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Writer wanted to make Bergerac role 'more complex'

Shivani Chaudhari & Mark Hardie
BBC News, Essex
BBC Damian Moloney as Jim Bergerac on a beach in Jersey. He is wearing a jacket and a button up shirt and black trousers. The man has brown hair and a facial hairBBC
The rebooted Bergerac was filmed in 2024

The writer of a Bergerac reboot said he wanted to develop the leading role to make it "more complex".

The Jersey-based detective series originally ran on BBC One from 1981 to 1991 and starred John Nettles.

Toby Whithouse, born in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, said he had tried to make the show more "labyrinth" and wanted to "test and challenge" the character of Jim.

Set to premiere on 27 February, the new series stars Damien Molony, alongside Zoë Wanamaker and Philip Glenister.

A film crew in the town of St Helier in Jersey watched by members of the public and police. An actor walks down a shopping street, followed by various members of the crew including a mounted camera operator.
Filming locations for the TV series included Jersey's capital St Helier

The show followed a maverick detective and recovering alcoholic adept at solving complex crimes.

Nettles became a household name due to its success and said he was offered a cameo role but turned it down.

Mr Whithouse, whose previous work includes Doctor Who, wanted "to stay true" to the programme's roots while offering something new.

He said: "I absolutely wanted to do something that was more complex and more labyrinth and also allowed us to then to develop Jim as a character and to test and challenge him.

"So fans of the original will go away feeling like the show has been respected, and new people, who have come with no baggage or expectations, still really enjoy it."

Writer Toby Whithouse spoke to BBC Essex

He told BBC Essex the writing process was far from easy as it was unlike anything he had written before.

"I don't really tend to do police procedure shows, I do more high-concept genres.

"I started to have an idea for the main character and how I would write him and reinvent him.

"In the original show, Jim Bergerac was a recovering alcoholic, which is something that I really wanted to use but we've taken it in a slightly different, more realistic direction."

The original Bergerac

  • Bergerac ran for nine series between 1981 and 1991 and regularly attracted audiences of about 15 million people
  • 87 episodes were aired across 9 seasons
  • The original show was written by Robert Banks Stewart, who spotted lead actor John Nettles at a theatre production
  • Episodes across the series featured different directors, including Martin Campbell who directed the James Bond films Goldeneye (1995) and Casino Royale (2006)
  • Some guest stars included actresses Louise Jameson and Liza Goddard, who made several appearances in the show

One of the key changes in the modern version is there will be one story per series instead of one story per week.

Bergerac is available on U and U&DRAMA from 27 February.

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