Derry Girls actor set to take lead role in modern remake of 80s classic detective TV show

Derry Girls star Damien Molony is set to take over the role of Jim Bergerac in a reboot of the classic 1980s detective series.

Molony will fill the role made famous by John Nettles with the new version of the drama, set to air on UKTV channels in 2025.

The 40-year-old known for his TV roles in Brassic, The Split, and Crashing will now become the Jersey-based cop.

Also starring in the show will be Zoe Wanamaker, as Bergerac's mother-in-law, and Life On Mars star Philip Glenister.

Other big names, including Doctor Who star David Tennant, Happy Valley's James Norton, and Poldark's Aidan Turner, had been linked to the show, according to the Daily Mail. 

The original series aired between 1981 and 1991, with the BBC hoping the re-imagined modern remake will have the same success. 

In the original series, Bergerac had to deal with his businessman father-in-law, Charlie Hungerford, played by the late Terence Alexander. However, this time it is his formidable mother-in-law, played by Wanamaker.

Unlike the original hit from the 80s, the new series will see one character-led murder mystery run across all six episodes, in place of a new storyline each episode.

Filming will begin this summer, with locations including the Channel Island of Jersey, with the producers promising a modern twist on the much-loved crime classic.