The Bill
Encyclopedia
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. At the time of the series' conclusion in August 2010, The Bill was the longest-running police procedural
television series in the UK and was among the longest-running of any British television series.
The series was produced by Thames Television
, its name originating from "Old Bill", a slang term for the police and Geoff McQueen
's original title for the series. It originated as a one-off drama, entitled Woodentop
in August 1983. ITV
commissioned a series, which started in October 1984.
The series attracted controversy on several occasions. A 2008 episode featured a fictional treatment for multiple sclerosis
, and another in May 2008 resulted in litigation by MP George Galloway
for defamation. The series has also faced more general criticism concerning the levels of violence it portrays, particularly prior to 2009, when it occupied a pre watershed
slot.
The Bill won several awards, including BAFTA
s, a Writers' Guild of Great Britain
award and the title of "best drama" at the Inside Soap Awards in 2009, the latter being the series' fourth consecutive win. It has always been broadcast on ITV
(now known as ITV1
in England and Wales). It has been repeated on ITV3
, part of ITV plc
's digital network, as well as digital channel Watch
. In its final days The Bill was aired once a week in a one hour format.
On 25 March 2010, ITV announced that it did not intend to recommission The Bill and that filming would cease on 14 June 2010. The last episode was aired on 31 August 2010.
in 1983, then a relatively new television writer, as a one-off drama
. McQueen had originally titled the production "Old Bill". It was picked up by Michael Chapman for production company Thames Television
, who retitled it "Woodentop" as part of Thames' "Storyboard" series of one-off dramas and was broadcast on ITV
under the title Woodentop
on 16 August 1983. "Woodentop" starred Mark Wingett
as Police Constable Jim Carver and Trudie Goodwin
as Woman Police Constable June Ackland of London's Metropolitan Police
, both attached to the fictional Sun Hill police station.
Although originally only intended as a one-off, "Woodentop" impressed ITV to the extent that a full series was commissioned, first broadcast on 16 October 1984 with one post-watershed
episode per week, featuring an hour-long, separate storyline for each episode of the first three seasons. The first episode of the full series was Funny Ol' Business – Cops & Robbers. With serialisation, the name of the show changed from "Woodentop" to The Bill.
The series changed to two episodes, each of thirty minutes, per week in 1988, increasing to three a week from 1993. Almost ten years later, in 1998, The Bill returned to hour-long episodes, which later became twice-weekly, at which point the series adopted a much more serialised approach. When Paul Marquess
took over as executive producer in 2002, as part of a drive for ratings, the series was revamped, bringing in a more soap opera type feel to many of its stories, and with many veteran characters written out, leading to the Sun Hill fire 2002. Marquess stated that the clearout was necessary in order to introduce "plausible, powerful new characters". As part of the new serial format, much more of the characters' personal lives were explored, however, as Marquess put it, the viewers still "don't go home with them". The change also allowed The Bill to become more reflective of modern policing with the introduction of officers from ethnic minorities, most notably, the new superintendent, Adam Okaro. It also allowed coverage of the relationship of homosexual Sergeant Craig Gilmore and PC Luke Ashton, a storyline which Marquess was determined to explore before rival Merseybeat
.
In 2005, Johnathan Young
took over as executive producer. The serial format was dropped and The Bill returned to stand-alone episodes with more focus on crime and policing than on the personal lives of the officers. 2007 saw the reintroduction of episode titles, which had been dropped in 2002. In 2009, The Bill moved back to the 9pm slot it previously held and the theme tune, "Overkill", was replaced as part of a major overhaul of the series.
presented special features on the programme's cancellation.
At the time of the series' end in August 2010, The Bill was the United Kingdom's longest-running police drama and was among the longest-running of any British television series. The series finale
, entitled "Respect
", was aired in two parts and was dedicated to "the men and women of the Metropolitan Police Service
past and present". The finale storyline concerns gang member Jasmine Harris being involved in the murder of fellow member Liam Martin who dies in the arms of Inspector Smith
after being stabbed. Jasmine is then gang raped because she talked to the police and when Callum Stone
finds the person responsible he is held at gunpoint. Of the title for the finale, Executive Producer Johnathan Young said "It's called "Respect" and we hope it will respect the heritage of the show". The finale episodes featured all the cast and the final scene was specially written so all cast members would be featured. Following the final episode, ITV aired a documentary entitled Farewell The Bill which featured interviews from past and present cast and crew members. The finale was watched by 4.4 million viewers with Farewell The Bill averaging 1.661 million viewers.
, East London. However, these buildings were next to the News International plant and during the winter of 1985–86 there was much industrial action which resulted in some altercations between the strikers and what they thought were the real police but were actually actors working on The Bill. Working conditions got so dire, that the production team realised they needed to find another base to set Sun Hill police station. The second location was an old record distribution depot in Barlby Road, North Kensington
in North West London . Filming began here in March 1987. In 1989, the owners of the Barlby Road site ordered The Bill out, due to their redevelopment plans for the area. After an extensive search, two sites were selected, the favourite being a disused hospital in Clapham
. However, this fell through and the second option was chosen—an old wine distribution warehouse in Merton
, South West London. The move was made in March 1990 and the move was disguised on screen by the 'ongoing' refurbishment of Sun Hill police station and then finally, the explosion of a terrorist car-bomb in the station car-park, which ended up killing PC Ken Melvin.
Filming for the series takes place all over London, mainly in South London
and particularly the London Borough of Merton
, where the Sun Hill set is located. Locations used when the show is filmed on a housing estate
are:
Scenes are often filmed in east London, most notably the London Docklands, with other scenes filmed in Tooting
, Greenwich
or Croydon
.
