Bergerac set to return to screens with Poldark’s Aidan Turner in frame to play troubled detective

John Nettles played DS Jim Bergerac in the original series, which was broadcast from 1981 to 1991 – Shutterstock

Bergerac is poised to return to British screens, with Aidan Turner tipped to star.

The crime drama revolving around the fictional detective Jim Bergerac had largely been confined to the history books since its decade-long run of shows finished in 1991.

Now Jersey, which provided the idyllic backdrop to the hit Eighties show, is trying to revive it.

Parliamentarians on the Channel Island are debating whether to approve £1.8 million in public funding for a new series.

Many failed attempts

Deputy Lyndon Farnham, the island’s chief minister, confirmed the proposal during a States Assembly session, which is due to be discussed this week. It is hoped that filming will take place this summer if approved.

It is the closest that Bergerac has come to an official reboot in years following many failed attempts.

John Nettles, 80, who played the original Jim Bergerac and went on to star in Midsomer Murders, is tipped to be returning for a possible cameo but he is not expected to star, the Sunday Express reported.

Aidan Turner is among the actors tipped to play the lead in the new version of the drama – Dave Benett/BAFTA

It has been rumoured that the Poldark actor Turner, Doctor Who star David Tennant or Happy Valley’s James Norton could be poised for the title role.

One source close to the talks, who asked not to be named, told the Daily Mail: “Those involved are in the final stages of contracts. But it’s almost a done deal.”

Bergerac was a major success when it aired on the BBC between 1981 and 1991, regularly attracting 15 million viewers. It remains to be seen whether any reboot would be as popular or prove a flop.

The first of the nine series saw divorced father DS Jim Bergerac return to work after recovering from alcoholism and breaking his leg, before the shows charted subplots about his love life.

The final episode was the 1991 Christmas special, titled “All for Love”, in which the detective was tipped for a promotion in a larger Bureau des Étrangers overseeing the whole of the Channel Islands.

‘Great boost for the island’

Deputy Kristina Moore, Jersey’s former chief minister, said the new series would be “a great boost for the island” after the initial shows brought a major tourism surge.

“The company are ready to go, there are scripts written, they could start filming in the spring for broadcast in November and December of this year,” she said.

Westward Studios and Banijay – and the latter’s company BlackLight – have bought back the script from the owners of Paramount and renewed rights to develop the series along with a partnership of other companies.

It is thought that another broadcaster, not the BBC, is lined up to bring the series back to screens.

A spokesman for the Government of Jersey said: “The Council of Ministers will be considering a request for funding for a series of Bergerac when they meet next week.”

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