Corrie's Jane Danson's rare family update supported amid 'crazy' realisation
The Leanne Battersby star was flooded with messages as she shared a rare family update
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Bergerac star opens up on John Nettles' decision not to cameo in new series
Pippa Haywood stars in the Bergerac reboot
đ Click Here to read in detail đ
Video Loading
Video Unavailable
Click to playTap to play
Bergerac trailer for new series available on U to stream
One of the stars of the new Bergerac series has revealed how original actor John Nettles turned down a cameo in the reboot. The reimagining of the BBC's beloved crime drama Bergerac debuts today (February 27) on free streaming platform U with actor Damien Molony portraying the titular sleuth, originally played by Nettles, 81, between 1981 and 1991.
In an exclusive interview with actress Pippa Haywood, who plays PR woman Margaret Heaton in the new drama, the star shed light on the show and Nettles' decision. The 63 year old said: "I was quite sad in a way that he didn't choose to come in and do a cameo.
"It would have been lovely to have met him but I respect and understand why he said, 'No, I've moved on. This is a whole new thing.
"I think for those of us who had been fans of the original show, I think it would have been a real delight for people to see him crop up in an episode or a series or whatever."
She likened Nettles' sentiments to her own feelings regarding a return to the classic 1990s BBC sitcom The Brittas Empire in which she played long-suffering wife Helen Brittas to Chris Barrie's incompetent leisure centre manager Gordon, reports the Express.
Damian Molony takes on the lead role in the new Bergerac (Image:
(Image: UKTV))"No, it belongs where it was. I don't particularly want to be a 63-year-old Helen Brittas. I was 30 when I played her. No, we leave that there," she explained. Adding: "I can understand that feeling of, 'No, it was that brilliant series of the 80s and we just leave it there.' And now we're doing an entirely new version."
John Nettles may not be gracing the screen in the new Bergerac reboot, but he did have a conversation with the show's new lead, Damien Molony. Haywood, who's a self-confessed fan of the original sleuth series, reminisced about her days watching it with her mum, cheekily admitting they both had a bit of a crush on Nettles, calling him a "dishy guy in a sports car" with a "really lovely voice".
The new Bergerac series focuses on one case (Image:
(Image: UKTV))The latest Bergerac is shaking things up from the get-go, ditching the old one-crime-per-episode format for a single gripping crime that unfolds over six episodes. Haywood praised writer Toby Whithouse for his nod to the classic while giving it a fresh twist, saying he "pays homage to the original brilliantly" but has "really updated it".
She's was pleased about the change, noting how the Being Human and The Game creator revamped Bergerac, saying: "I love the way there's now an entire, complex story spanning six episodes rather than episodic, one story per episode."
John Nettles in the original Bergerac series (Image:
(Image: GETTY))The Green Wing actress quipped about the benefits of the new format: "I mean, for a start, I wouldn't have got six episodes of lovely, meaty character explorations in because of the intent to serve the plot a lot more."
She added: "Whereas over six episodes you get to explore a lot more interesting and complex characters and storylines, the way it interweaves and the number of different stories that come together.
"I think it makes it a much more satisfying feeling than by the end of this episode we'll know who's done it and move on to the next one next week."
Bergerac is available to watch on UKTVâs U and U&DRAMA from today
