Damien Molony will star as Jim Bergerac in Bergerac’s re-imagined series for U&DRAMA and U | News

Sunday July 7, 2024

Casting is now confirmed for the re-imagined series of Bergerac (6×60′) with Damien Molony (Split, Brassic, Crashing) is set to step into the lead role of Jim Bergerac. The six-part UKTV Original series is produced by BlackLight TV, part of Banijay UK, Jersey, based in Westward Studios and supported by Visit Jersey. Filming will begin this month, with locations in the UK and the Channel Island of Jersey.

Damien Molony said:

I am incredibly excited to step into the role of Jim Bergerac. John Nettles has left an incredible legacy with big shoes to fill and I hope to be able to bring a new interpretation to this iconic character. I can’t wait for the audience to join me on this journey.

Zoe Wanamaker (My Family, Shadow and Bone, Black Ops) will play Jim’s mother-in-law Charlie Hungerford – a change from the original series, alongside Philip Glenister (Steeltown Murders, Life on Mars) as Arthur Wakefield. Other distributions include Pippa Haywood (Green Wing, Bodyguard) as Margaret Heaton, Robert Gilbert (Big boys, Killing Eve) as Barney Crozier, Sasha Behar (Unforgettable, injured) as Uma Dalal and Celine Arden (Us or Them) as Kara. Bergerac will air on free-to-air channel U&DRAMA and free-to-air streaming service U in 2025.

The series is written by Toby Whithouse (The Red King, Being Human), alongside Brian Fillis (Have faith Siren), Catherine Tregenna (The one that got away, Three Pines) and Polly Buckle (Rat love, a discovery of witches). Banijay Rights will handle the international distribution of the series.

Bergerac is based on the original series created by Robert Banks Stewart, which starred John Nettles and ran for nine series on the BBC between 1981 and 1991. The modern re-imagining will honor the iconic crime drama but with a contemporary twist. Unlike the original 80s hit, the new series will see a character-led murder mystery run across all six episodes, rather than a new story every episode.

Viewers will meet Jim Bergerac (Molony) as a broken man dealing with grief and alcoholism after the recent death of his wife. His mother-in-law, Charlie (Wanamaker), is concerned that Jim is not putting his daughter Kim first, and when a woman from a wealthy Jersey family is murdered, Jim must fight through his own personal struggles to become the formidable detective which once. was.

With a troublesome convict resurfacing from his past, Bergerac must call upon his keen investigative instincts and past successes to navigate complicated family dynamics and the watchful eyes of the police force to solve the case.

Tricia Warwick, Chief Executive of Visit Jerseycomments: “For many, the words ‘Jersey’ and ‘Bergerac‘ are synonymous and we’re delighted that the iconic TV series is returning to our island’s beautiful shores for filming this summer. The modern re-imagining of Bergerac presents an opportunity to celebrate the show’s heritage in Jersey, while reaching a new generation of fans who will be keen to ‘fly’ to the featured locations. We look forward to working with UKTV, Banijay UK and BlackLight TV to showcase Jersey’s unique charm and scenic landscapes through the lens of this much-loved show in a fresh, contemporary way.”

Brian Constantine, executive producer for Westward Studiosadded: “We’re absolutely delighted with today’s casting announcement, to have such an incredibly talented team of actors combined with Toby Whithouse’s world-class writing is a real boost. This project has been many years in the making, and now that all of this hard work is coming to fruition, Westward Studios is very honored to be a part of it.

Bergerac was commissioned by Hilary Rosen, Commissioning Director for UKTV and commissioned by Paula Fitzgerald, Head of Digital Content for UKTV Play, and Emma Ayech, Channel Director for Drama. Executive producers for BlackLight TV are Ben Bickerton, Philip Trethowan and Toby Whithouse. Brian Constantine is an executive producer for Westward Studios. Helen Perry, head of drama, will executive produce for UKTV. The series will be directed by Colm McCarthy (Bastard Son and the Devil Himself, Peaky Blinders) and produced by Clare Alan (Resistance, rebellion).

Bergerac is a brand new UKTV Original commission and will air on U&DRAMA and U in 2025. UKTV recently announced the introduction of its new masterbrand, U, which will see its free streaming service UKTV Play transition to U&DRAMA and U on 16 July and its family of the free channels become U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&YESTERDAY and U&W.

For more information, please contact:

Kelly Phelps, Advertising Manager, UKTV

Notes for editors:
Robert Gilbert is represented by Denton Brierley

About Drama
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The free-to-air Drama channel is passionate about bringing the best quality drama to the UK. From vintage to contemporary, from family to comedy, the channel is a treasure trove of well-loved classics and modern dramas, with stories for viewers to fully immerse themselves in.

With programs including familiar favorites Call the Midwife, The Bill, New Tricks and Silent Witness and new and exclusive hits Sister Boniface Mysteries, Whitstable Pearl and Signora Volpe, this is the channel where viewers can escape and indulge in a range handpicked of the nation. the most famous TV dramas.

The channel’s offering has also expanded in recent years with the UKTV Original TV adaptation of Robert Thorogood’s best-selling novel The Marlow Murder Club. This two-part series stars Samantha Bond as no-nonsense swimmer Judith Potts, alongside Jo Martin, Cara Horgan and Natalie Dew.

Programming on U
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About UKTV
UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 30 years, entertaining the nation with the programs they love. Its core brands – Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday – comprise comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and scripted drama and are delivered to audiences via UKTV Play, Sky, Virgin Media, Now Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media , Freeview and Freesat; and for Irish viewers via Sky, Virgin Media, Eir, Vodafone and NOW. Channel and content availability varies by platform. UKTV content is also available to UK viewers via dedicated FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Freevee, Virgin and Pluto TV. UKTV is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers. UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UK’s most award-winning production company, a world-class distributor of internationally branded services and a commercial arm of the world’s leading public broadcaster, the BBC.

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About Banijay UK
Banijay UK is a collective of leading independent television producers from across the UK. Our companies are responsible for some of the biggest television brands in television, including MasterChef, Big Brother, Peaky Blinders, Deal or No Deal, SAS Rogue Heroes, Pointless, Ambulance and many more.

Banijay UK is part of media and entertainment powerhouse Banijay, home to over 130 production companies across 21 territories, a multi-genre catalog of over 180,000 hours of outstanding original programming and a complementary live entertainment business – Banijay Events .

About BlackLight TV
BlackLight was formed in 2017 by Ben Bickerton and Philip Trethowan. Ben and Phil met when they made the critically acclaimed Ellen together and are backed by Banijay Media Group. Ben and Phil have over 20 years experience making award-winning dramas and films such as Being Human and The Curse of Steptoe. More recently, BlackLight produced four series of the award-winning anthology On The Edge for Channel 4, which was nominated for 11 BAFTAs, winning a Cymru BAFTA, as well as a number of other awards. They are currently in production on Cleddau/The One That Got Away, a new six-part drama series for S4C.

About Visit Jersey
Visit Jersey was established in March 2015 with a mission to promote tourism to and within Jersey in an innovative, cost effective and efficient way. Under the leadership of CEO Tricia Warwick from April 2023, Visit Jersey brings a fresh approach to showcasing the island and repositioning Jersey as a destination in the minds of current and potential visitors internationally. The Visit Jersey team works in collaboration with industry and government to drive growth and build a stronger and more sustainable visitor economy. For further information visit Jersey.com or the Visit Jersey Travel Trade website.