ITV's Top-Rated Crime Drama VERA returns for an Eighth Series, 1/9

ITV's top-rating crime drama, VERA, returns to ITV Choice for an eighth series. Multi-award-winning Brenda Blethyn, OBE, returns as the unorthodox but brilliant DCI Vera Stanhope, investigating more chilling crimes only she can solve. Vera doesn't make friends easily - she's grumpy and short-tempered, but what she lacks in charm she makes up for in wisdom and insight.

Based on the bestselling Inspector Stanhope novels by 2017 CWA Diamond Dagger recipient, Ann Cleeves, Vera and her team are drawn into four more compelling cases; the body of a police officer discovered in an abattoir incinerator, a mysterious car crash, a suburban back-garden murder and the circumstances that led to the death of a teenage boy.

Set around Newcastle and the stunning Northumberland countryside, Vera features complex and intriguing cases, atmospherically-shot landscapes and captivating performances.

Brenda is joined by co-stars Kenny Doughty, Jon Morrison, Ibinabo Jack, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Riley Jones.

Episode One: DCI Vera Stanhope (Brenda Blethyn) is called to a chilling murder scene when the charred remains of a body are discovered in an abattoir incinerator. With limited forensic evidence, she is disturbed to identify the body as DC HARRY Fenton, a respected police officer from the Northumberland & City Fraud Unit.

A club man, Vera and Aiden (Kenny Doughty) meet Harry's grieving family and friends in a tightly-knit fishing community who are shocked to learn of the devastating murder. Vera looks to Harry's fraud team to try and find answers, but she begins to sense that all is not what it seems. One of Harry's former colleagues continues to rub Vera up the wrong way by poking her nose into the investigation while DC Jac Williams (Ibinabo Jack) gives Vera a useful tip off. And then one of Harry's old fraud cases begins to cross over into Vera's enquiries.

Aided by DC Kenny Lockhart (Jon Morrison) and pathologist Dr Marcus Summer (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Vera discovers a web of SECRETS that lead her to Harry's killer.

Tuesdays from 9th January

IND: 18.30, MALTA: 19.00, THAI: 20.00,

KSA/TWN: 21.00, UAE: 22.00

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