolutely extraordinary talent of the inimitable Brenda Blethyn.
“She is brilliant as DCI Vera Stanhope, a truly iconic character of our times.
“And – of course – the amazing Ann Cleeves, author of the original novels and creator of DCI Vera Stanhope.
“We will all be very sad to say goodbye to Brenda and everyone involved in making the show.”