Operational Command Unit
" in East London. Geoff McQueen
, creator of The Bill, claimed that he named Sun Hill after a street name in his home town of Royston, Hertfordshire
.
The fictional Sun Hill suburb is located in the fictional London borough
of Canley in the East End
, north of the River Thames
. The Borough of Canley is approximately contiguous to the real-life London Borough of Tower Hamlets
, and in the first few years of The Bill, Sun Hill police station was actually stated as being located in Wapping
in Tower Hamlets. Sun Hill has a London E1
postcode (the 'address' of Sun Hill police station is given as '2 Sun Hill Road, Sun Hill, Canley E1 4KM'.), which corresponds to the real-life areas of Whitechapel
and Stepney
.
s, a camera is attached to the outside of the car which feeds back images to a computer in the back of the vehicle. This technique was used to film the new opening titles of The Bill. The sirens used in the series are added later in the dubbing suite as The Bill does not have permission to use sirens while on location. However, the police uniforms used in the series are genuine, again making The Bill unique amongst police dramas. When the series ended, London's Metropolitan Police Service, after talks with the production company, bought 400 kilograms of police related paraphernalia, including flat caps and stab vests etc. to prevent them falling into the hands of criminals or those that would seek to use them for criminal activities after the programme's production ceased.
The Bill is unique amongst police dramas in that it takes a serial format, focussing on the work and lives of a single shift of police officers, rather than on one particular area of police work. Also unique is that The Bill adapted to this format after several series, whereas comparable series started with the serial format.
network (branded ITV1
in England and Wales since 2001), a free-to-air commercial network. When Scottish ITV franchisee STV cancelled the series in 2009, ITV started airing repeats on ITV3
to enable Scottish viewers to continue watching the programme. It is also currently shown on Watch
where it is on at 9 am and 10 am every weekday morning.
As of 2010, The Bill is broadcast on ITV1 (and UTV
in Northern Ireland) at 9 pm every Tuesday evening for one hour. The series used to be broadcast on Scottish channel STV, however on 5 July 2009, the News Of The World
reported that The Bill was to be cancelled in Scotland. The final episode of The Bill shown on STV, "Conviction: Judgement Day", was aired on 23 July 2009 at 8 pm. After being cancelled in Scotland, The Bill was the subject of legal proceedings between ITV
and STV. ITV allege that STV owe them money for opting out of showing programmes like The Bill and are currently preparing to sue STV for £38 million. STV has now submitted a counter-claim that ITV
owe them over £30 million in unpaid advertising revenues and they have warned that more claims are likely.
The Bill was repeated on UK digital satellite channel UK GOLD from its launch on 1st November 1992 until 6 October 2008 when the following day after UK GOLD was rebranded as G.O.L.D.
was known as "Overkill" and gained iconic status in spite of the various re-workings it has seen. It was first heard in the series one starting episode Funny Ol' Business – Cops & Robbers. It was replaced in 2009 as part of a major overhaul of the series, however, producers still claim that the new theme tune contains "subtle echoes" of "Overkill".
The original opening sequence to The Bill consisted of a two police officers (one male and one female) walking down a street interspersed with images of Sun Hill. In the second series this changed to a police car
(in this case a Rover SD1
) racing down a street with its siren and blue light on. The car would screech to a stop and the camera would zoom in on the blue light. Various clips were then shown from the series of the characters in action, often chasing suspects. The original end titles simply showed the feet of two police constables pounding the beat (always 1 male and 1 female). The original title music was composed by Andy Pask and Charlie Morgan.
Variations to the opening sequence had included the sequence starting with just a flashing blue light without a police car coming into view in the 1992 series and from 1993 the scene of a police car coming into view had used a Ford Sierra
.
In 1997, the opening credits changed, although the theme tune remained the same. The opening credits still showed a police car racing down a street with its sirens blaring, this time a Vauxhall Vectra overtaking a Leyland Titan
bus before screeching to a halt. It then changed to show clips of the various actors in the series, with each clip interspersed by the image of the flashing light. The end credits remained the same and the title music was still put together by Andy Pask and Charlie Morgan.
In 1998, the opening credits changed again. This time there was no police car racing down the street, the opening credits still had the police siren wailing but this time various police procedural images such as someone being shown into a police cell were shown along with police stripes being flashed across the screen. Also gone were any clips of the actors. The theme tune was revamped with a jazz
feel as it was mainly played by a saxophone. The end credits also changed, showing various parts of the police uniform including the Metropolitan Police
badge with police stripes at the bottom of the screen. The music for this version was arranged by Mark Russell.
In 2001, the opening credits were changed to show the faces of all the police officers on The Bill. In the background the police siren is still wailing. Designed by company "Blue", the end credits were revised to feature items of police equipment, accompanied by a new arrangement of the theme music by Miles Bould and Mike Westergaard.
The 2003–2006 opening titles featured generic police images such as a police car and a police uniform. The wail of a police siren can still be heard in the background. The end credits also changed this time to feature a preview of the next episode. The background to the end credits, designed by company "Roisin at Blue", is simply a police shade of blue, with a new arrangement of the theme music by Lawrence Oakley.
In 2007, the opening credits again changed to focus more on scenes involving police officers. In the sequence, the wail of the police siren is still heard and the sign identifying the building as Sun Hill police station is included. The closing credits follow a police car on patrol and the music is again arranged by Lawrence Oakley.
In April 2008, Episode 588 was broadcast, entitled, "Overkill".
