Vera viewers were delighted to spot a family link to lead actress Brenda Blethyn during the latest episode of the ITV drama, when they clocked a photo of the BAFTA winner's beloved dog Jack in one scene.
After the 11th series of the much loved detective show was pulled from schedules with no explanation at the start of last year, fans of all things DCI Stanhope were left wondering when they'd get their next fix of the no nonsense sleuth and what had happened to the two remaining episodes.
Well, after a longer than expected hiatus from screens, Vera was back on the case for the first of six new episodes on January 15, with the fifth instalment of series 11 - Vital Signs - first up, as Vera and her colleagues had to get to the bottom of a grisly murder, after a GP's body was found in the back of a burnt out car.
