This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
Your Bergerac reboot has been a hit on U&Drama, where it’s aired two series already – did you expect the success?
You can never take anything for granted. I’ve met people who loved watching the original show with their family, it was such a massive part of people’s Sundays. So, it was really important to do that justice. There was always the possibility of doing one series and then going, “That didn’t really work.”
But on TV, crime clearly pays – why do you think series like Bergerac are doing so well right now?
It’s just very pleasing to watch, people really like the detection element. That’s why medical dramas are popular, they’re also detectives. And it’s the same reason that people do crosswords on the Tube. We want to work it out.
Is your Jim Bergerac more damaged than John Nettles’s version?
Bergerac is a brilliant renegade detective and alcohol is his kryptonite. His family life is falling apart, his wife is dead and his daughter is really all he’s got left. Anything that threatens the foundations of recovery he’s clinging onto makes for great drama.
Has Nettles given the show his blessing?
We met and he said, “I’ve watched the first episode and I think it’s fantastic. It’s very different to what we did, it’s much darker – I loved it.” He didn’t need to say that, and I was thrilled that he did.
Is Bergerac Jersey noir or cosy Channel Islands crime?
There’s a time and a place on television for the stuff that keeps you awake at night, like Chernobyl… but maybe I’m doing Bergerac an injustice. There was a murder in series one that had brutal sound effects. I remember being shocked and thinking, “Actually, that’s not nice, there’s more danger here than I was expecting.”
Does the setting matter?
Jersey is crucial to the show. Because it’s an island, there’s a limited timeframe to catch the villain. If he leaves the island, it’s game over. Colm McCarthy [the series’ director] would always insist that the outdoor shots, if possible, had the sea in the background. That way the viewers knew that this was confined and contained. It also adds to the kind of pressure-cooker environment of an investigation, and the pressures on Jim.
Jim also has to deal with disapproving mother-in-law Charlie Hungerford, played by Zoë Wanamaker…
Zoë has a very particular withering look that she gives me on a regular basis. Usually in a cop show, there’s an element of coming home after a terrible day at work and finding respite. But for Bergerac, it’s the opposite.
What have you learnt from Bergerac – better sleuthing skills?
No, I’m terrible at solving crimes! The writers talk about him being a lone wolf and that’s not something that I necessarily am. But maybe I am learning to be a little bit more forthright.
Bergerac airs on Fridays on BBC Two and iPlayer, and is available to stream in full on U.
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