Brenda Blethyn has confirmed what the Vera cast were busy filming in the run up to Christmas, after on-screen sidekick Kenny Doughty told fans that they reunited for ‘something special.’
Fans of the much loved ITV drama were given the news they were waiting for earlier this week, when the broadcaster confirmed that Vera will return to screens on Sunday, January 15, after lovers of all things DCI Stanhope have gone nearly a year without any new episodes.
Vera’s comeback to its usual 8pm Sunday night slot will begin with the two ‘missing’ episodes from series 11, before four mysteries from series 12.
And leading lady Brenda has already teased what’s to come after that, following filming in Corbridge in December.
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There was great excitement in the Northumberland town in the run up to Christmas, when the Vera cast and crew took over a number of locations, including the Tea and Tipple coffee shop and the Garden Rooms, after actor Kenny, known to millions of viewers as DS Aiden Healy, took to Twitter to announce he and his co-stars were up to something, before them telling fans they’d faced some pretty adverse weather conditions during production.
Disclosing what’s to come in an interview with ITV, BAFTA winner Brenda said: “There’s been a little wait but Vera fans can look forward to six new feature length episodes, instead of the usual four. To be followed by a seventh film - The Rising Tide - later in the year, which we only finished filming just before Christmas. That’s based on the latest Ann Cleeves’ Vera novel of the same name which was published in September. We began making that in November and wrapped in December.”
Filming on The Rising Tide also saw the Vera team descend on Holy Island and Brenda was keen to be a tourist during her time in the area, adding: “I have to pinch myself every time we drive across that causeway to Holy Island. It is so lovely. But having filmed scenes for Vera on Holy Island over the years, working on The Rising Tide was the first time I’ve actually been into the village there and the little harbour and jetty itself.”
She continued: “Because I’m always up to my eyeballs in work at the location on the island we use for the exterior of Vera’s house. I also went out on a boat from Holy Island this time. It was great but absolutely freezing cold on the boat. Among the locations we filmed at was The Ship pub which is The Seahorse in the story. The people there were very hospitable.”
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