Addictive detective drama labelled a must-watch for Vera fans is now on Netflix

Vera fans are in for a treat as a classic British detective drama has just been added to Netflix. Inspector George Gently has been described by Gavin and Stacey actress Joanna Page as the next Vera.

Speaking on her Off The Telly podcast, she explained how her mum and dad had binged Brenda Blethyn's Vera series and were looking for something else to get their teeth into. They have since become hooked on Inspector George Gently.

She said: "All of these long-running shows, you get to do it, have a little break and time off, then back on it again for a few months. My parents are mourning Vera at the moment because they have been obsessed with her.

"They have watched the entire thing. Well, they have now progressed onto George Gently and they are absolutely loving it." The series was set in the 1960s and was loosely based on some of the Inspector Gently novels written by Alan Hunter.

Across eight seasons, the series starred Martin Shaw in the title role with Lee Ingleby as Detective Sergeant John Bacchus. Simon Hubbard and Lisa McGrillis played police constables at the fictitious North East Constabulary.

While the books were set in Norfolk, the series moved North East to Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, and County Durham.

In January 2017 it was announced the series would end after 10 years, with the final season made up of several mini-movies set in 1970, as the women's liberation movement and the rise of the Conservative Party brought clashing values to the country.

At the time, Martin Shaw said it had been "wonderful" returning to a long-running detective series.

He told Digital Spy: "We're a very happy and close company, and working with such friends is a joy. I'm excited at being able to bring the series to a proper finale, a farewell that befits such a popular series."

Executive producer Peter Flannery said it was a bittersweet goodbye, adding: "It's been a privilege along the way to work with talented and committed teams and I hope that many of them will look back on George Gently - as I will - with pride and pleasure."

Viewers will be pleased to hear all eight seasons have been added to Netflix so they can binge their way through at their leisure.

Martin said it was the right time to end the series after 10 years, telling Radio Times: "I mean, for a start, George is getting fed up with policing, you know, and the feelings that he has about his life, and just generally he is not suited to the modern police force.

"One of the show’s great assets is its realism and plausibility. And for George to carry on as an operational policeman, it wouldn’t have been realistic or plausible."

Inspector George Gently is available to watch on Netflix