UKTV has announced their critically acclaimed hit re-imagining of ‘Bergerac‘ starring Damien Molony has been renewed for a 2nd Season.
‘Bergerac’ is based on the original series created by Robert Banks Stewart, starring John Nettles and running for nine series on the BBC between 1981 and 1991 (which is also available on the U streaming service). The modern re-imagining honours the iconic detective drama, but with a contemporary twist. Unlike the original hit from the 80s, the new series sees one character-led murder mystery run across all six episodes, in place of a new storyline each episode… something not lost on the new lead actor…
“I’m so excited to be returning for a second series and to be heading back to the beautiful island of Jersey. Bringing this iconic role back has been an incredible experience,” said Damien Molony, who continued by joking, “My predecessor had solved six crimes in the time it’s taken for me to solve one, so I have a bit of catching up to do. I can’t wait to explore the character of Jim Bergerac further and see what case we crack next.”
The second series will see Jim Bergerac (Molony) starting to put his life back together, while his mother-in-law, Charlie Hungerford (Zoë Wanamaker), has a new man in her life. Jim’s even tentatively dating, with his daughter’s encouragement, although it’s a big step for him. But then he meets Nicola, a visitor to Jersey, and they connect. Could this be the start of something for Jim?
However, before the relationship even has time to blossom, Jim is pulled back into his next big case. When the groom at a wedding reception on the island is found murdered in his hotel room, the wedding party comes under intense suspicion and scrutiny. Jim will have to decipher the victim’s cryptic last words from his speech if he is ever going to bring the killer to justice. And when Jim starts to unravel old secrets, more skeletons come to light, making this his most intricate case yet.
Zoë Wanamaker will return as Charlie Hungerford and Robert Gilbert as Barney Crozier. Further cast will be confirmed in the coming months. The second series will be written by Toby Whithouse, alongside Ashley Sanders, Emilie Robson and Faebian Averies.
“I am so delighted we’re returning to Jersey for a second series of Bergerac,” said Helen Perry, head of drama, commissioning, UKTV. “Toby Whithouse and Blacklight TV have done a remarkable job, taking a much-loved classic and re-inventing it for today’s audience. Damien is mesmerising as Jim, and is matched by Zoë and Robert brilliantly. Viewers loved the first series, so we’re thrilled to be taking them back to the beautiful island of Jersey for another thrilling investigation that’s even more twisty than the first.”
The first series, which launched on 27th February 2025 on U and U&DRAMA, has become the second highest rating programme on U&DRAMA ever, with record numbers of 1.8 million consolidated viewers tuning in. The launch contributed to a record-breaking performance on U, helping to achieve the best week ever for the platform. This follows the success of The Marlow Murder Club as the top U&Original drama to launch on the free streaming service in 2025.
“Bringing this iconic show back to life with Toby Whithouse has been a true honour,” adds BlackLight TV. “We have been thrilled with the response to series one and that we are able to continue the journey with our partners at UKTV, Visit Jersey, Banijay Rights and Westward Studios. We can’t wait for fans to enjoy Jim Bergerac’s thrilling new case, full of dark secrets, huge twists and unforgettable new characters that we know will keep the audience gripped to the end.”
‘Bergerac’ has been commissioned by Helen Perry, head of drama, commissioning, and ordered by Emma Tibbetts, director of programming, scripted. Executive producers for BlackLight TV are Ben Bickerton, Philip Trethowan and Toby Whithouse. Brian Constantine is executive producer for Westward Studios. Helen Perry will be executive producer for UKTV. Banijay Rights will handle international distribution for the series.
‘Bergerac‘ Season 1 (and the original series) is available to stream for free on U. Season 2 will film in Summer 2025, and release in 2026. If you want to keep track of this or any other show, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when they get a UK premiere date.
