Bergerac review: Reboot is less Death in Paradise, more Grace

Long before he was the original Inspector Barnaby in Midsomer Murders, actor John Nettles became a household name as maverick sleuth Bergerac, who cracked crimes on the sun-soaked tax haven of Jersey. His BBC escapades ran for a decade, drawing 15m viewers at their peak.

The hit series sparked a Channel Islands tourism boom and made the teak-tough, perma-tanned Nettles a housewives’ heartthrob. One critic at the time called Nettles "half man, half nutmeg, all sex god".

Now, 34 years since the credits rolled on the original, U has exhumed - sorry, "reimagined" - the character for a 21st-century audience. Charismatic Irish actor Damien Molony (The Split, Brassic) takes over the role, bringing him up to date with an angsty edge and fashions worthy of an indie band’s frontman.

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Some of the drama’s hallmarks remain. Our hero is still battered and bruised by life. Both incarnations are recovering alcoholics, but whereas old Bergerac was divorced with a limp, new Bergerac is burdened by crippling grief.

We first meet him at a support group, a broken man, battling his demons and on compassionate leave after the death of his wife six months ago.

Other nods to the original will tick boxes for longtime fans. Bergerac still wears a brown leather jacket and drives a burgundy 1947 Triumph Roadster. Sadly, there’s no sign of the reggae-tinged accordion theme tune, which was a banger.

The reliably wonderful Zoë Wanamaker plays Jim’s minted mother-in-law Charlie Hungerford - a gender-flipped character from the original series - who’s helping to raise his 14-year-old daughter Kim (Chloé Sweetlove) and stop Bergerac self-destructing. Wry-witted Wanamaker makes a good foil for the sardonic widower. Their barbed back-and-forths are a highlight.

Philip Glenister - no stranger to renegade detective roles himself - shares top billing as millionaire mogul Arthur Wakefield, whose dysfunctional dynasty are hiding some dark secrets, as dysfunctional dynasties do.

When a member of Wakefield’s family is murdered, chief of police Uma Dalal (Sasha Behar) wants her top detective on the case - even though he’s still grappling with bereavement and booze.

For Bergerac, solving the high-profile crime offers salvation and a fresh start. A chance to get his life back on track and prove himself to Kim.

To get results, he must first win a power struggle with DI Barney Crozier (Robert Gilbert) at police HQ in St Helier. The rival detective took charge in Bergerac’s absence and doesn’t take kindly to the rule-breaking, cage-rattling cop swanning back in. The pair’s tense, spiky relationship complicates the case.

Bergerac v2.0 is written by Toby Whithouse, whose credits include Doctor Who, The Game, The Red King and cult supernatural drama Being Human - which also starred Molony as an obsessive-compulsive vampire.

Whithouse’s scripts are sprinkled with sparky lines. "They’re interviewing Piers Morgan and it’s making me violent," snaps Charlie, turning off her car radio - but the tweaked format doesn’t do him many favours.

Whereas the zippy original saw Bergerac solve a different crime in each self-contained episode, this one follows a single case across the entire six-part series. It allows for greater depth and character exploration, sure, but does mean the pace is slower and almost glacially Scandi in style.

The island setting is windswept as much as it’s sun-soaked. Expect plentiful shots of characters gazing broodingly out to sea.

The long-retired Nettles, now 81, has given the revival his blessing. He’s said of his successor: "I was Cliff Richard, this is much more Clint Eastwood."

Bergerac Mk I was jollier and jauntier, almost Death in Paradise-esque, with our rugged hero pursuing roguish conmen and glamorous jewel thieves. Bergerac Mk II is more like Grace - a knotty whodunnit, led by a protagonist with a troubled past.

The result is solid cosy crime which, a couple of character names and the Jersey setting aside, doesn't bear much resemblance to its forebear.

Rather like ITV’s recent Van der Valk remake, it’s not faithful enough to please fans of the original, not whizz-bang enough to win over a new generation. Molony is terrific as the titular hero, but Nettles had more sting.

Bergerac premiers on free to air channel U&DRAMA and free streaming service U on Thursday 27th February.

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