Vera

[Steve Crook]

One of the girls I work with has read a couple of the books and is very disappointed with the TV series.

As most of the people commenting here seem to be. Everyone seems to agree that Brenda is a fine actress and that it's the script that is letting her down

Steve

[Harbottle]

How much more entertaining this would this be if they turned it into 'Hart to Hart' with Tom and Alison Chance (Simon Callow and Brenda Blethyn) doing the detecting :)

[Steve Crook]

How much more entertaining this would this be if they turned it into 'Hart to Hart' with Tom and Alison Chance (Simon Callow and Brenda Blethyn) doing the detecting :)

Now that could be worth watching. It was where I first noticed Brenda, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A very clever idea, very well performed

Steve

[didi-5]

It showed some promise I think but I agree, it was a thin plot which didn't amount to much. Blethyn is worth watching though and yep, nice to see Murray Head although he's a bit too old for this kind of thing now. My mum likes the books and says Blethyn isn't dowdy or fat enough!

[GRAEME]

Just seen the second episode and I really don't see what you're all moaning about! Sure, on one level it is standard ITV Sunday night detective drama... but that is just what you need on a Sunday night! And this is a superior example. The script is no more/less cliched or by the numbers as your average Frost or Foyle. And, like those great shows, this one succeeds or fails on your feeling towards the central character.

It'll take time to warm to Vera - but I like her a lot and she is a rather more interesting character, I think, than she at first appears. Her paddy in the incident room - chucking a load of papers at a colleague who'd upset her - was very strange behaviour indeed.

I think a lot of the comments on here have been harsh. If you were expecting Wallander or The Killing, well then OK it isn't that. But you're not going to get that on ITV at 8pm on a Sunday. But it was amusing and just twisty enough to pass the time - and Vera is a promising character finely played.

It is a good deal more realistic and intelligent than Midsomer Murders!

[Dame Starry]

.........nice to see Murray Head although he's a bit too old for this kind of thing now.

Too old for what 'kind of thing' - acting?

[didi-5]

Heh. No I meant being emboiled in love affairs. I just didn't accept that the young lady teacher would be remotely interested ... twenty years ago perhaps. I felt the same when he was Gina's boyfriend in Heartbeat!

Second episode wasn't as disjointed but still it feels like there's something missing. Can't put my finger on what.

[Dame Starry]

Heh. No I meant being emboiled in love affairs. I just didn't accept that the young lady teacher would be remotely interested ... twenty years ago perhaps.

I'm afraid that young girls wanting to be with older men has been going on since the beginning of time - and it will continue to do so until the end. You must lead a very sheltered life!

My husband was 21 years older than me but, sadly, died before he reached Murray's age (65).

[Chevyman]

I'm afraid that young girls wanting to be with older men has been going on since the beginning of time - and it will continue to do so until the end. You must lead a very sheltered life!

My husband was 21 years older than me but, sadly, died before he reached Murray's age (65).

Mrs Chevy is 14 years younger than me. We never think about age:-)
x

[Ray]

I love Brenda, but I thought it was awful, and her dodgy accent didn't convince me either!

[Lustgarten]

On the plus side, David Leon as DS Joe Ashworth, was *ahem* remarkably easy-on-the-eye, so not an undiluted failure IMHO (that's put the LUST squarely back in Lustgarten, LOL).

The storyline was predictably implausible and I had mixed emotions about the camera work & direction. The endless tracking shots down corridors made me feel quite queasy at times, having said that some of the establishing shots - such as that in episode one, of the castle keep formerly occupied by Vera's father - were beautiful on my 40" LCD. I stilled it as it almost looked like a Constable painting. Beautifully composed, framed and evocatively lit with a massive expanse of portentous sky - really wonderful and on screen for nothing above 3 or 4 seconds.

Lusgarten

[Harbottle]

On the plus side, David Leon as DS Joe Ashworth, was *ahem* remarkably easy-on-the-eye, so not an undiluted failure IMHO (that's put the LUST squarely back in Lustgarten, LOL).

Lusgarten

I keep thinking the adverts are still on when he appears, as he looks like he's just stumbled out of one of those adverts for man scent

[Harbottle]

Have we all given up on Vera? Having been pretty critical of this series I thought the last episode was the best of the lot.

[Dame Starry]

Have we all given up on Vera? Having been pretty critical of this series I thought the last episode was the best of the lot.

Sorry, Harbs, the first one was so dire that it put me right off and I haven't watched it since!

It's the last one on Sunday.

[batman]

I only watched the first one and a bit of the second one.

[GRAEME]

Have to say, I'm enjoying it!

Great locations, interesting main character. Standard plots along Morse/Frost lines - but what do you actually expect.

The cries of "dire" are OTT, IMHO.

[batman]

Standard plots along Morse/Frost lines - but what do you actually expect.The cries of "dire" are OTT, IMHO.

The writing is not in the same class as Morse IMHO ... or even Frost for that matter. I expect any drama to provide something that will engage my interest and sustain it throughout the programme, something which, for me, Vera has significantly failed to do. 'Dire' is a good word to describe the series, but 'crap' is a better one.

[GRAEME]

The writing is not in the same class as Morse IMHO ... or even Frost for that matter. I expect any drama to provide something that will engage my interest and sustain it throughout the programme, something which, for me, Vera has significantly failed to do. 'Dire' is a good word to describe the series, but 'crap' is a better one.

Hmm. After watching one and a half.

Might be a touch of the rose tinted spectacles re Morse and Frost - there were some decidedly stodgy episodes. I think the writing on Vera is of a standard with average Frost.

[batman]

Hmm. After watching one and a half.

Might be a touch of the rose tinted spectacles re Morse and Frost - there were some decidedly stodgy episodes. I think the writing on Vera is of a standard with average Frost.

The first one was crap and what I saw of the second one was just as bad IMHO .... so I switched it off not wishing to watch it any more. I had seen enough to know that it wasn't very good. No rose-tinted glasses here, Morse was a classy series. Some of the later episodes didn't reach the heights of the earlier ones, but at it's best Morse was top quality TV. Frost was never one of my favourite shows, but at least when I did watch it there was enough going on to make me keep on watching to the end of the programme. Brenda tries hard, but IMHO Vera is second rate at best.

[SceneByScene]

It is a good deal more realistic and intelligent than Midsomer Murders!

Ha-ha! *Anything* is more realistic than good old 'Midsomer Murders'! ,-) I *love* the series - it is such fun in its escapism - & Tom Barnaby (maybe even the *new* Barnaby, too; we'll have to wait & see), but it is the least realistic detective series of all time.

On a more serious note(!), we - my O.H. & I! - both think, knowing the Geordie accent & the North-East as we do, that Brenda B.'s accent & vernacular is sadly lacking in accuracy.

And our general opinion re 'Vera'? The series is, to put it simply, boring. Can't quite pinpoint exactly *why*, but summat is very wrong with the way the stories are put together. Could be the script or something to do with the production of the series. The episodes so far just somehow lack any real power.

However, it was great to see the locale, with scenes at Blyth, and the majestic Gateshead Angel looming over those houses as it does.

~ Scene by Scene ~