Bergerac’s “dark” reboot has made some surprisingly good changes - here’s what you need to know

It's official - Bergerac is back after more than three decades. The original 1980s series ran for 10 years, with John Nettles heading the show as troubled detective Jim Bergerac solves pressing crimes around the picturesque isle of Jersey, and now the new series has made some surprisingly good changes.

Now, the series has had a modern reboot, with a new leading man taking on the iconic role. Damien Molony is picking up the mantle, who you might recognise from his roles in Being Human and The Split.

But how closely will the new series stick to the original blueprint, and what changes can we expect which will bolster the remake? Well, we've broken down everything we know so far about what's staying the same, as well as the new details we can expect from the latest series - and we're seriously excited about some of the changes.

Bergerac: What's the same as the original?

Firstly, here are the things which aren't budging:

Bergerac has issues with alcohol

Fans of the original will remember that Bergerac was a troubled character whose problems around drinking could cause him issues, despite how good of a cop he was. In the remake, the detective will once again struggle with alcoholism, but how exactly this will play out in his personal and professional life we will have to wait and see.

His 1947 Triumph Roadster

Now who could forget Bergerac's iconic dark cherry red classic car? Viewers will be pleased to know that the 1947 Triumph Roadster been spotted in Royal Square (which was home to detective sergeant Jim Bergerac’s first workplace, the fictional Le Bureau des Étrangers [The Foreigners’ Office]) in St Helier, Jersey's capital.

Even better, new lead Damian Molony has been snapped alongside the car - complete with the original number plate - for promotional shots mirroring John Nettles' own in the 1980s.

It's running as a series

Bergerac ran as a weekly series for just over a decade, between October 1981 and December 1991. While modern remakes sometimes choose to revive classic shows as a feature-length film (think the 2016 film of Dad's Army) or even as a theatre show (think Only Fools and Horses The Musical), Bergerac is coming back in it's original format as a TV series.

It's set in Jersey

Watching the original series or seeing snippets of the reboot to come, you might find yourself wondering what country Bergerac is filmed in. In fact, in both cases, the series is shot in the British Isles on the picturesque island of Jersey, which is situated off the south coast of the UK, close to France. Promotional shots of the reboot reveal the cast set against a rocky backdrop of coastlines, waves and the island's La Corbière lighthouse, firmly setting the scene in the original location.

Bergerac: What's changed in the new series?

While many of the key staples of Bergerac are remaining the same as the original, there are some marked changes - but ones which we think are going to be really exciting...

There's a whole new Bergerac cast

Of course, as you'd expect when remaking a show more than 40 years after the original first aired, there is a brand new cast taking the series forward. Here's who you can expect to spot along Jersey's sandy shores in the reboot:

Damien Molony - Jim Bergerac

Zoë Wanamaker - Charlie Hungerford (Bergerac's mother-in-law)

Chloé Sweetlove - Kim Bergerac (Bergerac's daughter)

Philip Glenister - Arthur Wakefield

Pippa Haywood - Margaret Heaton

Robert Gilbert - Barney Crozier

Aidan McArdle - Pete Benedict

Timothy Renouf - Julien Wakefield

Stephen Wight - John Blakely

Mark Cameron - Tim Bruce

Diana Vassalo - Mia Alves

Ayesha Antoine - Chloe Havron

Celine Arden - Kara Malloy

Luke Nunn - Simon Calvert

Sasha Behar - Uma Dalal

There's one main case

In the original series, we saw Bergerac solve a pressing new case each week. This time around, there will be one main crime explored across the full series.

"When a member of one of Jersey's wealthiest families is murdered, Chief of Police Uma Dalal (Sasha Behar) wants their best detective on the case. Bergerac returns to work to help him become the formidable detective he once was, whilst also trying to prove to his daughter Kim (Chloé Sweetlove) and mother-in-law Charlie Hungerford (Zoe Wanamaker) that his life is back on track," reads the synopsis. Enticing!

Bergerac is a widower

While Bergerac had his share of troubles in the 1980s show, in the reboot these are unpinned by the loss of his wife. When we meet Jim Bergerac in the 2025 series, he's been on bereavement leave from work for six months after becoming a widower.

It's in six parts

The 1980s original ran mostly as series of 10 episodes (although a handful were between 7 and 9) plus various Christmas specials. The new show, however, will run as a six-part series in the first instance, following Jim Bergerac as he tries to track down the truth of the one big case across each episode.

And, if you're wondering how many seasons are there of Bergerac...

At the moment there is only one series of the Bergerac remake, while the original ran for nine seasons across 10 years, including six festive specials.

The new Bergerac airs on U&Drama Thursday 27 February 2025