Japanese premium pay-TV network Wowow has acquired the U.K. detective drama “Bergerac,” a modern re-imagining of the 1980s BBC series, for broadcast later this year.
The six-part series, produced by BlackLight TV (part of Banijay UK) and Jersey-based Westward Studios, will premiere in Japan in August 2025 on Wowow Prime and Wowow On Demand. The deal was negotiated by Rashmi Bajpai, EVP Sales Asia at Banijay Rights, the international distribution arm of Banijay Entertainment.
“Bergerac” stars Damien Molony (“The Split,” “Brassic”) as Jim Bergerac, the titular detective, and premiered in the U.K. on U and U&Drama in February. The series was recently renewed for a second season after the strong performance of its debut season.
According to Bajpai, “With its superb cast and engrossing storytelling, this enthralling new version of ‘Bergerac’ is clearly proving to be a hit with broadcasters across the world. Wowow is the perfect home in Japan for this iconic series, and we look forward to its success with a whole new viewership.”
The series, inspired by the original BBC show created by Robert Banks Stewart, differs from its predecessor by featuring a single, character-driven mystery arc across all six episodes, rather than standalone serialized episodes. Writers for the updated version include Toby Whithouse (“Being Human”), Brian Fillis (“Trust”), Catherine Tregenna (“Three Pines”) and Polly Buckle (“A Discovery of Witches”).
The cast also includes Zoë Wanamaker as Charlie Hungerford, Philip Glenister as Arthur Wakefield and introduces Chloé Sweet Love as Jim Bergerac’s daughter, Kim.
Rie Izumi from Wowow’s International Acquisition team commented, “It’s an honor to present this wonderful production to our Japanese audience. We are sure the audience will be captivated by this fascinating story and cast, and confident that Jim Bergerac will become one of the people’s favorite detectives in Japan.”
Ben Bickerton and Phil Trethowan, Joint Managing Directors at BlackLight TV, added: “We’re delighted that with the help of our partners at Banijay Rights, Bergerac is finding a new audience around the globe. We’re confident in the universal appeal of Bergerac and can’t wait for more people to see it.”
“Bergerac” has already been sold to multiple international broadcasters, including 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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