Hit British Detective Series ‘Bergerac’ Acquired by Wowow in Japan (EXCLUSIVE)

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The high-end Japanese pay-TV channel, Wowow, has purchased the rights to air the contemporary remake of the U.K. detective show “Bergerac,” which originally aired on the BBC in the 1980s, sometime this year.

Starting in August 2025, a six-episode series created by BlackLight TV (a division of Banijay UK) and Westward Studios from Jersey will air on Wowow Prime and Wowow On Demand in Japan. This distribution agreement was finalized by Rashmi Bajpai, the EVP of Sales Asia at Banijay Rights, which is the international distributor for Banijay Entertainment.

In the television show “Bergerac,” Damien Molony (from “The Split” and “Brassic”) plays the main character, Detective Jim Bergerac. This series made its debut in the U.K. on channels U and U&Drama in February. Following a successful first season, it has now been confirmed that there will be a second season.

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The British TV show “Bergerac,” starring Damien Molony (known for “The Split” and “Brassic”), premiered on U and U&Drama in the U.K. in February. The series, featuring Detective Jim Bergerac as its lead character, has been renewed for a second season due to the impressive viewership of its initial run.

Based on Bajpai’s statement, it can be rephrased as: “Bajpai claims that the updated ‘Bergerac’ has been well-received globally due to its strong cast and compelling storytelling. WOWOW is an ideal platform for this classic series in Japan, and we eagerly anticipate its success with a fresh audience.

This revamped series, modeled after the initial BBC show penned by Robert Banks Stewart, breaks away from its predecessor’s format by weaving a singular, character-focused mystery throughout all six episodes instead of offering standalone serialized installments. The creative minds behind this modern adaptation include Toby Whithouse (“Being Human”), Brian Fillis (“Trust”), Catherine Tregenna (“Three Pines”) and Polly Buckle (“A Discovery of Witches”).

The ensemble additionally features Zoë Wanamaker portraying Charlie Hungerford, Philip Glenister as Arthur Wakefield, and newcomer Chloé Sweet Love playing Kim, Jim Bergerac’s daughter.

Rie Izumi from Wowow’s International Acquisition team expressed delight, stating, “It is a privilege to share this exceptional production with our Japanese viewers. We believe they will be enthralled by this intriguing narrative and cast, and we anticipate that Jim Bergerac will become a beloved detective figure among the Japanese public.

Ben Bickerton and Phil Trethowan, Co-Managing Directors at BlackLight TV, expressed their joy: ‘With the assistance of our partners at Banijay Rights, Bergerac is reaching a new international fanbase. We believe in Bergerac’s universal charm and can hardly wait for more viewers to discover it.’

The series “Bergerac” has been acquired by numerous international television networks, such as NPO (Netherlands), VRT (Belgium), SVT (Sweden), YLE (Finland), NRK (Norway), DR (Denmark), BBC First (Poland), TVNZ (New Zealand), and ABC (Australia).

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2025-05-08 11:32