nourishing obscurity

George Fenton composed the instantly recognisable theme music, while the series boasted excellent scripts from the likes of Robert Holmes and Ian Kennedy-Martin amongst others. A firm favourite with the viewing public, ‘Bergerac’ was a solidly crafted, dependably acted example of the British detective series which benefited from an interestingly believable central character given substance by a gifted and likeable actor. In the process, Jim Bergerac did for Jersey what ‘Steve McGarrett’ did for Hawaii, sparking a whole new tourist industry. On completing ‘Bergerac’, John Nettles made his home there.

One of the popular recurring characters was glamorous jewel thief Philippa Vale (Liza Goddard, who went by the nickname of the Ice Maiden. She and Bergerac had an ongoing flirtatious relationship. Many people agree that the best episodes were the ones featuring the Ice Maiden character, because of the onscreen chemistry between Liza Goddard and John Nettles. Philippa Vale appeared in an almost once-a-series basis and a Christmas Special. When Bergerac was not pursuing her, they engaged in friendly bantering.

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.

Filed under: Leisure, travel & sport