Vera ITV Sunday night slot to be taken by gripping new thriller starring Netflix icon

When you mention Sunday night dramas to people, the most famous one on British TV over the last few years has got to be Vera, but now ITV are getting ready to launch a new thriller in the slot usually occupied by Brenda Blethyn and co. And it's a show that has already had a considerable amount of hype.

Since 2011, Vera has consistently been one of ITV's biggest dramas, with its audiences peaking around the 8 million mark and its series 13 opener being watched by more people than BBC hit Call The Midwife, as the programmes went head to head in a Sunday night ratings battle. After a Vera Christmas special aired at the end of 2023, the most recent run of the much loved crime favourite only lasted three two hour episodes, coming to a conclusion at the end of January.

It was announced after credits rolled on the series 13 final, that Vera would be back for two more feature length mysteries in 2025, with filming set to commence on them in just a few weeks time. Over the last few months, the Sunday night drama slot has been filled by Vicky McLure's return in Trigger Point and the launch of opinion dividing new drama Passenger.

READ MORE: Vera ITV viewers left 'searching' for answers as episode dedicated to late star

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And there's another new arrival waiting in the wings now in the form of Red Eye, which has just ben confirmed to be launching on Sunday, April 21 at 9pm. The main star of the thriller is Richard Armitage, who has established himself as a bit of an icon with Netflix viewers, having starred in three hit Harlan Coben shows - The Stranger, Stay Close and, most recently, alongside Michelle Keegan in Fool Me Once.

In Red Eye, Richard plays Dr Matthew Nolan, who arrives home and is immediately arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport after attending a medical conference in Beijing and coming frighteningly close to dying in a car crash - a dead woman was discovered in his crashed car, and despite his protests that he was driving alone, Nolan must return to China to face charges. The Red Eye cast also includes Jing Lusi, Jemma Moore, Lesley Sharp, as other characters involved in Dr Nolan's plight have their own pasts exposed.