Mum's Monday: Bergerac

WARNING SPOILERS

Sergeant James (Jim) Bergerac (John Nettles) is an alcoholic. In the first episode we see him return to Jersey after being on the main land recovering from an injury. This is all the information we find out, it is a good place to start, however, his job is hanging in the balance. It does seem strange as at the very start of a series for Jim to lose his job, it would make for a very short television programme. We all know it is going to work out for him. Yes, he has to prove himself and keep fit and then we don’t then see him get the news he has still got his job. It would have been nice after sitting through the episode to see him actually get/being told the news in the end.

On Jersey there isn’t actually a Bureau des Etrangers (Office of Strangers) the Bureau is fictional. This is a good backdrop to a series, with Jersey attracting tourists and rich people seeking a tax haven. One question that does spring to mind, is, should there be a real Bureau? My answer ‘maybe’ but not have, as in Jim’s case, one sergeant looking after the whole island, although the island isn’t very big (9 by 5 square miles) I don’t think this is portrayed as fair. Jim is at the beck and call of the Bureau and as we see it wreaks relationships. Susan Young (Louise Jameson) didn’t know if she could see a long term commitment to Jim and his job.

In the 9 series run there are good, and some sad episodes, I won’t say any of it is bad just a bit ‘samey’, bad guy commits a crime and Jim solves and bad guy is arrested, or a storyline is forced so it includes Jersey in them. The stories however, are solid and are all in keeping with Jim’s character.

During the solving of some of the cases, it is necessary to follow the bad guy. Sometimes during the filming, it seems that the characters are too close and I wonder why the bad guy doesn’t notice the good guy. This may just be a case of the filming location and the parameters of the back drop setting.

Charlie Hungerford (Terence Alexander) Jim’s ex father in-law seems to know a lot of people on the island, yes he would know a lot, but it is debatable, if he would know all as portrayed. However, in later episodes they tone down who he knows and who he is aware off. In one episode the Jersey rich wouldn’t give the names of their friends to the police to help with their enquiries. How are the police supposed to do their job? This episode shows the importance of, whoever you are and whoever you know, you must help the police. It is good to see that no one is above the law. This also shows being rich doesn’t always mean you are smart.

In another episode it shows the power of the press, in identifying a diver who was found to have been murdered. There are good lessons to be learnt in amongst the episodes.

The series includes most aspects of Jersey life including the German invasion, golf courses and horse racing it is surprising what you can fit on such a small island.

In some cases, although Jim can see all sides to the case and is open minded, sometimes his hands are tied and there isn’t much he can do to help. In one episode however it was strange they didn’t question everyone at the fete when Jim’s daughter, Kim, (Lindsay Heath) was kidnapped. The 2 that kidnapped her were using a book to work out their strategy. All this proved was a book isn’t real life (which was amusing to watch) and Kim was found safe and well.

In another episode I found it strange that, if a man has already murdered one person why does another man threaten him, surely you do not threaten a person who has already done away with a someone. Your life could be at risk, it just seems silly and fool hardy.

Some of the episodes show their age and don’t stand up to modern day. As in the one where Jim is helping Charlie and Jim asks for an office and a phone. Nowadays all office work can be achieved on a Smart phone.  Another example is Jim’s ex-wife Debbie (Deborah Grant) wants to speak to Jim urgently and was trying to track him down. Now she would have just phoned his mobile. We see in later episodes that mobile phones are being used and car phones being used whilst driving.

One sad ending to an episode, season 3, episode 2, A Hole in the Bucket. Liz Phillips (Celia Gregory), a policewoman is looking after Terri Fuller (Rosy Clayton) under witness protection. You don’t see coming just goes to show you have to watch every one of them right until the end and it is not over until it is over. I was shocked and saddened she seemed such a nice young lady.

One character that you either love, hate or just find devious is Philippa Vale (Liza Goddard). She is a jewel thief that has many disguising that she uses, including a nun and a hippy. She has a thing for Jim and actually helps him to solve some crimes, only to then give him the slip and be off evading the law. She is one smart lady, knowing just how much to involve herself in the solving of the cases and knowing just the right moment to pull a fast one, leaving Jim at a loss.

Another lesson can be learnt from an episode, where the characters are looking for listening devises, not realising that his own daughter is eavesdropping, the father has little respect for his daughter so armed with the information she has heard, she sides with the bad guys. The lessons- be careful how you treat people and what information can they use against you for revenge.

In the same episode Jim’s life is threatened if he doesn’t drink a toast. Should he drink to save his life? Answer yes. Why because as we have seen you can come back sober from drinking with help and support, you cannot come back from a well-placed bullet in the head.

A clever episode is the one where a London gangster goes to visit his mother, whom he doesn’t want anyone to know she is his mother and he is her son, why clever, well- it is how he goes about it. He views houses on the pretence he is going to buy one. hiding one important meeting in amongst many the story is well thought-out, but with Jim on the case the bad guy is found out.

