Bergerac (TV series)
British crime drama television series (1981–1991)
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Bergerac (/ˈbɜːʒəræk/ BUR-zhə-rak) is a British crime drama television series.[1] Produced by the BBC in association with the Australian Seven Network, and first screened on BBC1, it ran from 18 October 1981 to 26 December 1991. Set in Jersey, it stars John Nettles as the title character Jim Bergerac. He is initially a detective sergeant in Le Bureau des Étrangers ("The Foreigners' Office", a fictional department dealing with non-Jersey residents), within the States of Jersey Police, but later leaves the force and becomes a private investigator.[2][3]
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| Bergerac | |
|---|---|
| |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Robert Banks Stewart |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | George Fenton |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 9 |
| No. of episodes | 87 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producers |
|
| Running time |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC1 |
| Release | 18 October 1981 – 26 December 1991 |
Westward Studios' Bergerac reboot launched on U&Drama in February 2025.[4]
Background
The series ran from 1981 to 1991. It was created by producer Robert Banks Stewart.[5][6] The series begins with Jim Bergerac returning to work after a particularly bad period in his life. He was suffering from alcoholism and the after effects of a badly-broken leg.
The final episode filmed was the 1991 Christmas special titled "All for Love", set partly in Bath.
On 24 February 2014, the BBC started a rerun of the series on daytime afternoons on BBC Two. The repeats concluded with series 3, in order to avoid showing the Haut de la Garenne location, a former children's home which was the focus of an investigation into historic child abuse.[7][8]
Episodes
| Series | Episodes | First aired | Last aired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 18 October 1981 | 20 December 1981 | |
| 2 | 9 | 9 January 1983 | 6 March 1983 | |
| 3 | 10 | 3 December 1983 | 4 February 1984 | |
| 4 | 9 | 11 October 1985 | 20 December 1985 | |
| Christmas special | 26 December 1986 | |||
| 5 | 8 | 3 January 1987 | 21 February 1987 | |
| Christmas special | 26 December 1987 | |||
| 6 | 7 | 2 January 1988 | 13 February 1988 | |
| Christmas special | 27 December 1988 | |||
| 7 | 8 | 28 January 1989 | 18 March 1989 | |
| Christmas special | 23 December 1989 | |||
| 8 | 10 | 14 January 1990 | 18 March 1990 | |
| Christmas special | 26 December 1990 | |||
| 9 | 10 | 5 January 1991 | 9 March 1991 | |
| Christmas special | 26 December 1991 | |||
Cast and characters
Main
- John Nettles as Detective Sergeant Jim Bergerac
- Terence Alexander as Charlie Hungerford
- Sean Arnold as Chief Inspector/Superintendent Barney Crozier (series 1–8)
- Cécile Paoli as Francine Leland (series 1)
- Deborah Grant as Deborah Bergerac
- Annette Badland as Charlotte (series 1–3)
- Celia Imrie as Marianne Bellshade (series 2)
- Louise Jameson as Susan Young (series 4–8)
- Thérèse Liotard as Danielle Aubry (series 8–9)
Supporting
- Mela White as Diamante Lil (series 1–5)
- Lindsay Heath as Kim Bergerac (series 1–5)
- Geoffrey Leesley as Detective Constable Terry Wilson (series 1–5)
- Tony Melody as the Chief (series 1–3)
- Jonathan Adams as Dr. LeJeune (series 1–3)
- Liza Goddard as Philippa Vale (series 3–7)
- Nancy Mansfield as Peggy Masters (series 4–7)
- Jolyon Baker as DC Barry Goddard (series 4–5)
- John Telfer as DC Willy Pettit (series 6–9)
- Ben Kershaw as DC Ben Lomas (series 6–9)
Lead character and casting
According to a 2001 interview with Robert Banks Stewart, John Nettles was cast on his insistence. He said, "A programme like that would never get made today without having a household name, but back then I fought to have John Nettles play Bergerac because he was right for it."[9] Bergerac drives a burgundy 1947 Triumph Roadster instead of an approved police vehicle.[10]
Home media
In June 2021, the first two series became available on BritBox; series 3 to series 9 with all of the Christmas special episodes became available in October 2021.[11] As of September 2021, seasons 1–3 and 5–9 were available to stream in the United States via Amazon Prime with a BritBox subscription.[12]
Theme music
The original Bergerac theme music, composed by George Fenton, featured a reggae and accordion refrain. In 1982, Fenton won a BAFTA Best Original Television Music award for the music.[13] In 2018, Youngr re-recorded the track, entitled "Bergerac Remastered", with a video shot in locations around Jersey.[14]
Reboot
Writer Toby Whithouse oversaw a new six-episode Bergerac series which was aired in 2025.[15] Damien Molony appeared in the title role, with filming taking place in Jersey and Plymouth for exterior and interior shots.[16]
Co-stars include Zoë Wanamaker as a gender flipped Charlie Hungerford, and Robert Gilbert as Barney Crozier. New characters include Arthur Wakefield (Philip Glenister), Margaret Heaton (Pippa Haywood), Uma Dalal (Sasha Behar) and Kara (Celine Arden).[17]
In popular culture
Portions of Bergerac's credits were featured in the Black Mirror episode "Loch Henry": in the episode's story, it is revealed that VHS recordings of Bergerac had been taped over with snuff films.[18][19]
See also
- The Detectives, a BBC comedy series, one episode of which features John Nettles' last performance to date as Jim Bergerac.
- Will Smith Presents the Tao of Bergerac, a radio comedy series based on an obsessive fan of Bergerac
- The Cult of Bergerac, a 30 minute 2008 BBC4 documentary, featuring many cast members and writer Robert Banks Stewart
- Triumph Roadster 1947 model automobile introduced in series 1 episode 1.