Background
The series ran from 1981 to 1991 and was created by producer Robert Banks Stewart, after another of his popular detective series Shoestring, starring Trevor Eve, came to an abrupt end. The BBC wanted a series to replace the popular Shoestring and Bergerac was thus created. The blend of holiday locations, the island's tax exile millionaire populace and, of course, some unsavoury criminals, proved a massive hit with viewers.
Like Shoestring, the series begins with a man returning to work after a particularly bad period in his life: Eddie Shoestring from a nervous breakdown; Jim Bergerac from alcoholism and a broken leg.
As well as the fantasy elements which were incorporated into the series, a number of episodes ended with unpleasant twists, as in Offshore Trades and A Hole In The Bucket. The show also dealt with sometimes controversial topics - for example, in one, an old man is unmasked as a Nazi war criminal, and his age raises various moral dilemmas.
A rather implausible element of the series is that Bergerac and his colleagues, who work in a department dedicated to dealing with non-residents, often get involved in cases where there is nothing to suggest that non-residents are involved, only discovering this later.
The evocative theme tune, composed by George Fenton, featured a reggae and accordion refrain.
The show is still regularly repeated on channels such as Alibi and RTE.
Read more about this topic: Bergerac (TV series)
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