In 2009, the programme underwent a major overhaul, moving to a post watershed slot to allow for grittier story lines and to enable ITV to cut its cost in the light of the recession. As a result, the credits were again changed, with the old theme tune replaced and the addition of incidental music. The new closing credits follow a police car on patrol and the music is now by Simba Studios.
For the final episode a remixed version of "Overkill" was used.
widescreen
digibeta. In 2009 The Bill began broadcasting in HD and as part of a major revamp, was reduced to broadcasting once a week. The Bill finished in 2010, with 2400 episodes broadcast.
The live episode in 2003 was episode #1818, originally broadcast on 30 October 2003 at 8 pm, and produced with a crew of 200 staff including seven camera crews. It was reported to be the first live television broadcast of a programme where filming was not largely confined to a studio. Detective Constable Juliet Becker and Constable Cathy Bradford are being held hostage by a man called Mark. As they are being held hostage in a carrier in the station yard, Cathy Bradford raises the custody suite alarm. When the rest of the station arrive outside, Mark makes it known that he intends to kill Juliet Becker. The police get permission to break into the carrier, only to find that Juliet has been stabbed. She is rushed to hospital, but attempts to resuscitate her fail. The episode was watched by around 11 million viewers.
The live episode in 2005 was episode #349, broadcast on 22 September 2005 at 8 pm. In this episode, it was revealed that PC Gabriel Kent
had assumed a false identity. It is revealed that he has been operating under his brother's name and is, in fact, David Kent. In this episode the "real" Gabriel Kent arrived in Sun Hill to meet his mother, Sergeant June Ackland. In this episode, Sun Hill police station is hosting a reception party and, as the police arrive, they are taken hostage by a distraught father whose son was killed by a stolen car. A struggle ensues in which a shot is fired, alerting others in the building the incident. After an evacuation of the station, Superintendent Amanda Prosser encourages PC Dan Casper to attempt to overpower the man. As he does so, both Casper and the real Gabriel Kent are shot. The real Gabriel Kent is rushed to hospital where the false Gabriel Kent threatens him in order to keep the identity switch a secret.
A series of special episodes titled The Bill Uncovered were produced to reflect the stories of select characters and events. The first was The Bill Uncovered : Des and Reg (2004) – The story of the unusual friendship between PC Des Taviner and PC Reg Hollis, traversing their history from Des's first day at Sun Hill to his death in a Sun Hill cell.
The second was The Bill Uncovered : Kerry's Story (2004), the story of PC Kerry Young, who met her death outside Sun Hill. The third special was The Bill Uncovered : Jim's Story (2005), the story of DC Jim Carver – from his first day at Sun Hill (in the pilot "Woodentop"). The last was The Bill Uncovered: On The Front Line (2006), in which Superintendent Adam Okaro recounts the extraordinary events that have surrounded Sun Hill over his time in charge. A review of the second of these specials criticised the "increasingly degenerative plotlines" of the series, and characterised the special as a "cheerless outing" covering The Bill' s "travesties of plot".
In 2008, a special programme called "The Bill Made Me Famous" in light of the show's 25th anniversary was broadcast, which saw former actors and special guest stars telling their accounts of working on the show and how it changed their lives. It included old favourites such as Billy Murray
(DS Don Beech), Chris Ellison
(DI
Frank Burnside) and popular TV personalities such as Paul O'Grady
and Les Dennis
.
The last special was called "Farewell The Bill" and it was air directly after the last episode of The Bill. Farewell The Bill talked about the show and gave viewers a back stage view of the filming of the last episode. This special was later release onto DVD in Australia region all.
's New Tricks with the Daily Mirror later reporting that ITV's schedule change was behind a two million viewer drop in ratings.
In 2001, prior to Paul Marquess
' appointment as executive producer, The Bill' s ratings had dropped to approximately six million viewers and advertising revenues had fallen, in part due to the ageing demographic of its viewers, leading ITV to order a "rejuvenation" which saw the series adopt a serial format.
In 2002, The Independent
reported that The Bill' s Thursday episode was viewed by approximately 7 million people, a fall of approximately 3 million viewers in the space of 6 months. After the cast clearout resulting from the Sun Hill fire in April 2002, BBC News reported that The Bill attracted 8.6 million viewers, the highest figure for the year to that point, and by October 2003, the program had around 8 million viewers each week.
In 2005, The Bill was averaging around 11 million viewers, in comparison to Coronation Street
, which was attracting around 10 million viewers.
In 2009, The Daily Mirror
reported that The Bill was to be moved to a post-watershed slot to allow it to cover grittier storylines. It was reported that it is the first time in British Television that ITV
have broadcast a drama all year in the 9 pm slot. The changeover happened at the end of July 2009. Before the move, The Bill was averaging 10 million viewers between the two episodes each week. BARB
reports that the week 12–18 October 2009 saw 3.78 million viewers watch The Bill.
The show is rated M in Australia and M in New Zealand for its medium level violence.
Awards. and the Inside Soap Awards
, particularly the "best recurring drama" category, in which it has won six times, of which four were consecutive
In 2010, The Bill was nominated for a Royal Television Society award for Best Soap/Continuing Drama, beating both Coronation Street
and Emmerdale
on to the nominations list. The only soap to be nominated was EastEnders
and the results were announced on 16 March 2010.
