Peter McNamara

"Vera"--and the actress who plays Vera, Brenda Blethyn--achieve a standard of realism that seldom comes to modern TV. Stanhope is convincing as a person, not a character being portrayed; the same is true of other members of the police squad. Their lives--beyond their investigative work--come to life to enrich each episode. The episodes have a subtlety and complexity (at times the police squad is off on the wrong scent) that raise this offering well above most police drama. The landscapes of northeastern England are given their due in long shots of countryside, and create an aura (of cold, overcast remoteness) that enhances this richly rewarding, entertaining show.