Respect (The Bill)
Encyclopedia
"Respect" is the two-part series finale
of the United Kingdom
's longest running police procedural
television drama series, The Bill
. The episodes were written by David Harsent
and directed by Reza Moradi, and aired on ITV1
on 24 and 31 August 2010. The series finale, and the final scene, were specially written to include all 17 current cast members.
was a long-running police drama set in and around the fictional Sun Hill police station in south London
. The show's focus was on the work and lives of the officers, led by Superintendent Jack Meadows (Simon Rouse
) and Inspector Dale "Smithy" Smith
(Alex Walkinshaw
). Much of the officers' time is spent on the fictional Jasmine Allen estate, the setting for much of "Respect".
), a previous informant of DC Mickey Webb (Chris Simmons
). Investigations reveal that she lured Liam to where he was killed and she is arrested. In interview, Jasmine leads officers to Carlos Miller (Lewis Chase), who is arrested and claims that he killed Liam in self defence. Jasmine is released on bail, against the advice of DC Webb, who believes that she is in danger from other gang members. Upon her return to the estate, a gang of boys forces Jasmine into a warehouse, where she is beaten and gang raped. A gunshot is heard, and the episode concludes with police arriving at the scene.
) question the suspects, Smithy visits Jasmine in hospital, where she refuses to give a statement and prosecute. Due to a lack of evidence, the team are forced to release Simmons, Wilson and Carlos Miller. Jasmine is discharged from hospital, and still refuses to give a statement. However, as the team sees fit to give up, much to the anger of Mickey, CSE Eddie Olosunje (Jason Barnett) discovers that the gunshot fired at the end of the previous episode was fired upwards, and so possibly to alert passers-by, and to stop the gang-rape. Due to CCTV footage, the officers believe that gang member, Derek Bailey (Femi Wilhelm) fired the shot, and set out to find him as a potential witness. They pull in courier, Ruby Collier (Shahnequa Duprey). She initially refuses to help them, but sends Mickey a text message that leads uniform to Bailey's location. Sergeant Stone (Sam Callis
) ascends to the top storey, where he discovers Bailey dying from a gunshot wound, inflicted by Gary Wilson, who holds Stone at gunpoint, when he attempts to help Bailey. Armed police officers arrive, and prepare to fire at Stone, who tousels with Wilson. A gunshot is heard, but nobody is harmed. Bailey is taken to hospital, and Wilson is arrested. After talking to Smithy and Mickey, Jasmine finally agrees to a statement, which helps to convict Wilson and the others of gang-rape. However, Jack is able to elicit a confession to Liam Martin's murder from Gary Wilson.
, which opens with PC Jim Carver telling himself "OK Carver, let's do it!". The final shot is of the exterior of Sun Hill station, with Neil and Grace, holding hands as they leave, and Jack going to his car to drive home, and a dedication message to the men and women of the Metropolitan Police Service
past and present appears, before the credits roll, to a mixture of the new theme music, and the original one, "Overkill".
In the finale, Callum Stone
(Sam Callis
) has to chase a suspect using one of the panda cars whilst Inspector Smith
(Alex Walkinshaw
) follows on foot. The dangerous parts of the car pursuit were carried out by stuntman
Andy Smart, once Smart had finished filming small car-mounted cameras filmed Callis driving before the shots were then cut together with those filmed by Smart. Later, when he finds hostage
Derek Bailey, Stone comes face-to-face with Gary Wilson, the armed
criminal responsible for Jasmine's rape and Liam Martin's murder, The Bill do not use extras for any scenes involving armed police so for this scene the armed police surrounding the flat were played by "men who have been trained in the use of firearms and know what they're doing with a gun
". The show has a stock of thirty replica weapons identical to those used by the Metropolitan Police
although they are incapable of firing any shots. To prepare for the scene, a bag of fake blood is wrapped around the hostage's stomach and is punctured shortly before filming begins so when the actor clutches his stomach it will look as if he is bleeding.
The idea for the series finale came after research showed that rape
is used to punish girl gang
members. Series Producer Tim Key says "that is what The Bill has always done. It's held a mirror up to, to modern society and um we wanted it to be like that right up until the, the final shot."
The final location shoot for the finale was carried out at a derelict
estate in London which is due to be demolished. The Bill was always filmed on location in London whenever possible, "to keep the show authentic". Executive Producer Johnathan Young says "We feel that London is a part of the show, it's a character within the show and we've really encouraged directors to look for graphic locations that give you a real sense of being part of a big metropolis
". Examples of these would include police chases by boat along the River Thames
and helicopters aiding searches.
