Five Crime Dramas to Fill the Vera-Shaped Hole
With Vera concluding its 14-year run on ITV, fans of Brenda Blethyn's iconic detective are seeking new series to binge. Here are five gritty crime dramas featuring formidable female sleuths that rival Vera's crime-solving abilities.
Hetty Wainthrop Investigates
Long before Vera, there was Hetty Wainthrop Investigates. Starring Patricia Routledge, the series follows her as she tackles sinister cases in Lancashire alongside her assistant Geoffrey Shawcross (Dominic Monaghan). The show drew inspiration from David Crook's 1986 novel Missing Persons. Where to watch: BBC iPlayer.
Mare of Easttown
Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet plays troubled detective Marianne 'Mare' Sheehan, who investigates the death of a young mother while grappling with a turbulent personal life. The series earned 16 Emmy nominations and praise for Winslet's Pennsylvania accent. A second season is in development. Where to watch: Sky, NOW, HBO Max UK & Ireland.
Unforgotten
This ITV drama follows cold case detectives led by Cassie Stuart (Nicola Walker) and partner Sunny Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar). Each season centers on a different case, with guest stars including Mark Bonnar, Tom Courtenay, Alex Jennings, and James Fleet. Where to watch: ITVX.
Ellis
Channel 5's hard-hitting crime drama launched in 2024, with a second season in 2026. Sharon D. Clarke plays lead detective Ellis, who with partner Chet Harper (Andrew Gower) is dropped into struggling police investigations, creating tension with local forces. Where to watch: Channel 5.
Prime Suspect
Helen Mirren's long-running series, written by Lynda La Plante, aired from 1991 to 2006. Mirren portrays Jane Tennison, one of the Met's first female detective chief inspectors, who contends with institutional sexism while solving challenging cases. A 2015 prequel, Prime Suspect 1973, starring Stefanie Martini, was cancelled after one series. Where to watch: ITVX.
