Gutsy, gritty police drama series has an unusual format and a great star: Brenda Blethyn.
This is not a weekly series, nor is it a miniseries. It's a yearly series of four 90-minute movies that loosely tie up together, especially in the character of Vera Stanhope, a driven and crotchety character who excels in her work but who has trouble connecting to the people around her or in dealing with her past life.
Brenda Blethyn is just perfect as the middle-aged copper and just as changeable as the North England weather. She's just as likely to lash out at her colleagues as she is the suspects in the series of murders she must solve.
Chief among the supporting cast are David Leon as Vera's sergeant Joe Ashworth, later replaced by Kenny Doughty as Aiden Healy. There's also Jon Morrison as Kenny Lockhart and Riley Jones as Mark Edwards. In the first couple of seasons, Peter Ritter as the weirdly comic pathologist Billy Cartwright is a delight. But there are plenty of other quirky coppers and suspects lurking about the Yorkshire dale and towns. The location shooting is quite stunning as well.
The mysteries are based on characters created by Ann Cleeves and most of them are excellent. It's never easy to guess the killer. You won't see a parade of famous actors but that works in the show's favor.
A great show for mystery fans and those who like great acting.
And how is it possible that this great show has never gotten a single BAFTA nomination?
