Classic crime show Bergerac set to return

English actor John Nettles pictured as Jim Bergerac together with French actress Cecile Paoli on location in 1981

A new series of classic TV crime drama Bergerac is being developed, it has been announced.

Set on the island of Jersey, the BBC programme ran for nine series from 1981 until 1991.

The police drama starred John Nettles as complex detective sergeant Jim Bergerac, who later became a private investigator.

The show is being revived by Artists Studio, backed by Endemol Shine UK, and Westward Studios.

Artists Studio's executive producer Gub Neal said the remake would be updated to deal with "contemporary stories" and would boast a "strong serial spine".

The production company is developing the reboot as "a potential future commission".

The series originally ran from 1981 to 1991

Neal, known for producing The Fall, Prime Suspect and Cracker, added: "We've been trying to bring back Bergerac for some time and I'm very glad that we have the next generation of such an iconic show in development."

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Brian Constantine, executive producer and chief executive of Jersey-based Westward Studios, said: "I'm excited at the prospect that Bergerac may be returning to our screens once again.

"It's a much-loved drama and a real boost for Jersey, my home, where Bergerac has become part of the island's identity."

There is no word on who would play the lead role of Bergerac.