Vera were sitting comfortably on their sofas on Sunday night as the smash hit ITV drama finally makes its return to screens, after nearly a year away. But many were left asking the same question - was it actually a new series?
It was back at the end of August 2021 that Vera's 11th series first launched, only for it to then disappear after two episodes, just as fans were getting into it. There was great excitement when DCI Stanhope got back on duty at the start of last year as the series continued, only for history to repeat itself, when ITV made the decision to remove it from its usual Sunday night slot for the second time in just a few months.
This left Vera fans not only disappointed but also wanting answers, given that no announcement as to why the show was shunted in favour of The Good Karma Hospital and the launch of Vicky McLure thriller Trigger Point.
READ MORE: Where is Vera filmed? New series and past locations used in the ITV drama
After a long wait for news of Vera's return and silence from ITV, there was delight for fans earlier this month, when it was confirmed that Vera would be back from Sunday, January 15, right as the new series of Dancing on Ice launched.
Is Vera a new series on ITV?
Eventually, yes; but the first two 'new' episodes are in fact from series 11 and were actually filmed a while ago. The first of these is Vital Signs, concerned with the mystery surrounding a GP's body found in a burnt out car, with that followed by The Way The Wind Blows, about a beloved mother whose body is found washed up by the River Tyne.
The most annoying thing for die-hard Vera fans is the fact that those two episodes, the fifth and six of series 11, were available for American viewers to watch in early 2022, on BritBox; meaning they got to see them nearly a full year ahead of UK fans.
The first four episodes of series 12 will kick off with Against The Tide, which is set to air on Sunday, January 29 and will then be followed by For the Grace of God, Blue and The Darkest Evening.
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