Why is the BBC going to produce a 'new' Bergerac series? - should they leave it where it ended?

John Nettles as Sgt Jim Bergerac in the BBC series 'Bergerac'

There are plenty of good television writers in the UK and lots of good new ideas, so why is it necessary to revisit old TV concepts and write new episodes for new casts?

The BBC is said to be considering a new series of the Bergerac detective series which ended in 1997. 

For those of us who watched the eleven series of original programs, we know how good it was and enjoyed the programs. 

(The danger is that any mediocre 'up to date' continuation of a previously successful series shows how wrong it was to try and reproduce something and when compared to the original, how people tend to prefer the original best.)

Back in the day when Bergerac or the Sweeney was originally filmed, society was different, there weren't the politically correct minded with the diversity tick box culture much in evidence.

When the BBC's Bergerac series ended, it ended. John Nettles went on to Midsomer and a successful new career as DCI Barnaby.

When the last of the original Bergerac's ended, Jim Bergerac played by John Nettles had then left the force and was making a living as a private investigator.

So to try and write a new series putting Jim back in the force seems 'odd'?, the question is what are the BBC looking to achieve by rehashing a once successful concept when we know how the original ended? 

is Jim asking 'You've got to be joking Barney'?

The recent outing with Dad's Army and Porridge should really put the tin hat (no pun intended) on well intended 'continuations'. It would be like bringing the Sweeney back.

The Sweeney - No one but John Thaw could be Jack Regan

What they should be doing is not to announce a 'new' version of an old and popular series, which elicits groans of 'leave it alone' from most of us who saw the originals, but embrace new series' based on new concepts.

Ashes to ashes spawned two incarnations and worked successfully

Ashes to ashes was an example of where this worked brilliantly.

Ashes was a modern-made series portraying policing in the 1970's in one of its series and then in the second (following the success of the first), portrayed the characters in the 1980's.

It worked well. It did the job. It wasn't trying to rehash Softly Softly task force or Z cars.

One of the complaints at the time of the original Bergerac series, was said to be the belief that people's idea of Jersey was that there seemed to be too much crime being portrayed!

As the late Charlie Hungerford would have uttered 'Bloomin' Ada. 

John Lennon warned of the dangers of 're-heating the soufflé' when mentions of reforming the Beatles was mooted, perhaps the BBC should let old series lie?

We don't need another virtue signalling tick box politically correct diversity rehash of something that was great in the time it was made. I shall stick with the originals.