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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 442766" data-attributes="member: 23">1998 Christmas Special: There For The Picking + 9.01-9.02 Jersey has been a primary character in Bergerac something driven home by the move to France in these episodes.Up until now, time away (probably mostly in London but also an occasional excursion to France and other places) has been a big of a change, but always a temporary one. Bergerac’s move to the vineyard owned by Danielle and her father isn’t an unwelcome element - the scenes are filled with warmth and Gallic charm - but it does lose the very specific tone that comes from being set on a small island and I find myself missing that.It also makes the cast feel more fractured. I like Ben and Willy, and I enjoy the continuity of familiar faces, but cuts away to them at the bureau or on investigations now feel forced. Since the series is called Bergerac, time with them now feels rather redundant to me, particularly so since we are told Crozier, too, has left the island, with him being replaced by the even brusquer and more militant Insp. Deffand. Roger Sloman is a familiar face and voice. Looking at his IMDb I’ve seen him in loads of things going back to the Seventies. Most recently I’ve have watched him in a few episodes of Mandy, though I can’t place who he would have played.With Bergerac away from Jersey, contrivance in interactions is stretched yet further. For three consecutive episodes (8.10, the 1998 special and 9.01) Charlie dropped in to visit Jim (and “dropped in” is also a stretch, since the Provence region isn’t exactly on Jersey’s doorstep). In 9.02 Jim needs to return to Jersey for a court appearance (so there is a welcome return to Jersey). Meanwhile, Jim is phoning Willy and Ben for information on whatever mystery he’s stumbled into that week. The most recent episode even saw Ben dating the woman Jim was investigating (there was a theme across these episodes of young men dating women who look like their mothers. The Christmas special’s computer hacker was also influenced by a girlfriend who looked much older, though it appears the age gap between actors was only four years).While I really dislike the still images used for the opening credits, it’s very good news in the theme tune department. George Fenton has produced a third arrangement which sees a return to form. Gone is the cold and empty feel of the arrangement used for the previous three series. In comes an arrangement which feels fuller and more energetic, with beats that echo the original arrangement. The sax really adds something special. I’ve had one spoiler of this year’s stories, but I don’t know how the series will end. What I do know is that it looks like it will go out on a musical high.</blockquote>

Verification: Who played JR Ewing?