The replacement for ITV’s Vera has been revealed, after it was confirmed that the fan-favourite show would be drawing to a close, with filming currently underway for its final season.
The Australian crime drama, Bay of Fires, peppered with dark comedy throughout, is set to step in and fill the gap left by Brenda Blethyn’s character DCI Vera Stanhope.
Set on Tasmania’s rugged west coast, Bay of Fires stars 51 year old Aussie actress Marta Dusseldorp in the role of Stella. In the show, Stella finds herself in a remote community plagued with crime, bitter feuds and even murder at times.
As a single mum-of-two, she has no choice but to trust a stranger and relocate her family to an extremely remote place called Mystery Bay, reports the Express.
Marta, who is also the leading actress and producer of the series, spoke to Express.co.uk about the show’s arrival on ITV following its “record-breaking” success in Australia.
Reflecting on the show’s popularity in Australia, Marta revealed: “It was the most-watched show here in Australia for 2023 on ABC, which is our local broadcaster here.”
“So we smashed all the numbers here, so we really wanted another [series] and I actually started developing up with them before it even went to air because they thought it was something that was definitely returnable but also incredibly bingeable.”
Drawing comparisons between Bay of Fires and Vera, Marta mentioned that the long-standing crime drama set in the North East of England is “really popular here in Australia”.
“We love Vera in Australia, I don’t know why but it just works,” she gushed.
When quizzed about feeling the pressure to deliver a crime series on ITV now that Vera has wrapped up for the time being, the actress admitted: “Of course, yes.”
Brenda Blethyn, known for her portrayal of the beloved detective Vera, recently took to social media to express her heartfelt sentiments as the iconic series approaches its end.
With filming for the 14th season underway, Brenda thanked fans for their unwavering support and shared her bittersweet feelings about bidding farewell to the role.
She posted: “Many thanks to everyone for your good wishes. so very much appreciated. getting ready to start filming Series 14 of Vera next week. gonna be hard saying farewell.”
The announcement sparked an outpouring of love from devoted viewers, who reminisced about their fond memories of the show and praised Brenda’s remarkable performance.
Messages flooded the comments section, with one penning: Very best wishes for the filming of the new series, Brenda. We’ve watched every episode, several times, and have always loved Vera. Living in Newcastle, we enjoy recognising many of the locations. You, the cast and crew have done a fabulous job. Thank you so much.”
Another posted: “Sad but happy that we had the show and you for this long.”
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