Vera

A lot of good actresses can play tough or bitchy, but few have the talent — or the nerve — to play just plain unlikable. So hats off to whoever decided to hire Brenda Blethyn to play DCI Vera Stanhope in this excellent series. Stanhope is the kind of a TV cop who sacrifices everything — and then some — to solve the crimes she gets assigned. Like a lot of good cop shows, Vera gives us a lot of interesting insights along the way into just why Stanhope makes the sacrifices she does. But there’s a catch: We don’t want to really know that much about her because we never want Stanhope to lose that nasty edge that drives her (and the series). It’s OK to love the actress, because Blethyn is breathtaking in the show. And it’s just as valid to dislike the lady she plays.