[Stuart]

Yeah, in real life, wouldn't her character have retired a decade ago? You don't usually have 78 year old active detectives.

The original concept for Vera was a DI (then DCI) approaching retirement back in 2010.

I don't think ITV expected it to be so popular. If you have a success, then you run with it as long as you can.

I did think that the return of David Leon as his old character, rather than just as an occasional episode Director, was a hint at where they were going to take the series, in the same direction as STV did with Taggart back in the day.

It would have worked.