The police uniforms used in The Bill are authentic
so when not in use they are locked away. The uniforms were originally bought from the police who agreed to buy the uniforms back when the series ended.
The final scene was a "hand-held walking and talking shot", filmed using a hand-held camera and featured 70 people in total. Of the final scene, Keys said that the producers knew they had to do "something special" but also wanted to show that "life goes on". To film the final scene, the cameraman had to keep the camera steady when following the characters going through the police station and then outside into the rear yard of the station where he stepped into a crane which then lifts to reveal the front of Sun Hill station. The shows producers were also included in the final scene, and played the part of journalists at the press conference hosted by Jack Meadows which Keys described as being "eerie" because "you were sat there on the front row listening to Simon making a very moving speech that sums up the show and his time in it".
called it "hard-hitting and poignant—a gritty two-parter that ensured the much-loved show went out with a bang. The reviewer went on to suggest that the episode was a "a subtle two-fingers salute to the men in suits" at ITV
who made the decision to cancel The Bill, a sentiment shared by
Sam Wollaston of The Guardian
, who suggested that the Superintendent Jack Meadows' final speech, on the subject of respect, may have been partly directed at the "ITV top brass". Benji Wilson, writing for The Daily Telegraph
, compared The Bill to "the pensioner who still turns up for work", saying that viewers "tend to appreciate The Bill simply for staggering on and on, rather than for the quality of its output", though went on to call "Respect" "a hugely potent– and distinctly British –piece of drama.
Series finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's longest running police procedural
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
television drama series, The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
. The episodes were written by David Harsent
David Harsent
David Harsent is an English poet & TV scriptwriter. As Jack Curtis and David Lawrence he has published a number of crime fiction novels....
and directed by Reza Moradi, and aired on ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
on 24 and 31 August 2010. The series finale, and the final scene, were specially written to include all 17 current cast members.
Background
The BillThe Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
was a long-running police drama set in and around the fictional Sun Hill police station in south London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The show's focus was on the work and lives of the officers, led by Superintendent Jack Meadows (Simon Rouse
Simon Rouse
Simon Rouse is an English actor, best known for playing the role of Superintendent Jack Meadows in the long-running ITV police drama The Bill....
) and Inspector Dale "Smithy" Smith
Dale Smith (The Bill)
Dale Smith is a fictional character played by Alex Walkinshaw in the British police procedural television series, The Bill. He first appeared in 1999 as a police constable, and eventually became inspector.-Character history:...
(Alex Walkinshaw
Alex Walkinshaw
Alex Newcombe Walkinshaw is an English actor best known for playing the role of Inspector Dale "Smithy" Smith in ITV's long running police procedural series, The Bill.-Early life and career:...
). Much of the officers' time is spent on the fictional Jasmine Allen estate, the setting for much of "Respect".
Respect: Part I
Smithy is called to the Jasmine Allen Estate where he discovers a dying teenager, identified as Liam Martin, who has been stabbed by gang members. Investigations into his murder lead the team to Jasmine Harris (Faye DaveneyFaye Daveney
Faye Daveney is a British actress, known for playing Jasmine Harris in ITV police procedural The Bill.-Career:Daveney is currently with A&J Management.Daveney portrayed Jasmine Harris in ITV's The Bill...
), a previous informant of DC Mickey Webb (Chris Simmons
Chris Simmons
Chris Simmons is an English actor who is best known for playing DC Mickey Webb in The Bill. He moved to Gravesend, Kent where he attended Saint Georges Cofe Secondary School and lived on Singlewell Road....
). Investigations reveal that she lured Liam to where he was killed and she is arrested. In interview, Jasmine leads officers to Carlos Miller (Lewis Chase), who is arrested and claims that he killed Liam in self defence. Jasmine is released on bail, against the advice of DC Webb, who believes that she is in danger from other gang members. Upon her return to the estate, a gang of boys forces Jasmine into a warehouse, where she is beaten and gang raped. A gunshot is heard, and the episode concludes with police arriving at the scene.
Respect: Part II
Following the murder of Liam Martin and the gang-rape of Jasmine Harris for talking to the police, uniformed officers arrive at the flat of Gary Wilson (Darragh Mortell), where they arrest him and Colin Simmons (Jumayne Hunte). As Meadows and Detective Inspector Neil Manson (Andrew LancelAndrew Lancel
Andrew Lancel is an English actor. He is best known for his current role as Frank Foster in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street, and formerly in his role as DI Neil Manson in The Bill.-Biography:...