It has been compared to Hill Street Blues
due to the similar, serial, format that both series take. However, The Bill has seen little direct competition on British television in the police procedural
genre
over its twenty-five year history, though the BBC
has twice launched rival series. The first was Merseybeat
, which ran from 2001 but was cancelled in 2004 due to poor ratings and problems with the cast. The second, HolbyBlue
, launched in 2007, was a spin off of successful medical drama Holby City
(itself a spin off of the long running Casualty
). It was scheduled to go "head to head" with The Bill, prompting a brief "ratings war", however HolbyBlue was also cancelled by the BBC in 2008, again, largely due to poor ratings.
When The Bill started, the majority of the Police Federation
were opposed to the programme, claiming that it portrayed the police as a racist organisation, however, feelings towards the programme have now mellowed to the extent that Executive Producer Johnathan Young met with Sir Ian Blair, then Commissioner of the Met
in 2006 and it was decided that the editorial relationship between the police and the programme was sufficient. However, Young stressed that The Bill is not "editorially bound" to the police.
Despite better relations with the police, The Bill has still not been without controversy. The Bill has been repeatedly criticised for the high levels of violence portrayed in its scenes, especially prior to 2009 when it occupied a pre-watershed
timeslot. Specific story lines have also come under fire in the media, such as that surrounding a gay kiss in 2002, as well as an episode broadcast in March 2008 which featured a fictional treatment for multiple sclerosis
, leading the MS Society to brand the plot "grossly irresponsible". In May of the same year, George Galloway
, MP issued legal proceedings against The Bill for defamation after an episode, viewed by six million people, which featured a corrupt MP who smuggled antiques out of Iraq
before the war, which Galloway alleged was a portrayal of him.
The series has also been criticised by the tabloid press for the replacing of the iconic theme tune as part of a revamping effort.
Note: Box art states 'Series 4-5' but only contains series four (48 episodes).
Note 2: Table Correct as of 5 September 2011 if a substantial amount of time has passed please check for new releases and amend as appropriate.
, and adapted from television scripts by Geoff McQueen, Barry Appleton, Ginnie Hole, Christopher Russell, Lionel Goldstein, Al Hunter, Nicholas McInnery, JC Wilsher, Jonathan Rich and Robin Muckherjee.
All the novelisations were published in paperback editions. The first two books were also published in hardcover editions.
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 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. At the time of the series' conclusion in August 2010, The Bill was the 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 series in the UK and was among the longest-running of any British television series.
The series was produced by Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
, its name originating from "Old Bill", a slang term for the police and Geoff McQueen
Geoff McQueen
Geoffrey "Geoff" McQueen was a television screenwriter. A carpenter and joiner by trade he worked abroad for many years before he began writing in 1978. His first success came in 1982 when an episode of The Gentle Touch he'd written was aired.-Career:He is probably best remembered for creating...
's original title for the series. It originated as a one-off drama, entitled Woodentop
Woodentop (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...
in August 1983. ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
commissioned a series, which started in October 1984.
The series attracted controversy on several occasions. A 2008 episode featured a fictional treatment for multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
, and another in May 2008 resulted in litigation by MP George Galloway
George Galloway
George Galloway is a British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010. He was formerly an MP for the Labour Party, first for Glasgow Hillhead and later for Glasgow Kelvin, before his expulsion from the party in October 2003, the same year...
for defamation. The series has also faced more general criticism concerning the levels of violence it portrays, particularly prior to 2009, when it occupied a pre watershed
Watershed (television)
In television, the term watershed denotes the time period in a television schedule during which programs with adult content can air....
slot.
The Bill won several awards, including BAFTA
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
s, a Writers' Guild of Great Britain
Writers' Guild of Great Britain
The Writers' Guild of Great Britain, established in 1959, is a trade union for professional writers. It is affiliated with both the Trades Union Congress and the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds .-Activities:...
award and the title of "best drama" at the Inside Soap Awards in 2009, the latter being the series' fourth consecutive win. It has always been broadcast on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
(now known as 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...
in England and Wales). It has been repeated on ITV3
ITV3
ITV3 is an entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom that is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. The channel was launched on 1 November 2004. ITV3 is the second largest UK multi-channel, second only to ITV2.-History:...
, part of ITV plc
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...
's digital network, as well as digital channel Watch
Watch (TV channel)
Watch is a general entertainment channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as part of the UKTV network. The channel launched on 7 October 2008 on satellite through Sky and on cable primarily through Virgin Media.-History:...
. In its final days The Bill was aired once a week in a one hour format.
On 25 March 2010, ITV announced that it did not intend to recommission The Bill and that filming would cease on 14 June 2010. The last episode was aired on 31 August 2010.
History
The concept of The Bill was originally conceived by Geoff McQueenGeoff McQueen
Geoffrey "Geoff" McQueen was a television screenwriter. A carpenter and joiner by trade he worked abroad for many years before he began writing in 1978. His first success came in 1982 when an episode of The Gentle Touch he'd written was aired.-Career:He is probably best remembered for creating...
in 1983, then a relatively new television writer, as a one-off drama
Dramatic programming
Dramatic programming in the UK, or television drama and television drama series in the US, is television program content that is scripted and fictional along the lines of √a traditional drama. This excludes, for example, sports television, television news, reality show and game shows, stand-up...
. McQueen had originally titled the production "Old Bill". It was picked up by Michael Chapman for production company Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
, who retitled it "Woodentop" as part of Thames' "Storyboard" series of one-off dramas and was broadcast on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
under the title Woodentop
Woodentop (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...
on 16 August 1983. "Woodentop" starred Mark Wingett
Mark Wingett
Mark Wingett , is an English actor. He is best known for playing the role of Jim Carver in the ITV1 police procedural The Bill.-Career:...
as Police Constable Jim Carver and Trudie Goodwin
Trudie Goodwin
Trudie Goodwin is an English actress best known for playing Sergeant June Ackland in the high-profile British television police drama The Bill from 1984 to 2007. On September 7th, 2011 it was announced that Goodwin is to join the long-running soap Emmerdale...
as Woman Police Constable June Ackland of London's Metropolitan Police
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...
