Brenda Blethyn has hit out at rival crime dramas as she quits ITV detective series Vera after 14 years. The 78-year-old BAFTA-winning actress will bow out as DI Vera Stanhope in January and has dismissed suggestions that she would be involved in a prequel to the popular crime series. The actress says goodbye to the role in style with two movie-length episodes to treat fans to a glorious send-off.
Speaking about a potential prequel, Brenda told The Sun: "Not that I'm aware of. No, I've not heard any. People sometimes say is there going to be a prequel? Personally, I don't think they ever work.". Brenda went to explain that while she enjoys a prequel, she doesn't often see the connect with the original series. Speaking about another ITV drama, Brenda said: "That's not to say I don't like Endeavour. I do, and I love Morse, and I loved Endeavour, but I saw no connection between the two. It was just an excuse to make a... a period set piece, which I liked, but it had nothing to do with Morse as far as I could tell.".
Brenda also had damning words for the prequel to Prime Suspect, which starred Helen Mirren. Brenda said: "Same with Jane Tennison. They did a prequel that didn't work at all.". Speaking about the reasons why she has decided to leave her role as Vera, Brenda said that more time with family was a driving factor. She said: "As much as I loved all that, I've got a family at home and I realised I hadn't had a summer for 14 years with my family. So I still did another series because I couldn't drag myself away.".
