New Bergerac Bound for TVNZ

TVNZ has acquired the new version of whodunit classic Bergerac.

The six-part Jersey-set detective drama is a “re-imagined version” of the 1980s BBC series that starred John Nettles (Midsomer Murders) and ran until 1991.

“However, the new show will offer a contemporary twist as Bergerac is thrown into a high-stakes police investigation in which he’s forced to confront his demons while trying to save his family and career,” Broadcast magazine reports.

“One character-led murder mystery story will run across the series, unlike the original when a new storyline featured on each episode.”

Some elements of the original are being retained, like the hero’s Triumph Roadster, but the signature theme music has been updated.

“We are so excited to be bringing back such an iconic title that means so much to so many people,” producer Ben Bickerton,of BlackLight TV, says.

“With Toby Whithouse’s compelling scripts and Colm McCarthy’s outstanding direction, the relaunch will delight fans of the original and introduce Bergerac, and the beautiful island of Jersey, to a new audience around the world.”

Damien Molony (The Split, Brassic) heads a cast that includes Brian Fillis (Trust), Catherine Tregenna (The One That Got Away), Polly Buckle (Love Rat), Zoë Wanamaker (My Family) and Philip Glenister (After the Flood).

Here’s the blurb:

Viewers meet Bergerac (Molony) as a broken man, grappling with grief and alcoholism following his wife’s recent death. His mother-in-law, Charlie (Wanamaker), is concerned Jim isn’t putting his daughter Kim first and, when a woman from a wealthy Jersey family is murdered, Jim must fight through his personal struggles to become the formidable investigator he once was. With a troublesome convict resurfacing from his past, Bergerac is required to call on his sharp investigative instincts and past successes to navigate the intricate family dynamics, and watchful eyes of the police force, in order to solve the case.

The series starts its British UKTV run on February 27.