Brenda’s Vera team on cloud nine to be back

Sally Phillips’ guests on new Gold series My Favourite Sketch include Johnny Vegas and Sue Perkins. A comic will appear in each episode to discuss sketches from the last 70 years. ITV’s popular drama Vera has been recommissioned for a ninth series. Brenda Blethyn will pull her mac on again to portray Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope in four new feature-length episodes. The 72-year-old actress, left, will be joined by a host of famous faces in the first episode, Blind Spot, including Doctor Who star Peter Davison, former Coronation Street actor James Atherton and The Crown star Adrian Lukis. The episode sees Vera investigate the murder of forensic psychologist Joanne Caswell, whose body is dumped on a landfill site. Executive producer Phil Hunter said: “The love there is for Vera continues to inspire and fuel the enthusiasm of everyone involved in the making of the show.”