BlackLight to reboot iconic Jersey-set detective drama Bergerac for UKTV

Bergerac made its debut on BBC One in 1981

UK multi-channel operator UKTV has commissioned a reboot of classic British crime drama Bergerac to premiere on its free-to-air channel Drama and streaming service UKTV Play in 2025.

The six-part series will be produced by Banijay-backed prodco BlackLight TV (That Girl), with Banijay Rights handling international distribution.

It will be written by Toby Whithouse (Being Human), Brian Fillis (Trust, Sirens), Catherine Tregenna (Three Pines) and Polly Buckle (A Discovery of Witches). The exec producers are Ben Bickerton, Philip Trethowan and Toby Whithouse from BlackLight, plus Brian Constantine of Westward Studios and UKTV’s Helen Perry.

The original Bergerac, created by Robert Banks Stewart, first aired on BBC One in 1981 and ran for nine seasons until 1991. Set on the Channel Island of Jersey, between England and France, it starred John Nettles (Midsomer Murders) as detective sergeant Jim Bergerac.

The reimagined Bergerac will once again return to Jersey, with filming scheduled to start this summer. Casting has yet to be announced.

In the new series, the central character is given a “contemporary twist,” as Bergerac confronts his demons while undertaking a high-stakes police investigation. Rather than a new case each episode, like the original, the reboot will have one storyline across the series.

Bergerac was 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.

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, and Bergerac will help us to build off the back of such a successful start to our commissioning journey for Drama and UKTV Play.”