'Vera' Adds Behind-the-Scenes "Farewell Pet" Special Ahead of Season 14

ITV announced in early 2024 that Season 14 of the long-running mystery series Vera would be the final installment of the popular U.K. whodunit. Starring Brenda Blethyn as the titular DCI Vera Stanhope, the series is an adaptation of Ann Cleeves' mystery novels of the same name, conceived and written first by Cleeves with Paul Rutman and now mainly penned by Paul Matthew Thompson and Phil Mulryne.

The series probably could have kept going (Cleeves has obligingly kept writing novels, so there's always new material to adapt). However, Blethyn, who turned 78 in February 2024, decided it was time to hang up the hat and coat and let ITV do with the series what it will once she's gone. The final episodes of the season are due out in early 2025 and will now be joined by a behind-the-scenes special, Vera... Farewell Pet.

The announcement came as part of ITV's Festive Lineup for the end of the year, featuring several specials ITV plans to air between the week of Christmas and New Year's Weekend. Mixed in with Alison Hammond's For the Love of Dogs Christmas Special, a Christmas edition of The Masked Singer, and Flecher's Farm Christmas, Vera... Farewell Pet is a look at the show's fourteen seasons on the air, including plenty of behind-the-scenes footage from the forthcoming final episodes.

Here's the special's synopsis:

With exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the final series, viewers will discover the show's enduring appeal and its profound impact on the cast, crew, and fans alike. Featuring heartfelt interviews with cast members and author Ann Cleeves, the program shares their cherished memories of working alongside Brenda Blethyn and reflects on the unique bonds formed throughout the years. 

As DCI Vera Stanhope prepares to hang up her iconic hat with the last two thrilling episodes, this documentary will capture the extraordinary journey of Vera and its lasting influence on British crime drama - set against the stunning backdrop of Northumberland, where the landscape became a character in its own right, this celebration honors the show’s remarkable legacy. This documentary offers fans a final chance to say ‘farewell pet’ to Vera, one of television’s most beloved detectives.

The Vera... Farewell Pet special will feature Cleeves, Blethyn, and the show's long-serving cast members, including Jon Morrison, the only actor in the series besides Blethyn to be part of the main cast every season; Riley Jones, who guest stars in the first two seasons before being promoted to the main roster in Season 3; and David Leon, whose return to the series in Season 13 after exiting at the end of Season 4 was a significant highlight.

Here's the synopsis for the finale season's mysteries:

Spanning two epic feature-length episodes, these new stories, entitled "Inside" and "The Dark Wives," intertwine gripping murder mysteries with the heartfelt narrative of Vera’s personal journey. 

• Season 14, Episode 1: "Inside": In the first episode, DCI Vera Stanhope is called to the banks of the Tyne, where some anglers have discovered the body of a young man. A tangled web of a broken relationship, secret love, grudges, regret, and fraud begins to emerge - has our former inmate been served cold justice, or does his death run deeper? 
• Season 14, Episode 2: "The Dark Wives": The final episode brings Vera back to a familiar place when a body is found at the foot of legendary local stones, The Dark Wives - with memories of childhood in the background, Vera must work hard to uncover the mystery of why a bright young student would be violently attacked and left so far from home. This poignant episode weaves past and present together, making for a compelling and emotional farewell. 

Brenda Blethyn returns for the last time as DCI Vera Stanhope. Leon will join her as DI Joe Ashworth, Morrison as DC Kenny Lockhart, Jones as DC Mark Edwards, and relative newcomers Sarah Kameela Impey as pathologist Dr Paula Bennett and Rhiannon Clements as DC Steph Duncan.

As always, Vera's episodes are guest star-studded, and the final season is no exception. Season 14 will feature (deep breath, everybody!): Kevin Whately (Lewis), Amanda Root (The Sixth Commandment), William Houston (The Last Duel), Shobna Gulati (Hullraisers), Clinton Blake (Sanditon), Joshua Sher (Lynley), Michelle Holmes (Cold Feet), Cathy Tyson (Hoard), Alexandra Hannant (Miss Scarlet), Victoria Elliott (Ted Lasso), Bryan Moriarty (The Vanishing Triangle), Chelsea Halfpenny (Casualty), Stevie Raine (The Long Shadow), Freya Parks (This Town), Graeme Hawley (Ridley), Charlotte Bradley (The Dry), Sarah Priddy (Disclaimer), Daren Morfitt (Line of Duty), Anthony Flanagan (Gentleman Jack), Sennia Nanua (The Serpent Queen), Olwen May (Happy Valley), Christopher Connel (Inspector George Gently), George Beach (The Lossen), plus newcomers Jacoba Williams, Yazmin Kayani, Jonathan Iceton, Kate Marvin, Tiegan Byrne, and Gassan Abdulrazek.

The final season of Vera was written by Phil Mulryne, with directors Claire Winyard and Paul Gay each helming one of the two feature film-length episodes. Will Nicholson produces with Kate Bartlett as Executive Producer. Vera... Farewell Pet was produced and directed by Iwan Roberts and executive produced by Mike Blair for MultiStory Media.

Vera Season 14 and Vera... Farewell Pet will air on ITV during the final days of December 2024. BritBox has not yet set a release date but assures us the final episodes are "coming soon."