Show of the Week: Bergerac

This reimagined version of the 1980s Jersey crime drama is being written by Toby Whithouse and has already been picked up in almost a dozen countries around the world.

The six-parter stars The Split’s Damien Molony, who plays the titular detective and uses the BBC series that starred John Nettles and ran for a decade until 1991 as its inspiration.

However, the new show will offer a contemporary twist as Bergerac is thrown into a high-stakes police investigation in which he’s forced to confront his demons while trying to save his family and career.

One character-led murder mystery story will run across the series, unlike the original when a new storyline featured on each episode, but Ben Bickerton and Phil Trethowan, co-managing directors at Blacklight TV, tell Broadcast International that the IP offers great potential.

“We were huge fans of the original as kids, so the possibility of rebooting such a much-loved title was both exciting and a little bit daunting,” says Bickerton.

“But we knew Bergerac retained a nostalgic power with the British public and that this would give us a good chance of reaching a large and hopefully appreciative audience - so we went for it.”

The series will be available to buyers at London TV Screenings and has already been picked up across the Nordics, and by NPO in the Netherlands, VRT in Belgium, and TVNZ in New Zealand.

BBC First in Poland has also acquired the drama, joining the ABC in Australia, and Claire Jago, exec vice president of EMEA sales and acquisitions at distributor Banijay Rights, says the series cuts through for buyers.

“Bergerac is an iconic name in the world of detectives and crime series and a re-imagined version with new stories and cast has been hotly anticipated.

“Jersey’s stunning scenery and the legendary Triumph Roadster car only add to the gripping storylines and fantastic cast,” she continues, adding that Malony, alongside Zoë Wanamaker, heighten the show’s appeal to global buyers.

Trethowan adds that “elements” from the original will be recognisable but he says that a “contemporary lens” has been applied to the new series. “Toby Whithouse has taken all of Jim’s original foibles, his personal troubles, his family life, his status as an outsider, and his unorthodox approach, and created a compelling modern version of Jim who we think the audience will absolutely root and bleed for.”

The car from the original Bergerac has also been used in the new show, but Trethowan says the story arc changes are the biggest change from the original.

“We’ll explore one knotty, twisty, who-done-it murder across the six-episode series, which will keep the audience guessing, and allow us to explore Jim’s character in depth and detail.

“And of-course Bergerac wouldn’t be Bergerac if we hadn’t done our own updated version of the classic theme tune.”

The setting of the drama, which was shot in Jersey and Devon over the summer of 2024, adds another layer of appeal, says Bickerton.

“It was important to shoot in the summer to create the sense of an island bathed in sun, a seeming paradise of beaches and un-spoilt coastlines, but with secrets and darkness in the shadows. We’ll explore how the wealthy live, visit stunning properties and exclusive clubs, whilst also showing how normal people live cheek-by-jowl in Jersey.

“It was important to us to give Jersey character as well as showing off its extraordinary beauty and iconic landmarks. The show should be an escapist treat.”