The BBC has announced that the next season of Inspector George Gently will the the crime drama’s last.

Two new feature-length films have started filming on location in Durham and the North East this week.

Created by Peter Flannery and originally based on the Gently novels by Alan Hunter, Inspector George Gently first aired in April 2007 and 23 episodes have been made so far.

Buy the complete Season 1-7 box set on Amazon here.

Martin Shaw, who plays Gently, commented: “It’s wonderful to be coming back to the show. 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 added: “I’m sad to finally part with George Gently – the series and the character. Loosely based at first on the novels of Alan Hunter, the world of the stories became my own creation which audiences have enjoyed for nearly 10 years. 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.”

The final two films, ‘Gently Liberated’ and ‘Gently and the New Age’, will be set in 1970.

The official synopsis for Season 8 reads: “It is the start of a new decade, Heath has just won a narrow victory for the Conservatives at the General Election – and he’s won on a platform of peace and prosperity by taking us into Europe. But there’s radical change for women, political paranoia in the Cold War – and industrial unrest in the air…..”

‘Gently Liberated’ sees Detective Chief Inspector George Gently (Martin Shaw) and his team Detective Inspector John Bacchus (Lee Ingleby) and Detective Sergeant Rachel Coles (Lisa McGrillis) become involved in an investigation that may be a miscarriage of justice.

‘Gently and the New Age’ begins with Gently giving evidence at The Old Bailey against corrupt police officers in the Met – his old enemies. It should be one of the final acts of his career, but he is asked to take on one last job by Lister, the head of a new Special Investigations Squad, which examines evidence against ‘bent’ coppers.

Guest stars in Season 8 will include Richard Harrington (Poldark), Adam Levy (Before I go to Sleep), Steven Robertson (Shetland), Anamaria Marinca (Fury) and Victoria Bewick (Call the Midwife).

Are you looking forward to the final season? Let us know below…