BERGERAC star John Nettles has revealed the brutally honest reason he’s not returning to play the classic character as he opened up about the new BBC series.
During an appearance on BBC Breakfast this morning, John, 80, revealed he had received “a lovely letter” asking him to return.
But he believes any appearance by him would “destroy” the whole idea of it being a reboot series – given that someone new will be playing his iconic role.
Earlier this year, it was announced that the beloved BBC crime drama Bergerac was making a return and today BBC Breakfast aired a special segment giving viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what is to come along with speaking to some of the cast.
They also spoke to Midsomer Murders star John and were quick to ask him whether he’d been asked to reprise his role in the upcoming reboot series.
“I got a lovely letter from them. They said will you come along and do a little cameo at the end?” John revealed, before explaining why he flatly refused.
He said: “I thought, no, because that would get in the way of the actual production. It would destroy, in some sense, the integrity of the production, I thought.
“In any case, I’m too old and I’ve retired. I’ve got to face up to that,” he added.
John starred as Detective Jim Bergerac on the classic series from 1981 to 1991. For a decade he dealt with crimes in picturesque Jersey, but then the series came to an abrupt end.
The original cast alongside John included Terence Alexander as Charlie Hungerford, Sean Arnold as Chief Inspector/Superintendent Barney Crozier, Cécile Paoli as Francine Leland, Deborah Grant as Deborah Bergerac, Annette Badland as Charlotte, Celia Imrie as Marianne Bellshade, Louise Jameson as Susan Young and Thérèse Liotard as Danielle Aubry.
Bergerac fans were delighted earlier this year when it was confirmed the popular series was getting a reboot. But, although it’s based on John’s beloved series, fans should expect the reboot to be a very different show.
John would rather leave his version of Bergerac in the past and let the series start again with fresh talent.
So, the upcoming six-part series will see Brassic star Damien Molony take on the iconic role instead.
Tim Renouf, an actor in the upcoming series, touched on what people can expect to see in the reboot.
He said: “The framework of the story is the same in terms of it’s about Bergerac, it’s about him coming back to the force and getting back into investigating crime, so that’s the same.
“It’s still going to have that glamour that I think we remember and have fond memories of in the original, but it’s going to be grittier. The stories are probably a bit darker.”
The BBC is reopening case files on an all-star line-up of crime dramas this summer.
Here’s a refresher on the popular programmes which span six decades.
John has been replaced by Damien, who will take on the iconic role of Jim Bergerac in the reboot, with both new and returning characters entering the fray alongside him.
He will be joined by Zoë Wanamaker as Charlie Hungerford, Philip Glenister as Arthur Wakefield, Pippa Haywood as Margaret Heaton, Robert Gilbert as Barney Crozier, Sasha Behar as Uma Dalal, Celine Arden as Kara and Timothy Renouf as Julian Wakefield.
