Bergerac (TV Series) - Location

Location

The series played heavily on its Jersey location, and its supposed 'Frenchness' even in its theme tune. The early storylines were usually in and around Jersey, with short scenes shot in England and France. In later episodes however, the action strayed further and further away from Jersey, and was increasingly based in France — introduced in part through a French girlfriend.

As Jersey is a small island (nine miles long by five miles wide), most of the filming locations there can be tracked down with ease. Jim Bergerac and Susan Young's flat was located just above St Aubin, a few doors along from the Somerville Hotel. Although, part of the interior was actually within another flat at Gorey, six miles away. However, Jim's original home in the first few series was submerged when the States of Jersey flooded the valley to create the Queen's Valley reservoir in 1991. Plans for this reservoir were referred to at the start of season four, when Bergerac is forced to seek new accommodation because of them, in the process meeting an estate agent who becomes his new girlfriend (i.e., Susan).

One of the main sites of the series achieved notoriety much later. The "Bureau des Étrangers" was located at Haut de la Garenne, a former children's home which in February 2008 became the focus of the Jersey child abuse investigation 2008. The building, on Mont de la Garenne overlooking Mont Orgueil and the Royal Bay of Grouville, ceased being a children's home in 1983 and was re-opened as Jersey's first and only youth hostel.

The original Bureau in the TV series was located in St Helier's Royal Square, but due to the popularity of the programme, filming was often difficult after the first season as the pretence of filming a documentary series (a rather boring subject to watch) was spoilt by public recognition of Jim's Triumph.

Windward House, Le Mont Sohier, St Brelade (under threat of demolition in 2009) with lush grounds overlooking Ouaisné and St Brelade's Bay, was a stunning location used internally and externally throughout all 9 seasons and the Christmas specials. This pink and grey building with while pillared entrance first appears in season 1, episode 6 "Portrait of Yesterday", as the home and wedding venue of the incidental characters Windward House then reappears from season 2, episode 1 as Charlie Hungerford's main residence where he is hosting a large garden fête, and then appears in almost every episode of the show - either used heavily as part of the central plot, or as a backdrop for family gatherings, drinks parties, business meetings, barbecues, marquee events, etc. The entire house was used over time - particularly the living room with French windows, dining room, conservatory and long gallery hallways. External filming regularly included the gardens, paddock, driveways, fruit gardens, greenhouse, cider press, rockery. The house becomes Bergerac's "home" when he is in between properties of his own, and due to its unique design, sums up in many people's minds what a Jersey "millionaire's" house looks like.

Noirmont Manor, Noirmont, is Charlie Hungerford's home throughout season one. Whilst no explanation is given in the show as to why he moves to Windward House for later episodes, Noirmont Manor is notoriously hard to reach, being down a very steep hill, and perhaps not suitable for the big BBC Film Crew vans.

As is standard practice in film and television drama shot on location, the places portrayed are not intended to create an accurate travelogue of the actual island. In the fictional story on screen, locations from different island locales were frequently edited together into the same sequence. John Nettles, in his book Bergerac's Jersey, states that the locals were always amused by such editing.

As the series ran for a decade, directors found it increasingly difficult to find locations which had not been over-used in past episodes. While promoting his film White Noise in an interview with Xpose magazine, director Geoffrey Sax described how he made an effort to find new locations, only to return for the actual shoot to find camera tripod marks in the ground, another director having shot there in the meantime.