) question the suspects, Smithy visits Jasmine in hospital, where she refuses to give a statement and prosecute. Due to a lack of evidence, the team are forced to release Simmons, Wilson and Carlos Miller. Jasmine is discharged from hospital, and still refuses to give a statement. However, as the team sees fit to give up, much to the anger of Mickey, CSE Eddie Olosunje (Jason Barnett) discovers that the gunshot fired at the end of the previous episode was fired upwards, and so possibly to alert passers-by, and to stop the gang-rape. Due to CCTV footage, the officers believe that gang member, Derek Bailey (Femi Wilhelm) fired the shot, and set out to find him as a potential witness. They pull in courier, Ruby Collier (Shahnequa Duprey). She initially refuses to help them, but sends Mickey a text message that leads uniform to Bailey's location. Sergeant Stone (Sam Callis
Sam Callis
Samuel 'Sam' Callis is an English actor and film director, best known for his role as Sergeant Callum Stone in The Bill.-Biography:...
) ascends to the top storey, where he discovers Bailey dying from a gunshot wound, inflicted by Gary Wilson, who holds Stone at gunpoint, when he attempts to help Bailey. Armed police officers arrive, and prepare to fire at Stone, who tousels with Wilson. A gunshot is heard, but nobody is harmed. Bailey is taken to hospital, and Wilson is arrested. After talking to Smithy and Mickey, Jasmine finally agrees to a statement, which helps to convict Wilson and the others of gang-rape. However, Jack is able to elicit a confession to Liam Martin's murder from Gary Wilson.
Conclusion
"Respect" concludes at a press conference, at which Meadows briefs reporters on the investigation and Wilson's confession. He finishes and rises to leave, before changing his mind and giving an impromptu speech on respect. He tells the assembed reporters and police officers that "[s]omewhere along the line, someone changed the meaning of the word. You earn respect now through power, fear, money, the blade of a knife." He goes on to praise his team, Smith and Stone in particular and concluding that "today was one of the good days". The scene changes to a walkthough Sun Hill with Mickey handing witness statements to Stevie, then he and Terry pinch Eddie's bag of crisps. After teasing Mel, Smithy and Stone leaving the police station to get a pint asks Mickey if he wants to join them. After lying to Max about going to the pub, Jo, Roger, and Leon bring in a stag party from the Bellcot Arms. As the two depart, Smithy has the last ever line, "Yeah, come on. Let's do it!", a nod to the pilot episode WoodentopWoodentop (The Bill)
"Woodentop" is an episode of the Thames Television series of one-off plays Storyboard. The programme was originally broadcast on 16 August 1983. It is also the forerunner to the long-running British police television series The Bill...
, which opens with PC Jim Carver telling himself "OK Carver, let's do it!". The final shot is of the exterior of Sun Hill station, with Neil and Grace, holding hands as they leave, and Jack going to his car to drive home, and a dedication message to the men and women of the Metropolitan Police Service
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
past and present appears, before the credits roll, to a mixture of the new theme music, and the original one, "Overkill".
Production
To "sign off" the series, the producers considered that they could "blow everything up" but ruled that out because they wanted to do something that "celebrated what The Bill has always been about which is ordinary people wearing a uniform and taking responsibility for society" The producers decided that they wanted to symbolise that "life goes on" and end the series with "their heads held high".In the finale, Callum Stone
Callum Stone
Callum Stone is a fictional character in the long running police drama The Bill portrayed by Sam Callis .-Background:When Stone was sixteen he left home after his father was accused of rape. Stone's father was an inspector in the police force and was accused of raping probationer Kelly Ryan...
(Sam Callis
Sam Callis
Samuel 'Sam' Callis is an English actor and film director, best known for his role as Sergeant Callum Stone in The Bill.-Biography:...
) has to chase a suspect using one of the panda cars whilst Inspector Smith
Dale Smith (The Bill)
Dale Smith is a fictional character played by Alex Walkinshaw in the British police procedural television series, The Bill. He first appeared in 1999 as a police constable, and eventually became inspector.-Character history:...
(Alex Walkinshaw
Alex Walkinshaw
Alex Newcombe Walkinshaw is an English actor best known for playing the role of Inspector Dale "Smithy" Smith in ITV's long running police procedural series, The Bill.-Early life and career:...