, both attached to the fictional Sun Hill police station.
Although originally only intended as a one-off, "Woodentop" impressed ITV to the extent that a full series was commissioned, first broadcast on 16 October 1984 with one post-watershed
Watershed (television)
In television, the term watershed denotes the time period in a television schedule during which programs with adult content can air....
episode per week, featuring an hour-long, separate storyline for each episode of the first three seasons. The first episode of the full series was Funny Ol' Business – Cops & Robbers. With serialisation, the name of the show changed from "Woodentop" to The Bill.
The series changed to two episodes, each of thirty minutes, per week in 1988, increasing to three a week from 1993. Almost ten years later, in 1998, The Bill returned to hour-long episodes, which later became twice-weekly, at which point the series adopted a much more serialised approach. When Paul Marquess
Paul Marquess
Paul Marquess is a Northern Irish-born British television producer.-Television career:His credits include Brookside, The Bill and Family Affairs. He also originated the idea for the series Footballers' Wives...
took over as executive producer in 2002, as part of a drive for ratings, the series was revamped, bringing in a more soap opera type feel to many of its stories, and with many veteran characters written out, leading to the Sun Hill fire 2002. Marquess stated that the clearout was necessary in order to introduce "plausible, powerful new characters". As part of the new serial format, much more of the characters' personal lives were explored, however, as Marquess put it, the viewers still "don't go home with them". The change also allowed The Bill to become more reflective of modern policing with the introduction of officers from ethnic minorities, most notably, the new superintendent, Adam Okaro. It also allowed coverage of the relationship of homosexual Sergeant Craig Gilmore and PC Luke Ashton, a storyline which Marquess was determined to explore before rival Merseybeat
Merseybeat (TV series)
Merseybeat is a British police procedural television series shown on BBC One, with a total of four series broadcast between 2001 and 2004. The series follows the personal and professional lives of one shift of police officers from the fictional Newton Park police station on Merseyside, England.In...
.
In 2005, Johnathan Young
Johnathan Young
Johnathan Young is a British television producer. His credits include EastEnders, Casualty, Holby City, The Bill and The Sinking of the Laconia....
took over as executive producer. The serial format was dropped and The Bill returned to stand-alone episodes with more focus on crime and policing than on the personal lives of the officers. 2007 saw the reintroduction of episode titles, which had been dropped in 2002. In 2009, The Bill moved back to the 9pm slot it previously held and the theme tune, "Overkill", was replaced as part of a major overhaul of the series.
Cancellation
On 26 March 2010, ITV announced it would be cancelling the series. Announcing the cancellation, ITV said that it reflected the "changing tastes" of viewers. The last episode of The Bill was filmed in June 2010 and broadcast on 31 August 2010 followed by a documentary titled Farewell The Bill. Fans of the show started a 'Save the Bill' campaign on social networking website Facebook in an effort to persuade ITV to reconsider the cancellation, and some radio broadcasters, including BBC Radio One's Chris MoylesChris Moyles
Christopher David Moyles is an English radio and television presenter and author, who currently presents The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 and Chris Moyles' Quiz Night on Channel 4....
presented special features on the programme's cancellation.
At the time of the series' end in August 2010, The Bill was the United Kingdom's longest-running police drama and was among the longest-running of any British television series. The series finale
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...
, entitled "Respect
Respect (The Bill)
"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...
", was aired in two parts and was dedicated 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". The finale storyline concerns gang member Jasmine Harris being involved in the murder of fellow member Liam Martin who dies in the arms of 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:...
after being stabbed. Jasmine is then gang raped because she talked to the police and when 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...
finds the person responsible he is held at gunpoint. Of the title for the finale, Executive Producer Johnathan Young said "It's called "Respect" and we hope it will respect the heritage of the show". The finale episodes featured all the cast and the final scene was specially written so all cast members would be featured. Following the final episode, ITV aired a documentary entitled Farewell The Bill which featured interviews from past and present cast and crew members. The finale was watched by 4.4 million viewers with Farewell The Bill averaging 1.661 million viewers.
Filming locations
Throughout the series, there have been three filming locations for Sun Hill police station. From the first series, the police station consisted of a set of buildings in Artichoke Hill, WappingWapping
Wapping is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets which forms part of the Docklands to the east of the City of London. It is situated between the north bank of the River Thames and the ancient thoroughfare simply called The Highway...
, East London. However, these buildings were next to the News International plant and during the winter of 1985–86 there was much industrial action which resulted in some altercations between the strikers and what they thought were the real police but were actually actors working on The Bill. Working conditions got so dire, that the production team realised they needed to find another base to set Sun Hill police station. The second location was an old record distribution depot in Barlby Road, North Kensington
North Kensington
North Kensington is an area of west London lying north of Notting Hill Gate and south of Harrow Road.North Kensington is the key neighbourhood of Notting Hill...
in North West London . Filming began here in March 1987. In 1989, the owners of the Barlby Road site ordered The Bill out, due to their redevelopment plans for the area. After an extensive search, two sites were selected, the favourite being a disused hospital in Clapham
Clapham
Clapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...
. However, this fell through and the second option was chosen—an old wine distribution warehouse in Merton
Merton Park
Merton Park is a place in the London Borough of Merton. It is a quiet and leafy suburb situated between Wimbledon, Morden, South Wimbledon and Wimbledon Chase. It is 7.3 miles south-west of Charing Cross...
