John Nettles

Damien Molony now plays Jim Bergerac, a role held for many years by John Nettles

Bergerac star Damien Molony has opened up about John Nettles‘ reaction after he replaced him in the series.

John starred as detective sergeant as Jim Bergerac in the original run of the British crime drama, which aired from 1981 to 1991. The much-loved series has now been rebooted, with Damien as DCI James ‘Jim’ Bergerac.

Asked if John had given the show his blessing, Damien told Radio Times they they had spoken about it and that he was “thrilled” with what the original Bergerac had to say.

He said: “We met and he said, ‘I’ve watched the first episode and I think it’s fantastic. It’s very different to what we did, it’s much darker – I loved it.’

“He didn’t need to say that, and I was thrilled that he did.”

The Bergerac reboot started in 2025, airing on U&Drama. It follows the police detective as he solves solves crimes in Jersey, while also dealing with issues in his own past.

Viewers have been enthusiastic about the new take on the series, with one posting on IMDB.com: “I have fond memories of the original with the gorgeous John Nettles, so there is always a bit of anxiety regarding a remake.

“However, this Bergerac, with the mesmerising Damien Molony is a different deal altogether. The general feel is much darker and less of a glossy travelogue for Jersey.. Have just binged this and can’t wait for the next season!”

Someone else said: “Like the reboot. Love the cast. Good plots and clever twists. The setting of the show is also an added bonus. I really like the actor playing the lead role, he is very likeable as this character.”

“I loved it,” one viewer posted on review site Rotten Tomatoes, although another added: “An entertaining reboot although not as good as the original.”

One reviewer commented: “Bergerac is not Superman, he is flawed and sometimes makes dumb decisions, and he wields the double-edged sword of obsessiveness, which leads to breakthroughs but can just as backfire.

“But he is very watchable, and Molony is able to persuasively carry Bergerac’s darkness and dynamism.”

Bergerac aired on on U&Drama.

Juliet Aubrey, who has enjoyed a long and varied acting career, previously recalled her experience working with John Nettles on Midsomer Murders

An actress who previously worked alongside John Nettles on Midsomer Murders has used just one word to sum him up.

Juliet Aubrey appeared with the DCI Tom Barnaby star in a 2006 episode, and has reminisced about her experience on the much-loved ITV crime drama.

The screen and stage performer, perhaps best recognised for portraying Dorothea in the BBC’s 1994 adaptation of Middlemarch, which earned her a Bafta, has since appeared in Snatch, Primeval, All Creatures Great and Small and The White Queen.

However, when questioned about one particular role, she had nothing but praise to share.

“That was fun, that was a really fun role because she was quite an extreme character,” Juliet revealed, discussing Midsomer Murders.

She continued: “She’s a horse-riding nymphomaniac basically! [It was] lots of fun doing that.”

Reflecting on her experience with the ensemble, Juliet remarked: “The cast on Midsomer Murders, they were lovely, they were great… John Nettles was wonderful,” reports the Express.

“It’s nice going in and doing a storyline and then coming out and doing something else, rather than being stuck in a series for a long time.”

Despite her extensive catalogue across numerous television programmes, Juliet maintained she doesn’t pick favourites.

She explained: “There are just so many wonderful parts, and at the time you think they’re a favourite and then the next one comes along and you go, this one.

“I mean, there’s so much variety… to be able to asked to play all these very, very different characters, it’s been wonderful, love it.”

Having taken on a variety of screen roles, Juliet has returned to the stage, and is presently appearing in a production of The Marquise.

“I always used to do loads of theatre, that’s my whole background,” she shared.

Discussing the Noel Coward play in which she’s currently performing, she added: “It’s very fast-paced, lots of laughs, and it’s about love and betrayal and lust and hope and new beginnings, all of that, it’s really good fun.”

She continued: “It’s completely different to anything I’ve ever played before. It’s comedy, and it’s really nice to be getting into a really happy place every day, and she’s fantastic.”

Midsomer Murders is available to watch on ITVX.