New Bergerac star Damien Molony might not be the only actor in the Jersey-set detective series reboot that finds it gives his career a boost – original Jim Bergerac John Nettles was joined by a whole host of big names in early career roles.
The BBC series from the 80s and 90s is being relaunched at U&Drama, with Molony playing an updated version of the island’s maverick detective.
Back in Nettles’ day, the drama offered a big break for many an aspiring young actor, with the likes of Shane Richie and Tessa Peake-Jones getting some of their first jobs in brief appearances on the show. Other well-known stars who made one-episode cameos included Prunella Scales, Amanda Redman, Michael Gambon and Ray Winstone.
In fact, Philip Glenister landed a role in the final episode of the original run and is now returning as a main character for the new series.
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Over nine series of Bergerac at the BBC, the supporting cast list read like a who’s who of British acting talent – here are just some of the stars you might have forgotten popped up in episodes of the drama.
Celia Imrie
One of screen star Celia Imrie’s very early roles was as Bergerac’s girlfriend Marianne Bellshade. She appeared in eight episodes of the drama in 1983, before the detective met his longer-term partner Susan Young (Louise Jameson).
Imrie’s career has spanned more than four decades since then, with her most famous roles including the Bridget Jones adaptations, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Calendar Girls.
She is set to star as lead character Joyce later this year in a film adaptation of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club.
Annette Badland
She’s a familiar face to TV viewers now, but Annette Badland landed her first recurring role on screen as police secretary Charlotte in Bergerac from series one to three.
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Badland has since starred as Aunt Babe in EastEnders and Mae the landlady in Ted Lasso, and is also a regular cast member in Midsomer Murders – although she joined in 2019, after Nettles’ departure.
Tony Robinson
Bergerac viewers will have been excited to see Tony Robinson take on the role of a wheeler dealer in Jersey in 1990 as he was already a big TV star.
Robinson had made his name as Baldrick in Blackadder and as the sheriff in Maid Marian and Her Merry Men, but couldn’t resist the lure of a trip to the Channel Islands as a guest star.
More recently, his screen work has included presenting on Time Team and appearing in The Madame Blanc Mysteries. He also took part in the 2023 Masked Singer Christmas special as Sprout.
Bill Nighy
You might have to look closely to recognise a young Bill Nighy in a 1991 episode of Bergerac. While it was a one-off performance, it was significant as it was that year’s Christmas special and the final ever episode of the original series – which also guest starred Philip Glenister.
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Nighy went on to an illustrious career in TV, film and on the stage. At the 2023 Oscars he was nominated for best actor for his role in Living, while he’s also won Baftas for State of Play and Love Actually.
His other noted roles include Pirates of the Caribbean, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Pride, Their Finest, and most recently Joy.
Steve McFadden
Before Steve McFadden was bullying his way around Albert Square as Phil Mitchell, he was menacing Jersey as bad boy Jones in a 1990 episode of Bergerac. He can be seen here holding a gun to the detective’s throat which would have been good practise for his later EastEnders role.
McFadden’s EastEnders casting was his next role after the crime drama and has proved his life’s work – but he is far from the only Walfordian to have a past on Jersey…
Perry Fenwick
Another face instantly recognisable to soap fans is Perry Fenwick’s, who guest starred in the series back in 1985.
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Fenwick would go on to be cast in EastEnders as Billy Mitchell, a member of Phil’s extended family in the show.
Other EastEnders stars who made early appearances in Bergerac include Shane Richie and Michelle Collins, while Coronation Street’s David Neilson also made a cameo on the island.
Stephen McGann
Call The Midwife star Stephen McGann has another beloved BBC show in his past, as he featured in Bergerac twice playing two different guest characters in 1985 and 1989 episodes.
McGann, who is married to Call The Midwife creator Heidi Thomas, has also starred in Emmerdale and has a second career as a science communicator, which he studied for a masters in during a break from his acting roles.
Andrew Sachs
Bergerac landed another big guest star in Andrew Sachs, who was well loved by audiences as Fawlty Towers waiter Manuel by the time he featured in a 1989 Bergerac episode.
Unfortunately, later in his life Sachs’ fame was overshadowed by a controversial series of prank calls by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross on The Russell Brand Show, where they left explicit voicemails about controversial comic Brand‘s relationship with Sachs’ granddaughter Georgina Baillie. Sachs later told the BBC how the scandal had still affected him for years afterwards.
The actor was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2012 and died in 2016.
Bergerac begins on U&Drama at 9pm on Thursday.
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