Vera season 13 | Release date speculation, cast and latest news
It’s been a glorious start to the year since Vera returned to our screens for more episodes of the popular, long-running detective drama.
Brenda Blethyn returned once more in her iconic oversized raincoat and bucket hat to solve more mysteries across Northumberland – and in the season 12 finale, The Darkest Evening, DCI Vera Stanhope (Brenda Blethyn) stumbled upon an abandoned car containing a baby in this.
The tense final episode was framed by a massive storm, and with no cell phone signal and blocked roads around every corner, Vera was forced to seek refuge somewhere she’d rather not be: Brockburn House, the Stanhope ancestral hill.
Vera doesn’t get a warm welcome from her estranged family when an event is in full swing and her showing up with a baby isn’t ideal. But things look even worse and take a much more sinister turn when a body is found on the road to Brockburn House.
While season 12 sure ended with a bang, can fans expect more seasons of Vera in the pipeline? Read on to find out everything we know so far about a possible Vera season 13.
Will there be a 13th season of Vera?
Season 12 has just ended and ITV has not yet confirmed if there are any plans for season 13. However, we do know that leading lady Blethyn may have mixed feelings about the prospect of further installments.
The 76-year-old leading lady previously spoke about how it might be time to end the Northeast crime drama. She explained that upon the conclusion of each season of the show, she always says, “I really don’t think I can do this anymore.”
More like that
Blethyn lives in Kent so it’s difficult to film in the North East of England for any length of time. She has previously said, “Filming usually means six months away from home — and in 2022, it was the best part of 10 months.”
Still, she said “never say never” when asked if she would be returning for a 13th season. Here we keep our fingers crossed.
When could a potential season 13 of Vera be released?
Typically, fans didn’t have to wait too long between seasons of the detective drama, with season 12 directly following season 11.
With no confirmed news about production or filming, we’re more likely to expect a 2024 release date. Sticking to earlier release dates could very well land it in time for the new year.
Vera cast: who might be back in season 13?
In an interview with RadioTimes.com, Blethyn confirmed that she won’t be hanging up her trench coat just yet. She said: “I have no plans to go – for now, as long as I’m fit and able, I’ll visit Vera.”
She continued, speaking of the people of the North East where they film: “I love it, I just love it – I love the people up there too. There’s a difference between the friendliness of the north and the south, I know it doesn’t matter what anyone says. That’s really the main compliment that people in Northeast Vera like.
While the jury is still out, we can only hope that Blethyn will return as our beloved title character.
As for the rest of the cast, some of the regular faces we’d expect are as follows:
- Brenda Blethyn as DCI Vera Stanhope
- Kenny Doughty as DS Aiden Healy
- Jon Morrison as DC Kenny Lockhart
- Paul Kaye as Dr. Malcolm Donahue
- Ibinabo Jack as DC Jacqueline “Jac” Williams
- Riley Jones as DC Mark Edwards
What could happen in season 13 of Vera?
If there is a 13th season, we would expect it to follow the same format as previous seasons and continue as a criminal case, with Vera investigating new cases in each episode.
The series is based on the books by Ann Cleeves, so we can expect a potential season 13 to be based on cases from those stories.
Blethyn previously spoke to ITV about what viewers can expect from Season 12, revealing: “The six new films also include an adaptation of Ann’s previous book The Darkest Evening, which marks the 50th episode of Vera.
“I’m pretty proud to have hit 50 episodes and shot 51 in total. I think it’s wonderful. A great achievement for everyone involved.
“10 of these 51 films are based on the books by Ann Cleeves. She created characters so well defined that it allows the other writers in the story to bring them to life on screen as well.”
Cleeves is in the process of writing book 11 in the Vera Stanhope series, so there’s no denying that there’s a huge body of source material on the ITV drama. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Is there a trailer for Vera season 13?
Doesn’t exist as Season 13 has yet to be confirmed! But we do have the Season 12 trailer, which can be viewed below.
Vera is available to watch on ITVX, while seasons are also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a free 7-day BritBox trial here. You can also buy installments of any series on Amazon Prime Video. Here you can buy the first Vera novel by Ann Cleeves.
To find out what else is on, watch our TV guide and streaming guide or visit our dedicated drama hub.
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