User reviews

The series initially offered some work/life balance, providing background and insight about the personal lives of regular characters and their families in addition to the crime storyline.

But all that was gradually winnowed out, with Vera's associates reduced to extras given an occasional line of dialogue. And Vera herself nothing more than a mystery-solving machine who has her crime scene booties tied for her.

Perhaps that has something to do with the strangely high cast turnover rate. Their disappearances could propel the plot for a new series, in which the star of a police drama knocks off fellow actors who might upstage her.

Currently watching episode 2 of the current series, after watching Scott and Bailey, Suspects and Unforgotten all of which acknowledge that senior officers spend their time chasing paperwork it's hard not to think I'm looking at a script from the 1980's, complete with maverick cop.

Vera is a dumpy, short, middle aged detective who possesses a whinny, dodgy Geordie accent and calls everyone 'pet' or 'love.' Her colleagues seem to have been cast on the basis of diversity, and not for their acting abilities. She constantly seems to pick on poor old Kenny, who is presented as a monosyllabic ageing detective, who's not very bright. The ending of each episode, always has Vera solving the crime, leaving her colleagues as nothing more than shadows. None of the other detectives appear to have any idea about solving the crime, indeed, they are so mediocre, it's a surprise they are still employed as part of the police service,

I love crime dramas and decided to give Vera a go. I had just finished watched Shetland. Jimmy Perez is a fantastic character and the supporting characters are also spectacular, well integrated into the storylines, you care for them all.

I had high hopes for Vera, but was sadly disappointed. Vera is just so unlikeable, mean spirited and whiny. I can't watch the show purely because I dislike her.

The storylines are good, the location is amazing. Shame about the main character.

Watching tonight's episode, I wish the writer would decide either go for realism and put Vera in her office dealing with all the paperwork like a real DCI or go Midsomer Murders and have her and her DS do everything.

The perfect crime series to watch on a cold and rainy Sunday with your mind turned to extra relax mode. Each episode is almost indescernible from each other, played against depressing backgrounds of city, country and sea scapes. The culprit is ALWAYS the least likely after all the most likely suspects are eliminated one by one. I can't understand how this formulaic series has lasted this long. It is like the same episode is being played over and over with only the names changed to protect any charges of plagiarism. The upside is that it gives all those British character and bit part actors a chance to parade their stuff and earn a few quid.

A one-woman show featuring a sixty-something lead, forty pounds overweight with an apparent cardiac condition. This may be the first series in which the title character drops dead from natural causes in the middle of the episode. No one's done that since Moliere!

DCI Vera Stanhope dominates her staff on the Yorkshire police even more completely than Brenda Leigh Johnson did on "The Closer". Except for one handsome young Detective Sergeant and one bright, African-descended female Detective Constable, the rest are actually nobodies. Their names aren't used and they have little identity.

And Vera gets emotional--oh, yes. Shouting at her staff, banging the table while interrogating suspects, gasping for air. But unlike Brenda Leigh, of the LAPD, DCI Vera has no fortyish Fritz, handsome if slightly flawed FBI Agent, to come home to. In truth Vera seems to have no private life, at least in the episodes that have aired in the States on PBS.

The stories are dreary, dreary as the English Midlands with their vanished industries and bleak moorlands. Women are principally the victims, of course, and immigrants. When the men aren't knocking the tar out of helpless orphan girls, they're backshooting kindly Sikh taxi drivers.

Did you know ? When David Leon was in Vera, he called Brenda Grams. He left the series due to menral health issues. His work now is mainly directing. He is from Newcastle, so had the natural Geordie accent for Vera.

The series is intelligent and i would say original, the landscape is beautiful and wild, and well filmed. But the films have a moody, dark feeling about them. After watching an episode i felt disturbed and could not come to terms with the story and ending. The central character though well played and realistic, is not likeable. Vera is clever and down to earth, but she is also cunning and uses emotional manipulation agaisnt possible suspects and other characters in the film. Dont like that. Though i guess she plays a copper not a kindergarten teacher. Anyaway, the films are interesting but they will not leave you satsified or in a good mood.

This series has been around a long time with Brenda Blethlyn practically owing the character. Her curmudgeonly ways are not attractive, and it's a wonder any of her "staff" even stay to work with her. The episodes are kind of hit or miss. Some are comprehensible while others have plot events, however illogical, introduced to make the narrative work! Seriously, what Chief Inspector of police would be meeting in cafes or restaurants with suspects in the case, or interviewing them in the comfort of their homes, alone? The wind up at the end of each episode does not always explain things well. It's watchable fantasy , but be prepared for a lot of repetition with little in the way of character development.