, South West London. The move was made in March 1990 and the move was disguised on screen by the 'ongoing' refurbishment of Sun Hill police station and then finally, the explosion of a terrorist car-bomb in the station car-park, which ended up killing PC Ken Melvin.
Filming for the series takes place all over London, mainly in South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
and particularly the London Borough of Merton
London Borough of Merton
The London Borough of Merton is a borough in southwest London, England.The borough was formed under the London Government Act in 1965 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon and the Merton and Morden Urban District, all formerly within Surrey...
, where the Sun Hill set is located. Locations used when the show is filmed on a housing estate
Housing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
are:
- Cambridge Estate, in Kingston, south-west London
- High Path Estate, in South Wimbledon, south-west London (approx. 10 minute walk from the Sun Hill set)
- Phipps Bridge, MitchamMitchamMitcham is a district in the south west area of London, in the London Borough of Merton. A suburban area, Mitcham is located on the border of Inner London and Outer London. It is both residentially and financially developed, well served by Transport for London, and home to Mitcham Town Centre,...
- Roundshaw Estate opposite Mellows Park in Wallington, LondonWallington, LondonWallington is a town in the London Borough of Sutton situated south south-west of Charing Cross. Prior to the merger of the Municipal Borough of Beddington and Wallington into the London Borough of Sutton, it was part of the county of Surrey.- History :...
- Sutton Estate, which includes Durand Close in CarshaltonCarshaltonCarshalton is a suburban area of the London Borough of Sutton, England. It is located 10 miles south-southwest of Charing Cross, situated in the valley of the River Wandle, one of the sources of which is Carshalton Ponds in the centre of the village. The combined population of the five wards...
, where a housing block regularly used by The Bill for filming was demolished in November 2009.
Scenes are often filmed in east London, most notably the London Docklands, with other scenes filmed in Tooting
Tooting
Tooting is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
or Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
.
"Sun Hill"
The Bill is set in and around Sun Hill police station, in the fictional "Canley BoroughLondon borough
The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Inner London comprises twelve of these boroughs plus the City of London. Outer London comprises the twenty remaining boroughs of Greater London.-Functions:...
Operational Command Unit
Basic Command Unit
A Basic Command Unit is the largest unit into which territorial British Police forces are divided. This may actually be called a BCU or may have another designation, such as Division or Area. There are 228 BCUs in England and Wales.Most forces are divided into at least three BCUs and some have...
" in East London. Geoff McQueen
Geoff McQueen
Geoffrey "Geoff" McQueen was a television screenwriter. A carpenter and joiner by trade he worked abroad for many years before he began writing in 1978. His first success came in 1982 when an episode of The Gentle Touch he'd written was aired.-Career:He is probably best remembered for creating...
, creator of The Bill, claimed that he named Sun Hill after a street name in his home town of Royston, Hertfordshire
Royston, Hertfordshire
Royston is a town and civil parish in the District of North Hertfordshire and county of Hertfordshire in England.It is situated on the Greenwich Meridian, which brushes the towns western boundary, and at the northernmost apex of the county on the same latitude of towns such as Milton Keynes and...
.
The fictional Sun Hill suburb is located in the fictional London borough
London borough
The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Inner London comprises twelve of these boroughs plus the City of London. Outer London comprises the twenty remaining boroughs of Greater London.-Functions:...
of Canley in the East End
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
, north of 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,...
. The Borough of Canley is approximately contiguous to the real-life London Borough of Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...
, and in the first few years of The Bill, Sun Hill police station was actually stated as being located in Wapping
Wapping
Wapping is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets which forms part of the Docklands to the east of the City of London. It is situated between the north bank of the River Thames and the ancient thoroughfare simply called The Highway...
in Tower Hamlets. Sun Hill has a London E1
London E1
The E postcode area, also known as the London E postcode area, is the part of the London post town covering part of east London, England and also Sewardstone in Essex.-Postal administration:...
postcode (the 'address' of Sun Hill police station is given as '2 Sun Hill Road, Sun Hill, Canley E1 4KM'.), which corresponds to the real-life areas of Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
and Stepney
Stepney
Stepney is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in London's East End that grew out of a medieval village around St Dunstan's church and the 15th century ribbon development of Mile End Road...
.
Production details
When filming The Bill, some scenes are re-enacted indoors with microphones surrounding the actors and the extra sounds being "dubbed" on later. Some of the more aggressive scenes are also filmed indoors either for dubbing or safety reasons. When filming scenes involving police carPolice car
A police car is a ground vehicle used by police, to assist with their duties in patrolling and responding to incidents. Typical uses of a police car include transportation for officers to reach the scene of an incident quickly, to transport criminal suspects, or to patrol an area, while providing a...
s, a camera is attached to the outside of the car which feeds back images to a computer in the back of the vehicle. This technique was used to film the new opening titles of The Bill. The sirens used in the series are added later in the dubbing suite as The Bill does not have permission to use sirens while on location. However, the police uniforms used in the series are genuine, again making The Bill unique amongst police dramas. When the series ended, London's Metropolitan Police Service, after talks with the production company, bought 400 kilograms of police related paraphernalia, including flat caps and stab vests etc. to prevent them falling into the hands of criminals or those that would seek to use them for criminal activities after the programme's production ceased.
The Bill is unique amongst police dramas in that it takes a serial format, focussing on the work and lives of a single shift of police officers, rather than on one particular area of police work. Also unique is that The Bill adapted to this format after several series, whereas comparable series started with the serial format.
