UKTV revives Bergerac
April 12, 2024
Iconic detective Jim Bergerac will be returning to TV screens, as UKTV announces the commission of a re-imagined series of Bergerac for free streaming platform UKTV Play and free-to-air channel Drama.
The six-part UKTV Original series is produced by BlackLight TV, part of Banijay UK, and written by Toby Whithouse, alongside Brian Fillis, Catherine Tregenna and Polly Buckle. Filming will begin this summer, with locations including the Channel Island of Jersey where the show is set. Casting to be announced in the coming months. Banijay Rights will handle international distribution for the series.
Whithouse commented: “It’s a rare honour to bring back a show as beloved and iconic as Bergerac. Our mission was always to respect the show’s history and legacy, while making it impactful and relevant for a modern-day audience. We’ll be bringing back other beloved supporting characters, as well as introducing new friends and foes. Just like his predecessor, our Bergerac is complex, driven, brilliant and flawed.”
Bergerac will be based on the original series created by Robert Banks Stewart, which starred John Nettles and ran for nine seasons on the BBC between 1981 and 1991. The modern re-imagining aims to honour the iconic detective drama, but with a contemporary twist, as Bergerac thrown into a knotty, high-stakes police investigation and challenged to his very core. Unlike the original series from the, the new series will see one character-led murder mystery run across all six episodes, in place of a new storyline each episode.
Bergerac has been commissioned by Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning for UKTV, and ordered by Paula Fitzgerald, head of digital content for UKTV Play, and Emma Ayech, channel director for Drama. Executive producers for BlackLight TV are Ben Bickerton, Philip Trethowan and Toby Whithouse. Brian Constantine is executive producer for Westward Studios. Helen Perry, head of drama, will be executive producer for UKTV.
Rosen said: “We are delighted to be working with BlackLight TV and Banijay on this re-imagining of a much-loved classic British drama. There is a keen appetite for UKTV Original dramas, as seen by the stellar performance of The Marlow Murder Club, and Bergerac will help us to build off the back of such a successful start to our commissioning journey for Drama and UKTV Play.”
Fitzgerald added: “It’s an incredibly exciting time for UKTV Play, as we gear up for the launch of our masterbrand ‘U’ in the summer. Drama content is a key driver for audiences of our free streaming service, so I can’t wait to add this brilliant new series to our content offering.”