ITV confirms air date for final series of Vera after 14 years starring Brenda Blethyn

Fans may not be ready for it, but a significant clue has been dropped about when the popular drama will conclude, after captivating millions for 14 years. The good news for eager viewers is that they won't have to wait long.

Vera, based on North East crime writer Ann Cleeves' DCI Stanhope novels, first aired on in 2011, with BAFTA winner Brenda Blethyn taking on the lead role; a part that quickly established her as one of television's most beloved detectives.

After the pilot Hidden Depths, which featured a young Sam Fender as a corpse in a bathtub, attracted a large audience, more episodes were promptly ordered and the much-adored show has now amassed 13 series, each proving to be a real ratings success.

Over the past decade, Vera has gained international popularity, amassing dedicated fans as far away as Australia and Japan. Therefore, there was considerable disappointment when ITV executives announced that the upcoming 14th series would be its last.

Brenda and her co-stars, including returning sidekick David Leon, returned to set one final time to film the two new feature-length episodes over the summer.

Filming of the popular show took the Vera cast and crew to various locations across the North East, including Blyth, Hartlepool Gateshead and Blyth and South Shields Some lucky fans got an exclusive glimpse of what's in store for series 14 at a special event held at London's renowned British Film Institute earlier this week.

The screening and Q&A session, titled Vera - End of an Era, featured Brenda alongside Ann on stage, where they treated the audience to a series of clips from the show, reports .

One of the clips showcased a few minutes from the opening episode of series 14, featuring Brenda on screen with guest star Kevin Whately.

Although the final episode of Vera remains shrouded in secrecy, with its star being tight-lipped about the conclusion, host Emma Kennedy dropped a significant hint about the air date as the evening drew to a close.

As Brenda and Ann exited the stage, Emma revealed to the audience: "And you can watch the final ever episodes of Vera in the new year," following the news from last month that Vera would be included in ITV's festive lineup.