) follows on foot. The dangerous parts of the car pursuit were carried out by stuntman
Stuntman
A stuntman or stunt performer is someone who performs dangerous stunts.Stuntman may also refer to:*The Stunt Man, a 1980 film starring Peter O'Toole*Stuntman , a 2002 video game**Stuntman: Ignition, its sequel...
Andy Smart, once Smart had finished filming small car-mounted cameras filmed Callis driving before the shots were then cut together with those filmed by Smart. Later, when he finds hostage
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
Derek Bailey, Stone comes face-to-face with Gary Wilson, the armed
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
criminal responsible for Jasmine's rape and Liam Martin's murder, The Bill do not use extras for any scenes involving armed police so for this scene the armed police surrounding the flat were played by "men who have been trained in the use of firearms and know what they're doing with a gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
". The show has a stock of thirty replica weapons identical to those used by the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
although they are incapable of firing any shots. To prepare for the scene, a bag of fake blood is wrapped around the hostage's stomach and is punctured shortly before filming begins so when the actor clutches his stomach it will look as if he is bleeding.
The idea for the series finale came after research showed that rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
is used to punish girl gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
members. Series Producer Tim Key says "that is what The Bill has always done. It's held a mirror up to, to modern society and um we wanted it to be like that right up until the, the final shot."
The final location shoot for the finale was carried out at a derelict
Abandonment
The term abandonment has a multitude of uses, legal and extra-legal. This "signpost article" provides a guide to the various legal and quasi-legal uses of the word and includes links to articles that deal with each of the distinct concepts at greater length...
estate in London which is due to be demolished. The Bill was always filmed on location in London whenever possible, "to keep the show authentic". Executive Producer Johnathan Young says "We feel that London is a part of the show, it's a character within the show and we've really encouraged directors to look for graphic locations that give you a real sense of being part of a big metropolis
Metropolis
A metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications...
". Examples of these would include police chases by boat along the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
and helicopters aiding searches.
The police uniforms used in The Bill are authentic
Authenticity (reenactment)
In historical reenactment, authenticity is a measure of how close an item, prop, action, weapon, or custom is, to what would actually have been used or done in the time period being depicted....
so when not in use they are locked away. The uniforms were originally bought from the police who agreed to buy the uniforms back when the series ended.
The final scene was a "hand-held walking and talking shot", filmed using a hand-held camera and featured 70 people in total. Of the final scene, Keys said that the producers knew they had to do "something special" but also wanted to show that "life goes on". To film the final scene, the cameraman had to keep the camera steady when following the characters going through the police station and then outside into the rear yard of the station where he stepped into a crane which then lifts to reveal the front of Sun Hill station. The shows producers were also included in the final scene, and played the part of journalists at the press conference hosted by Jack Meadows which Keys described as being "eerie" because "you were sat there on the front row listening to Simon making a very moving speech that sums up the show and his time in it".
Critical reception
Critics were generally impressed with "Respect". The Belfast TelegraphThe Belfast Telegraph
The Belfast Telegraph is a daily evening newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland by Independent News & Media.It was first published as the Belfast Evening Telegraph on 1 September 1870 by brothers William and George Baird...
called it "hard-hitting and poignant—a gritty two-parter that ensured the much-loved show went out with a bang. The reviewer went on to suggest that the episode was a "a subtle two-fingers salute to the men in suits" at ITV
ITV plc
ITV plc is a British media company that operates 12 of the 15 regional television broadcasters that make up the ITV Network, the oldest and largest commercial terrestrial television network in the United Kingdom...
who made the decision to cancel The Bill, a sentiment shared by
Sam Wollaston of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, who suggested that the Superintendent Jack Meadows' final speech, on the subject of respect, may have been partly directed at the "ITV top brass". Benji Wilson, writing for The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, compared The Bill to "the pensioner who still turns up for work", saying that viewers "tend to appreciate The Bill simply for staggering on and on, rather than for the quality of its output", though went on to call "Respect" "a hugely potent– and distinctly British –piece of drama.
United Kingdom
| Part | | Viewers (million) | | Ratings Share | | Rank (timeslot) | | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 3.414 | 14.5% | 1 | |
| II | 4.412 | 19.3% | 1 |
Australia
In Australia, the two parts of Respect were shown on 9 and 16 October respectively. Both instalments ranked first in their timeslot and fifth for the day.| Part | | Viewers | | Rank | | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timeslot | | Day | | Week | |||
| I | 827,000 | 1 | 5 | 67 | |
| II | 993,000 | 1 | 5 | 47 | |