Bergerac

I'm a fan of Damien Molony.

I'm a fan of the original Bergerac (albeit I was a tiny kid when it was on our TVs).

I love the Channel Islands.

What's not to love?

It was OK.

It just needs to be more succinct.

Faster paced.

Each case could and should be completed in two episodes - just like "Silent Witness" or "Unforgotten".

This dragged on at a snails pace.

It was missing something - I cannot put my finger on "what". Possibly just pace and story arc. I hope it's renewed for a second season taking viewer feedback on board.

I was looking forward to the new Bergerac. I'm left slightly disappointed.

As others have said this is a lazy adaptation of an old classic. The story arc which goes over six episodes could have been done in two, the misanthropic cop who can't communicate with anybody let alone his daughter who is in desperate need of support is so old and overwritten it is ridiculous. The constant railing against authority which was nuanced and effective in the original is just a blunt hammer in this one. The main actor himself I'm not sure about if it's the script or his delivery but it is so wooden and unsympathetic is a hard watch. I must admit I fast forwarded through most of this as I guess who done it early on, and frankly the male "intuitive " posturing was so bizarre - literally just yelling at his boss in front of the team - let me just... I was like can you not...

If it was announced that Prime Suspect was to be brought back, and the first series had Dawn French as DCI Tennison investigating the village gossip's murder by trebuchet, all the while chucking in funny asides and double entendres, there would rightly be an outcry from fans of the original series. This, of course, will never happen, but when it comes to hugely popular 'cosy' series, which producers and directors obviously look down on, anything goes. Thus we get a 'brought up to date' Bergerac, which of course means lots of troubled souls, dark lighting, mumbled lines, convoluted plots, and last but not least a damaged lead. It's almost impossible to like this Jim Bergerac, an awesomely irritating individual who spends half his time contemplating his navel, the other half ignoring his superiors, work colleagues, and of course his daughter. Why did it have to be a remake? Call it Dubois, and set it on Guernsey, just leave the originals alone. Blimey, what a load of boring old twaddle.

There is nothing barely redeemable about this remake. The storyline isn't new, the acting is almost as bad as a children's school play and none of the characters had any depth.

It's incredulous that this even got funding. The 'whispering' DCI character, the back stabbing DI and lack of basic police procedure we know from other crime shows. There was no drama, no edge of the seat tension and no real motivation to watch the remaining episodes than to at least give it a chance.

Add to this a complete lack of plausible 'rich' people behaviour - we know any wealthy person would have used their private connections to sideline Bergerac sooner. It's dubious anyone had watched the original show or had a clue about how to write an evolving story.

Those expecting the "old" Bergerac will likely be disappointed. Gone is the pleasant John Nettles persona replaced by a darker, more troubled characterisation of the titular character, by the excellent, Damien Molony.

There are neat nods to the original series - the classic Triumph car, the wonderful Jersey scenery and the troubled detective and several other (reinvented) characters.

A strong supporting and guest cast including Zoe Wanamaker, Philip Glenister and Pippa Haywood add wonderfully to a narrative full of intriguing plot twists.

The story arc, told over six episodes, was a promising start and one from which the producers can build a new, but more nuanced, but still entertaining, Bergerac dynasty.