A Blyth housing role took a starring role in Vera on Wednesday night, as the hit drama returned to screens for its last ever series for an episode that put plenty of focus on Northumberland and brought a return to TV for a former soap star.
Months after ITV bosses announced that Vera would be coming to an end, millions tuned in to watch Inside, the first of just two new episodes to air over successive nights this week; with the two hour feature length mystery kick started by the discovery of a dead body by what was said to be the River Tyne, but was actually the River Wansbeck in Ashington. as producers took a few geographical liberties.
Ashington wasn’t the only Northumberland location to get screen time in Vera series 14 episode one, as, after Brenda Blethyn and David Leon attracted a bit of attention when they filmed in Blyth last year, it became clear just why they were spotted in front of camera at a property in Crofton Street.
After Vera’s famous Land Rover was seen parked up on the estate back in Brenda’s was spotted inside one of the flats, with the silhouette of her character’s instantly recognisable fishing hat seen from outside and, the storyline that led them to Crofton Street was the murder of Zachary Martin, with Vera and Joe’s investigations leading them to speak to his girlfriend, played by none other than Geordie actress and ex Emmerdale actress Chelsea Halfpenny.
Chelsea’s guest star role in Vera’s final series arrived as a few more familiar faces also appeared in episode one, with Kevin Whately, fresh from getting an OBE in the New Year Honours, starring as a retired copper with a bit of a dodgy past and ex Coronation Street favourite SHobna Gulati joining the cast as Superintendent Khalon.