Thursdays, Jan. 26 - Feb. 16, 2023 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV
Multi-award-winning Brenda Blethyn returns as the unorthodox but brilliant DCI Vera Stanhope, investigating more chilling crimes only she can solve. On Season 10, Vera and her team are drawn into four more compelling cases; the body of a police officer discovered in an abattoir incinerator, a mysterious car crash, a suburban back-garden murder and the circumstances that led to the death of a teenage boy.
Based on the bestselling Inspector Stanhope novels by 2017 CWA Diamond Dagger recipient, Ann Cleeves.
EPISODE GUIDE:
Episode 1: “Blood Will Tell” encore Thursday, Jan. 26 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV - When bailiffs attempt to repossess the home of Freddie Gill, they find him shot dead in his own living room. DCI Vera Stanhope is called to investigate, and soon realizes Freddie’s life was far from the flashy image he presented. Together with her trusted sergeant, Aiden Healy (Kenny Doughty), Vera learns Freddie was borrowing money to support his failing businesses, and recently estranged from his wife and son. The discovery that Freddie’s wife Jade has also just lost her father puts Vera on a trail of family secrets and deeply held grudges long buried.
Episode 2: “Parent Not Expected” encore Thursday, Feb. 2 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV - The body of 19 year-old Dennis Bayliss washes up near a coastal salmon farm, but DCI Vera Stanhope suspects foul play when she discovers he was dead before he went into the water. Dennis only recently connected with his biological father Thomas Walken (Cal MacAninch), the farm’s owner, creating emotional turmoil for both the Walken family and Dennis’ crushed parents Steph and Rob. To catch the killer Vera must investigate Dennis’ motives for ingratiating himself with his father’s wealthy family, and whether their apparent acceptance of him was as welcoming as they would have her believe.
Episode 3: “Dirty” encore Thursday, Feb. 9 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV - Newcastle street sweepers find the body of Luke Sumner in an underpass close to his home. After pathology rule that the cause of death was an assault that occurred several hours before he collapsed, DCI Vera Stanhope tasks her team with finding the person who attacked him. They discover a young man whose troubled childhood left lifelong scars on his body and psyche. Vera must peel back layers of corruption, deceit and betrayal in Luke’s personal and professional lives to find his killer.
Episode 4: “The Escape Turn” encore Thursday, Feb. 16 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV - Alun Wilmott, millionaire CEO to a chain of bookmakers, is tragically shot and killed after walking in on two masked burglars holding his family at gunpoint. What first appears an open and shut case for DCI Vera Stanhope and her team, is quickly revealed to be anything but. Alun’s history of ruthless business decisions and controlling behavior gives Vera reason to believe both punters and employees alike had motive to target him. To catch her killers, Vera must dig deeper into Wilmott, whose gambling empire influenced the lives of family, friends and colleagues for better and for worse.
Reviews:
"Our favourite detective" - Metro
"Gripping tales" - Good House Keeping
"Classy performances, tight writing and atmospheric direction" - iNews
"One of the most gripping dramas on air" - Telegraph
The series is available to purchase and stream via Amazon Prime Video. It is also available on Apple TV.
Credits:
Starring: Brenda Blethyn, Kenny Doughty, Jon Morrison, Ibinabo Jack. Writers: Paul Logue, Colette Kane, Sally Abbott and Paul Matthew Thompson. Directors: Paul Gay, Rob Evans, Delyth Thomas, Carolina Giammetta. ©ITV Studios
