Midsomer Murders star John Nettles breaks silence after being replaced in major role
Although we adored John Nettles on Bergerac as the Jersey-based detective sergeant, the 81-year-old star has conceded the role in the new reboot to The Split star Damien Molony, who is also known for his roles in Crashing, Derry Girls and Say Nothing.
Chatting to Metro, the actor revealed that he had met John, who is also very well known for playing Tom Barnaby in Midsomer Murders, and admitted he felt "too old" to appear on the show again but gave his blessing to Damien over lunch.
Damien explained: "I had lunch with him last week, and he was just so lovely, and he said so many nice things about the first episode too.
"He finished our lunch saying, ‘Bergerac has been so good to me and my career, and I really hope it does the same for you,’ which I just thought was a really lovely sentiment, and it just goes to show how much of a good guy he is."
The original show, which aired from 1981 to 1991, followed John as a detective who returns to work after struggling with alcoholism and a badly broken leg. Meanwhile, the new series will take place following Bergerac's wife's death, which will also see him as a "broken man."
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The synopsis reads: "With a troublesome convict resurfacing from his past, Bergerac is required to call on his sharp investigative instincts and past successes to navigate the intricate family dynamics and watchful eyes of the police force in order to solve the case."
The series has an incredibly starry cast, including Zoe Wanamaker, Philip Glenister, Sasha Behar, and Pippa Haywood.
Speaking about bringing back the show as a reboot, Damien asked: "Why not? It’s been more than 30 years since we were introduced to this world, this character, and it is such a classic, so it feels really exciting to be introducing a whole new audience to Jim Bergerac, his struggles, his desires, and his thirst for justice." Sign us up!
Bergerac is streaming from 27 February on U and U&DRAMA
