There will be a battle of the TV crime juggernauts this coming Sunday, when Vera goes head-to-head in the ratings with Happy Valley, leaving fans with a tough choice on which one to watch.
Fresh from seeing off competition from Prince Harry's ITV interview at the weekend with an episode that saw Sarah Lancashire's Catherine Cawood confronted with a shocking family betrayal, Happy Valley will air the third episode of its final series on Sunday, January 15 at 9pm, an hour after Vera makes its long awaited return to ITV1.
The problem for fans of both lies with the fact that, while Vera starts an hour earlier than Happy Valley at 8pm, it will run for two hours, until 10pm, meaning viewers won't be able to watch both in real time and one will needed to be relegated to being recorded.
Vera can get a head start on its BBC rival as it come back with Vital Signs, one of the 'missing' episodes from series 11, which was pulled from ITV schedules early last year, with two parts still to air.
READ MORE: Vera's Brenda Blethyn confirms co-star will leave ITV drama during new series
Both dramas are consistent ratings winners for their respective channels and, while delighted they're both back, fans aren't too happy with the timing clash. Making their choice abundantly clear on, Twitter one Vera fan posted: "Record Happy Valley to watch Vera."
A teaser for Happy Valley's next episode reads: "Catherine confronts Clare and presents Ryan with an ultimatum. Faisal and Joanna hatch a plan that takes an unexpected turn," while an early preview for Vera's return teases: "DCI Stanhope is called out to a grim scene when a body found in the back of a burnt-out car and the victim is identified as a popular local GP."
It adds: "The detective's investigation leads her into a world of intrigue, betrayal and lust, when she learns that the doctor's relationships with those that knew her were anything but healthy."
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