Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Darling Buds of next
Filming on reboot and cop hit Vera is delayed until next year
ITV will be back in production with as many as 12 dramas by the autumn – but not Vera or The Darlings Buds of May.
The hit detective drama and a much-anticipated reboot of the rural comedy have had to be pushed way back into next year – and may not air until 2022.
Vera, which stars Brenda Blethyn, was due to start shooting four episodes over the summer but key cast were not available.
Britain’s longest-running female-led detective series, which is set in Northumberland and normally airs in January, is unlikely to be screened until the end of 2021 at the earliest.
The 11th series of the show, which pulls in eight million viewers, was announced this year.
One drama source said: “Everyone is ready to go next spring or summer, so we’re keeping everything crossed.”
The reboot of the 1990s show about the Larkin clan, which will star Bradley Walsh as Pop Larkin and Joanna Scanlan, has been pushed back by a full year.
One source said: “It needs to shoot in full summer. We’re resigned to it being The Darling Buds of next May now.”
ITV shows that are due to air by September include Trigger Point, a new drama starring Vicky Mcclure as a bomb disposal expert.
First out of the blocks for 2021 should be the fourth run of Unforgotten, starring Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar as cold case detectives.
And Keeley Hawes stars in reallife-based drama Honour as a cop probing an honour killing.
ITV stalwarts Midsomer Murders, Grantchester and Endeavour are also gearing up for more episodes to be filmed within weeks.