- In an interview, the star said he has so far been ignored by TV bosses.
He became an ’80s sensation for his role as troubled, womanizing detective Jim Bergerac.
But fans hoping to see John Nettles in the drama’s modern reboot will be disappointed, with the actor saying he’s “upset” the showrunners haven’t approached him.
The Mail on Sunday exclusively revealed plans to revive Bergerac, famously set on the island of Jersey, which became a huge hit for the BBC when it began its original decade-long run in 1981.
It was widely assumed that Nettles, 80, would be offered some kind of role or cameo in the new series.
Fans hoping to see John Nettles (pictured) in the drama’s modern reboot will be disappointed, with the actor saying he is “upset” that the showrunners haven’t approached him.
John Nettles photographed with his Triumph Roadster in 1988
But, in an interview this weekend, the star said he has so far been ignored by TV bosses.
“I’m pretty upset because they haven’t been in contact at all,” he said.
The producers of the series, which will begin filming this summer, promise a “contemporary spin” on the much-loved favorite. Much of it will be filmed in Jersey and the series will be broadcast on the UKTV and Drama channels.
Some of Britain’s biggest stars have been linked to the revival, including Doctor Who’s David Tennant, who is believed to have expressed a long-standing interest in the role, former Poldark actor Aidan Turner and Happy’s James Norton Valley.
But Nettles doubted anyone could do the role justice.
When asked who should play the role, he said: “I have no idea. To be honest, I can’t imagine anyone playing it except me.
Nettles, who has since starred in Midsomer Murders, also questioned whether the show could succeed in a different political and social climate. He told The Daily Telegraph: “I don’t see how a reboot will work.” The show belonged to Thatcherite Britain, a time of quick money and pretty girls.
However, Nettles said he now thinks the detective’s attitude toward women was “horrible,” adding, “I think he was channeling my younger self.” I was a child of the 1960s. A childish sexuality characterized that time. Attitudes towards women were appalling during the 1950s and 1960s.
Therese Liotard (left) and John Nettles (right) on set during the filming of a Bergerac scene in Aix en Provence, France
But she praised the female cast of the original series, which included Celia Imrie and Louise Jameson, saying: “None of them are your idea of a stereotypical decorative woman.”
He especially highlighted the actress Floella Benjamin, who had a role in the first series. “Back then, race was never a symbolic issue,” Nettles said.
“The actors were chosen because they were talented and right for the role, which is the only reason to cast someone. It was never part of a discussion about inclusion or social engineering.”
He also revealed that he received countless letters from fans offering him sexual favors after the role, which made him a sex symbol. “I was flattered, of course I was,” he said. “But I didn’t take it seriously… You can’t start believing your own publicity.”