Broadcast in the United Kingdom
The Bill has been shown on the ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network (branded 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...
in England and Wales since 2001), a free-to-air commercial network. When Scottish ITV franchisee STV cancelled the series in 2009, ITV started airing repeats on ITV3
ITV3
ITV3 is an entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom that is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. The channel was launched on 1 November 2004. ITV3 is the second largest UK multi-channel, second only to ITV2.-History:...
to enable Scottish viewers to continue watching the programme. It is also currently shown on Watch
Watch (TV channel)
Watch is a general entertainment channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as part of the UKTV network. The channel launched on 7 October 2008 on satellite through Sky and on cable primarily through Virgin Media.-History:...
where it is on at 9 am and 10 am every weekday morning.
As of 2010, The Bill is broadcast on ITV1 (and UTV
UTV
UTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...
in Northern Ireland) at 9 pm every Tuesday evening for one hour. The series used to be broadcast on Scottish channel STV, however on 5 July 2009, the News Of The World
News of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
reported that The Bill was to be cancelled in Scotland. The final episode of The Bill shown on STV, "Conviction: Judgement Day", was aired on 23 July 2009 at 8 pm. After being cancelled in Scotland, The Bill was the subject of legal proceedings between ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
and STV. ITV allege that STV owe them money for opting out of showing programmes like The Bill and are currently preparing to sue STV for £38 million. STV has now submitted a counter-claim that ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
owe them over £30 million in unpaid advertising revenues and they have warned that more claims are likely.
The Bill was repeated on UK digital satellite channel UK GOLD from its launch on 1st November 1992 until 6 October 2008 when the following day after UK GOLD was rebranded as G.O.L.D.
Broadcast outside the UK
The Bill has been broadcast in over 55 different countries:- In Australia The Bill was shown on ABC1ABC1ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on...
. The final episode was shown on 16 October 2010, with Farewell The Bill shown the following week on 23 October. Repeats of the show begin on 7TWO7Two7TWO is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel which was launched by the Seven Network on Sunday 1 November 2009 at 12pm....
in May 2011. - On satellite and cable in Australia and New Zealand, older episodes are broadcast on UKTV.
- In Belgium the series is broadcast on éénEENEEN may refer to:* Eastern Educational Television Network, the original name for American Public Television.* Elemental Energy, a Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game booster pack.* Emerald Energy, an oil company...
. - In Denmark the series was retitled "Lov og Uorden" (Law and Disorder). Two episodes of the series are broadcast every afternoon on TV2 Charlie.
- In IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
the series is broadcast on RTÉRTERTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
television, first starting in the early 1990s on RTÉ TwoRTÉ TwoRTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
, in the early 2000s RTÉ began broadcasting it on RTÉ OneRTÉ OneRTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
at 5:30 pm each weekday, splitting hour long episodes into 2 part half hour episodes, RTÉ discontinued this in 2009 moving the show to Monday Nights on RTÉ Two. RTÉ shows episodes from 2005. An hour long episode is now shown once a week. In 2010 RTÉ move the show from its prime time slot on RTÉ Two to a midnight slot on RTÉ One on Thursday nights, however the show remains on the RTÉ playerRTÉ playerRTÉ player is an on demand video service provided by RTÉ for programmes broadcast on RTÉ Television. RTÉ player is available in two formats; one for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and another format for international audiences...
. Fans of the show and TV critics in Ireland have nicknamed it as the "Old Bill", as viewers in Ireland can watch the same episodes as the UK, on UTVUTVUTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...
. - In Sweden the series was retitled "Sunhillspolisstation" (Sun Hill Police Station) by broadcaster TV4. It is now broadcast daily on Kanal 9Kanal 9Kanal 9 is a commercial television channel owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG broadcasting to Sweden. It targets the 30-59 age group, which is a slightly older age group than the sister channel Kanal 5. The channel launched on 25 February 2007. Its opening night featured the 79th Academy Awards...
in the early afternoon with a repeat early the following morning.
| Country | Network |
|---|---|
 Australia Australia |
ABC1 ABC1 ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on... UKTV 7TWO 7Two 7TWO is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel which was launched by the Seven Network on Sunday 1 November 2009 at 12pm.... |
 Belgium BelgiumBelgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
één EEN EEN may refer to:* Eastern Educational Television Network, the original name for American Public Television.* Elemental Energy, a Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game booster pack.* Emerald Energy, an oil company... |
 Denmark DenmarkDenmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
TV2 Charlie |
 Republic of Ireland IrelandIreland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
RTÉ One RTÉ One RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ... RTÉ Two RTÉ Two RTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of... |
 New Zealand New ZealandNew Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
UKTV |
 Sweden SwedenSweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
TV4 Kanal 9 Kanal 9 Kanal 9 is a commercial television channel owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG broadcasting to Sweden. It targets the 30-59 age group, which is a slightly older age group than the sister channel Kanal 5. The channel launched on 25 February 2007. Its opening night featured the 79th Academy Awards... |
Theme tune and title sequence
The Bills original theme musicTheme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
was known as "Overkill" and gained iconic status in spite of the various re-workings it has seen. It was first heard in the series one starting episode Funny Ol' Business – Cops & Robbers. It was replaced in 2009 as part of a major overhaul of the series, however, producers still claim that the new theme tune contains "subtle echoes" of "Overkill".
The original opening sequence to The Bill consisted of a two police officers (one male and one female) walking down a street interspersed with images of Sun Hill. In the second series this changed to a police car
Police car
A police car is a ground vehicle used by police, to assist with their duties in patrolling and responding to incidents. Typical uses of a police car include transportation for officers to reach the scene of an incident quickly, to transport criminal suspects, or to patrol an area, while providing a...