Sometimes Jim is torn between his job and his morals, he agrees why a soldier is doing what he is doing but the law is the law. Another time however, this was on the island of Sark so Jim was Jim and not in his sergeant jurisdiction. The fire is lit and there is money belonging to a person who owned a company where people died in a fire. One of the directors on Sark acquires all this person’s money and then we see her and Jim piling it onto the fire. Jim is really letting his hair down; it is nice to see him without a care in the world. The person, whose money it is arrives and warms his hands over the fire. This is amusing to watch, knowing what kept it alight most of the night.

My favourite episode is the series 4 Christmas special Fires in the Fall. It is about Mediums, ghosts and the paranormal. It is realistic as it talks about if it is good it can bring comfort and if it is bad it can open all kinds of trouble and what an ending, which just goes to prove, to be careful and not mess with things we don’t understand.

Some of the funniest lines is in the episode The Memory Man (Series 5 episode 1) we see 2 holiday makers travelling a coastal road on Jersey and they are discussing the views on the island, when the pass a naked man. The woman turns and says “Don’t see that in the brochures” and no you don’t. another funny line is said at the police station after they have arrested the naked man. “Felt your collar” “Metaphorically speaking” he had no clothes on to have had a collar. Charlie then drops himself in it. If Charlie wants to shout his mouth off about cutting back on spending money on police resources and police resources only to be put to good use, on behalf of the law and order committee, he has only himself to blame when the police save money, by not putting the naked man in a hotel room and sends him home to stay with Charlie. Another lesson there somewhere.

Another episode where we learn it is good to stay on good terms with an ex-wife is when during enquiries, Jim tries to ask Debbie about an alibi and she accuses him of being jealous. Although it is amusing to watch. We have to remember there is a serious side to the enquiry.

If training days are compulsory, then for the Bureau one of the training days wasn’t as Jim finds out and pulls out. At the time it seems Jim is indispensable and as attached to the job as Charlie is attached to his cigars and if he didn’t pass his training who would take over his job? Good question however this is answered in a later series on when Ben Lomas (David Kershaw) gets promoted to sergeant and takes over Jim’s job, when Jim decides to take early retirement from the police force.

Inspector Crozier (Sean Arnold) Jim’s boss shows his more human side in an episode when he is building an aeroplane in his office. It did come as a surprise but it was nice to see. This was all part of an episode where the story line turned out to be about a horse that wasn’t all that it should be for making a ‘mare with foal’. Also with Philippa Vale helping Jim, it made for an entertaining story.

The saddest episode is when tragedy strikes for Susan. As you watch you see the on off relationship between her and Jim. Something had to happen in the story to move it along, but it is a tragic story line and sad to watch.  To have just written her out as leaving Jim or even Jersey, with the possibility of her returning, would have been not enough for the characters because they would have always been drawn towards each other. So to take drastic action seemed logical to help Jim to move on. However, although Susan was my favourite girl friend of Jim’s I think Debbie is still the one for him despite the divorce.

In another episode, it seems Charlie has lost some of his ruthless business man side of him and decides to give some money to a charity, which he does, only to proceed to chase after the woman he has just given the case of money to, because he has forgotten to get a receipt for tax purposes. This is amusing to watch but you can’t help feel for Charlie. He has this way of putting it so you feel sorry for him when you really shouldn’t and /or that he is hard done by.

Changes are happening in Jim’s life, if the programme was called something else along the lines of The Bureau des Estranges or even Sergeant Bergerac, then the story lines would have to have Jim to stay connected with the police force. As it is called Bergerac they can do what they like and take the character where ever the writers choose. So first they have him retire to France, only to return to Jersey as a private detective.

One of my favourite characters is a friend of Charlies, Frank Blakemore (Jack Watling) the comradery between Charlie and Frank is fun to watch. Frank was only in a few of the later episodes but he quickly became one of my likable favourites. I would have liked to have seen more of him with Charlie but the story lines wouldn’t allow it and to have over done it would have spoiled it.

Jim points out in his new role as a private investigator that he has to stay confidential as he wouldn’t last long in the business. This is well said and so true.

One of my other favourite episodes is The Assassin (Series 9 episode 9) the ending is dark, intriguing and ends on a cliff hanger. It is well written, well-constructed and well-acted. I was left feeling were they or weren’t they the police. The end scene is well set up to just end at the right time to leave you wanting more but a happy outcome, not the one being described over the scene by the possible victim.

Over all Jim Bergerac gets the job done 99% of the time, his methods may not be to everyone’s liking including the new boss Inspector Deffand (Roger Sloman), who despite his hard persona has a softer side, which we have seen a few times. He doesn’t like Jim though, this could be a problem as Jim could be getting a promotion and that may not go down well with Deffand. This is completely different to the ending I was expecting. When I read the DVD description it implied Jim was drinking again because he was left at the alter by his new girlfriend Danielle (Therese Liotard) I thought the story had gone full circle drink to drink, yes he had some drink but stopped with help before it took over. However, in the end what a lovely ending to the whole 9 series, heart-warming, onwards and upwards Jim Bergerac.

If you get a chance to visit jersey, there are many places you can visit that was used on the programme. One I visited myself was the Royal Square in St Helier. That is where you will find the building that was used as the original fictional ‘Bureau des Estranges’.