After a hiatus lasting close to a year, Vera is back on Sunday night, with some new faces joining Brenda Blethyn and her co-stars for the new episodes.
Vera has now been pulling in millions of viewers to ITV for over a decade now, with fans hooked on the sleuthing exploits of BAFTA winner Brenda's famous on screen alter-ego, from the pages of hit novel from Tyneside based author Ann Cleeves.
There was some confusion as to what was going on with Vera this time last year, as sooner had series 11 resumed, with its third and fourth episodes; it disappeared from schedules with no explanation given as to why DCI Stanhope was missing in action.
READ MORE: Where is Vera filmed? New series and past locations used in the ITV drama
Vera fans were finally given the news they'd been waiting a long time for when its return was confirmed by ITV earlier this month. But leading lady Brenda had some sad news for loyal viewers, when she revealed that Paul Kaye had now left the show, meaning his character, pathologist Dr Malcolm will soon ow out of the action.
He will be replaced in one of the new episodes, as Vera guest stars also come into the fold.
Vera cast on ITV
DCI Vera Stanhope - Brenda Blethyn
DI Aiden Healy - Kenny Doughty
DC Kenny Lockhart - Jon Morrison
DC Jacqueline ‘Jac’ Williams - Ibinabo Jack
DC Mark Edwards - Riley Jones
Pathologist Dr. Malcolm Donahue - Paul Kaye
Pathologist Dr. Paula Bennett - Sarah Kameela Impey
Vera new series guest stars
Vital Signs
Hugh Quarshie
Issey King
Frances Grey
Geoffrey Lumb
Angela Sims
Garry Cooper
Heather Bleasdale
Spike Leighton
Kirsten Foster
Danyal Ismail
Sean Kearns
Isabel Butt
Joyce Veheary
The Way The Wind Blows
Michael Balogun
Kris Mochrie
Poppy Winter
Rochelle Goldie
Ross Waiton
Catherine Dryden
Hopi Grace
Jon Edgley-Bond
Andrew Whipp
Cynthia Emeagi
Sian Webber
Ezra Faroque Khan
Alan Stocks
Charlotte Baker
Stacey Evans
Against The Tide
Samantha Spiro
Robert Wilfort
Rachel Morris
Amanda Horlock
Flynn Allen
Ellis Konstantina
Paul Bown
Ade Ajibade
Jason Hewley
Patricia Potter
Jasmine Kerr
Dharmesh Patel
Harvey Smith
For The Grace of God
Sara Kameela Impey (takes over as Paula the pathologist)
Francis Magee
Zak Douglas
Rachel Denning
Paul Thornley
Sarah Ball
Tom Machell
Kevin Wathen
Charlotte Ryder
Victoria Ekanoye
Joanna Horton
Denver-Isaac Kwashe
Billy Wolf
Tamsin Griffin
Jake Ashton-Nelson
Rosalyn Wright
Harry Long
Mark Armstrong
Heidi Sellers
Mary Malone
Blue
Matthew Marsh
Billy Gunnion
Ellis Eyres
Bill Blackwood
Connor Crawford
Jesse Akele
Kem Hassan
Gary Mavers
Lizzie Hopley
Nicola Alexis
Emily Dowson
Rebecca Bowser
Su Elliott
Wolfe J Mller
Nikita Mehta
Srabani Sen
The Darkest Evening
Zoe Telford
Stephen Walters
Jack Deam
Kevin Doyle
Joshua J Parker
Sky Francis
Kaye Brown
Simon Harrison
Rosalind March
Karen Henthorn
Shelley Williams
Mo Sesay
Reyna Rita
Aimée Cassettari
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