To think that Vera is the worst crime drama of our age?

[MorrisZapp]

I love a cosy ITV procedural, and happily go along with the expositional dialogue and hoary old stereotyped characters but fuck my old boots this is unwatchable stuff.

Tinkly 'suspense' music, mugging to camera, and her grating voice drove me over to Grand Designs by the second ad break. I believe it's on season 11, so clearly it's a much loved show in some quarters.

YABU - how dare you, I love watching detectives two decades past retirement age turn up and call a corpse 'pet'

YANBU - it used to be finely nuanced, edgy stuff but I feel it's lost it's way somewhat

I can't stand them, but DH likes them. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Final piece of the puzzle falls into their laps and there's a rush to arrest one of the first people we met and who seemed to be beyond suspicion. and they've only been in a couple of very brief scenes...

@MLMbotsno

Have you seen Midsomer Murders (I think that's what it is called) it's awful. Everyone in the small village is either a murderer, murdered or an accomplice.

Sorry.

You're wrong.

In the "Tom" days, it was Joyce (his wife) who murdered everyone. Fact.
😂😂

I love Vera. I think the stories are good, the first few stories were adapted from the books by Ann Cleeves who writes the Shetland series. I love the scenery and seeing many familiar places as I holiday in Northumberland sometimes.The description of Vera being a ' Catherine Cookson ' version of a detective series is very apt. Catherine Cookson was a brilliant writer (not a detective story writer)and the televised version of her stories was great. I have not read Ann Cleeves and although I like Brenda Blethyn as an actress, I don't know her personally. So cannot comment there, but Shetland is an excellent drama.

YABU end of discussion

YABU - how dare you, I love watching detectives two decades past retirement age turn up and call a corpse 'pet'

This really made me laugh!

I love a cosy crime drama too, but fuck me, I watched 15 mins of Vera and just couldn't any more.

YABVU. I like Vera and enjoy spotting places we have been to and random heritage stations pretending to be on the Metro.

@pussycatlickinglollyices

I can't stand them, but DH likes them. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Final piece of the puzzle falls into their laps and there's a rush to arrest one of the first people we met and who seemed to be beyond suspicion. and they've only been in a couple of very brief scenes...

Ah yes. That's right

Either a background character who seems irrelevant, an apparently nice person who is not even mooted as a suspect, a family member who doesn't seem to have any motive at all or a completely off the wall character whose relationship with the deceased is only revealed with the final piece of information.

See for reference the long lost daughter of the dead woman given up for adoption, the little brother, the grieving daughter's supportive boyfriend, the hidden boyfriend, the long lost ex-boyfriend and the dead guy's very best mate of all time.

Gingernaut Yup, that sums it up perfectly. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Omg you dare come for Rosemary and Thyme? My mum has the box set 🤣🤣

I do feel R&T is aiming for comedy though, a bit like the cheesier Marple adaptations.

I love the formula breakdown. I only watched the first two segments of the most recent episode (man leaves karaoke club, gets on a ferry, found dead next day on the steps of a statue, shifty son with pregnant wife).

I guessed the murderer, I might be wrong but look away now if you don't want any hint of a spoiler:

The earnest, bearded young social worker (? maybe he was a trainee solicitor) who appeared in the first court scene. He was just too blameless and simpering, he had dark horse written all over him.

If I'm wrong then DM me don't put spoilers on the thread or my corpse will end up in the hydrangeas.

@Chikapu

Brenda Blethyn is awful in it but it's not the worst crime drama ever, surely Rosemary and Thyme takes that honour!

I agree about Rosemary and Thyme but I still love it, especially the one with the 3 legged Jack Russell.

I watch Vera but find her accent really grating. It's worth watching for the scenery alone.
As for her sidekick, he will always be Clint from dinnerladies.

The earnest, bearded young social worker (? maybe he was a trainee solicitor) who appeared in the first court scene. He was just too blameless and simpering, he had dark horse written all over him.

DD (who is 15 and was very excited there was a new series) said it was Cardigan Guy, first scene.

Yip cardigan is also on the list, good spot

I really look forward then half way through lose will to live and the plot!

she always gets her accent wrong on the O's so sounds a bit Liverpudlian and I have a tendancy to shout at the telly at these bits!
"It's boooooaahhhht.. man!" etc etc

I liked the early ones as I love the Northumberland area and some were quite atmospheric. Liked her first side-kick as well. She was horrible to him and is always horrible to the women on the squad who inevitably leave. I began watching the first one of the new series, but decided on Vigil instead. The problem is that Vigil looked fresher and really dated Vera.

I find Endeavour to be old fashioned but consistent in it's quality. In fact the last series was the best. Funnily enough, Shaun Evans who is young Morse is also in Vigil. My dh says he is hopelessly miscast in it.

I digress, but think Vera has run it's course.

YANBU I also love a good and even a not so good crime drama but I can't watch Vera at all.

It's an instant turn off an do something else instead in our house.

How very date you Vera is a ledge I really enjoy it for what it is. Although she seems to live on Lindesfarne but can get to anywhere within minutes, but apart from that leave Vera alone !

Lindisfarne sorry.

@Gatekeeper

she always gets her accent wrong on the O's so sounds a bit Liverpudlian and I have a tendancy to shout at the telly at these bits! "It's boooooaahhhht.. man!" etc etc

Well I think only ' locals' notice when an accent/dialect in not authentic. As a West Country lass I cringed all the way through Broadchurch.

Oh how I have tried to love Vera. I can't. And I am a massive fan of cosy crap detective tv shows!

Actually, does anyone have any recommendations?

@Etinox

I haven’t watched so haven’t voted. I love police procedural. What I’m still reeling from is the utterly appalling Silent Witness I watched for the first time this week. It’s been on for ever and has a good cast, but oh my! Is Vera as bad as Silent Witness?!

Nothing is as bad as Silent Witness, especially now each episode seems to end with a pious little speech from saint Nikki.

Love Vera (Brenda B) and spotting places we've been to in Northumberland

YABVVU. I adore Vera. I saw an episode or two at my parents' house as they love it, got hooked, took out a Britbox subscription and have now seen every episode. The scenery is beautiful and although I can see it's not documentary level realism* I enjoy having it all wash over me while I get on with a sudoku. Not many other crime series with a female lead of any age, and not many series on TV full stop with an older woman as the central character. I like that.

*understatement

Have now moved on to Shetland. Series 1 was good. Suitably dour landscape.

@Mrsjayy

How very date you Vera is a ledge I really enjoy it for what it is. Although she seems to live on Lindesfarne but can get to anywhere within minutes, but apart from that leave Vera alone !

I wondered about that, but Vera has such natural authority that she can probably control the tides.

The books are great, but obviously she couldn’t keep up with demand. So all the subtle nuances are now lost.
In the book she’s a fascinating character, in the later series she’s extremely one dimensional.
Happens all the time though, just a room full of people writing the screenplay to a formula.