Originally based on the Vera Stanhope novels by Whitley Bay local Ann Cleeves, Vera is a crime drama series that ran from 2011 to 2025, telling the story of the lead detective and her team investigating murders around the North East. With beautiful cinematography and even more stunning settings, the show captures the essence of the North East in a lovely manner. While Brenda Blethyn, Vera, is not an authentic Geordie, her accent is acceptable, and the majority of the supporting actors and extras are from the North East. Vera also boasts some big names, including Paul Ritter, Paul Kaye, and even Sam Fender, who was the body in the very first episode back in 2011.
Another show with Geordie A-listers is Byker Grove, which is the place in which Ant and Dec met and claimed their fame at just 13 years of age. Byker Grove is a teen and coming-of-age drama about a group of teenagers who were part of a youth club in Byker. Despite it running from 1989-2006, it is still available to watch – for free – on STV Player, should you want to see Ant and Dec in their earliest form! It was an amazing show that spotlighted issues that young adults dealt with, such as drug addiction, teenage pregnancy, and child abuse, all of which were taboo in the late 80s-early 90s.
Finishing off this list with a comedy-drama, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet is a show from the 1980s in which three Geordie bricklayers jet off to find work abroad. Despite the characters not being shown in Newcastle until the second season, it is a perfect portrayal of the typical Geordie middle-aged man, of which the stereotype is rather accurate to the show. Tim Healy, as you may know from Benidorm or as The 1975 frontman Matty Healy’s father, also plays one of the lead characters, and Bill Nighy also joins in with the fun as a disgraced politician. The first two of five seasons are available on ITVX, so, if you would like to get a feel for Geordie slang and culture, give Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and the other two shows a go!