Jersey’s most famous detective has secured a “whole new viewership” with a Japanese audience, those behind the new Bergerac TV series have revealed.
The six part series has been sold to Japan’s leading premium pay TV broadcaster WOWOW.
The announcement comes just over a week since UKTV revealed that the new six-part series has become the second highest rating programme on U&DRAMA, with 1.8 million consolidated viewers tuning in.
It also contributed to a record-breaking performance on U, helping to achieve “the best week ever” for the streaming platform.
A second series is due to be filmed this summer and is expected to air sometime in 2026.
In a deal negotiated by Banijay Rights, WOWOW will launch the first series on its WOWOW Prime channel and WOWOW On Demand in August.
The agreement follows previously announced international sales to a raft of broadcasters, including NPO in the Netherlands, VRT in Belgium, SVT in Sweden, YLE in Finland, NRK in Norway, DR in Denmark, BBC First in Poland, TVNZ in New Zealand and ABC in Australia.
Rie Izumi, of WOWOW, said it was “an honour” to present the production to a Japanese audience, adding: “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 favourite detectives in Japan.”
Westward Studios Executive Producer Brian Constantine said: “It’s incredibly exciting to see Bergerac heading to Japan – a completely new audience for the series.”
Mr Constantine continued: “The show’s presence in East Asia brings valuable exposure for Jersey, and it’s a proud moment for everyone who helped bring this reimagining to life.”
Ben Bickerton and Phil Trethowan, Joint Managing Directors of BlackLight TV, said they were “delighted” that Bergerac was finding new audiences around the globe.
“We’re confident in the universal appeal of Bergerac and can’t wait for more people to see it,” they added.
Rashmi Bajpai, of Banijay Rights, said the Jersey detective was “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.”
