Hopes that a Vera spin-off could be on the horizon look set to be dashed, with the show’s boss ‘ruling out’ the chance of that happening, as it comes to an end on Thursday night.
Millions of ITV viewers have been hooked on Vera ever since it launched with pilot episode Hidden Depths back in 2011 and now, 14 years after its debut, the much love show and one of the biggest crime dramas of the last 20 years, will come to an end. Vera finale, The Dark Wives, is sure to attract a large audience when it airs on Thursday night and, having been left gutted by the announcement last year that it was ending, plenty of viewers are keen for Vera to spawn its own spin-off series.
The topic of a potential Vera spin-off has been raised numerous times on social media over the last few months, with some fans suggesting that Brenda Blethyn’s returning on-screen sidekick David Leon could take over as lead, for a show called Ashworth; in a similar vein to Lewis, after Inspector Morse’s death; while there have also been calls fora ‘young Vera’ programme, with ITV tasting success with its Morse prequel, Endeavour.
As credits roll on the Vera finale, there are sure to be more theories than ever on if Vera could continuer on some form and its producer Will Nicholson has already gone on record about the prospect of a spin-off.
Will there be a Vera spin-off on ITV?
As things stand, it looks like the answer is a firm no. Questioned by journalists at a Vera press event in London in November, executive producer Will said there were ‘no plans’ for a spin-off, arguing it ‘wouldn’t work.’
Having her say, lead star Brenda Blethyn said it ‘wasn’t up to her’ as to whether Vera would continue in some form, while Vera author Ann Cleeves confirmed that she would still keep writing about the detective she introduced to the world in her DCI Stanhope novels.