(in this case a Rover SD1
Rover SD1
Rover SD1 is both the code name and eventual production name given to a series of large executive cars made by British Leyland or BL through its Specialist, Rover Triumph and Austin Rover divisions from 1976 until 1986....
) racing down a street with its siren and blue light on. The car would screech to a stop and the camera would zoom in on the blue light. Various clips were then shown from the series of the characters in action, often chasing suspects. The original end titles simply showed the feet of two police constables pounding the beat (always 1 male and 1 female). The original title music was composed by Andy Pask and Charlie Morgan.
Variations to the opening sequence had included the sequence starting with just a flashing blue light without a police car coming into view in the 1992 series and from 1993 the scene of a police car coming into view had used a Ford Sierra
Ford Sierra
The Ford Sierra is a large family car that was built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément. The code used during development was "Project Toni"....
.
In 1997, the opening credits changed, although the theme tune remained the same. The opening credits still showed a police car racing down a street with its sirens blaring, this time a Vauxhall Vectra overtaking a Leyland Titan
Leyland Titan (B15)
The Leyland Titan was a model of double-decker bus produced by the Leyland Truck & Bus division of British Leyland from 1977 until 1984, almost exclusively for London Transport.-Development:...
bus before screeching to a halt. It then changed to show clips of the various actors in the series, with each clip interspersed by the image of the flashing light. The end credits remained the same and the title music was still put together by Andy Pask and Charlie Morgan.
In 1998, the opening credits changed again. This time there was no police car racing down the street, the opening credits still had the police siren wailing but this time various police procedural images such as someone being shown into a police cell were shown along with police stripes being flashed across the screen. Also gone were any clips of the actors. The theme tune was revamped with a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
feel as it was mainly played by a saxophone. The end credits also changed, showing various parts of the police uniform including 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...
badge with police stripes at the bottom of the screen. The music for this version was arranged by Mark Russell.
In 2001, the opening credits were changed to show the faces of all the police officers on The Bill. In the background the police siren is still wailing. Designed by company "Blue", the end credits were revised to feature items of police equipment, accompanied by a new arrangement of the theme music by Miles Bould and Mike Westergaard.
The 2003–2006 opening titles featured generic police images such as a police car and a police uniform. The wail of a police siren can still be heard in the background. The end credits also changed this time to feature a preview of the next episode. The background to the end credits, designed by company "Roisin at Blue", is simply a police shade of blue, with a new arrangement of the theme music by Lawrence Oakley.
In 2007, the opening credits again changed to focus more on scenes involving police officers. In the sequence, the wail of the police siren is still heard and the sign identifying the building as Sun Hill police station is included. The closing credits follow a police car on patrol and the music is again arranged by Lawrence Oakley.
In April 2008, Episode 588 was broadcast, entitled, "Overkill".
In 2009, the programme underwent a major overhaul, moving to a post watershed slot to allow for grittier story lines and to enable ITV to cut its cost in the light of the recession. As a result, the credits were again changed, with the old theme tune replaced and the addition of incidental music. The new closing credits follow a police car on patrol and the music is now by Simba Studios.
For the final episode a remixed version of "Overkill" was used.
Episodes
When The Bill was first commissioned as a series by ITV, it started with twelve episodes per year, each an hour long with a separate storyline. In 1988 the format changed to year round broadcast with two thirty minute episodes per week. In 1993 this expanded to three thirty minute episodes per week. In 1998 the broadcast format changed to two, one hour episodes each week. Episodes were now recorded in 16:916:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
digibeta. In 2009 The Bill began broadcasting in HD and as part of a major revamp, was reduced to broadcasting once a week. The Bill finished in 2010, with 2400 episodes broadcast.
Special episodes
The Bill has broadcast two live episodes. The first was in 2003 to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the pilot, Woodentop. The second was in 2005 to celebrate the fiftieth birthday of ITV.The live episode in 2003 was episode #1818, originally broadcast on 30 October 2003 at 8 pm, and produced with a crew of 200 staff including seven camera crews. It was reported to be the first live television broadcast of a programme where filming was not largely confined to a studio. Detective Constable Juliet Becker and Constable Cathy Bradford are being held hostage by a man called Mark. As they are being held hostage in a carrier in the station yard, Cathy Bradford raises the custody suite alarm. When the rest of the station arrive outside, Mark makes it known that he intends to kill Juliet Becker. The police get permission to break into the carrier, only to find that Juliet has been stabbed. She is rushed to hospital, but attempts to resuscitate her fail. The episode was watched by around 11 million viewers.
The live episode in 2005 was episode #349, broadcast on 22 September 2005 at 8 pm. In this episode, it was revealed that PC Gabriel Kent
Gabriel Kent
Gabriel Kent is a fictional character in The Bill. He was played by Todd Carty from 2003 to 2005.-Personal life and background:PC Gabriel Kent was the most corrupt and deranged police officers ever to work at Sun Hill....
had assumed a false identity. It is revealed that he has been operating under his brother's name and is, in fact, David Kent. In this episode the "real" Gabriel Kent arrived in Sun Hill to meet his mother, Sergeant June Ackland. In this episode, Sun Hill police station is hosting a reception party and, as the police arrive, they are taken hostage by a distraught father whose son was killed by a stolen car. A struggle ensues in which a shot is fired, alerting others in the building the incident. After an evacuation of the station, Superintendent Amanda Prosser encourages PC Dan Casper to attempt to overpower the man. As he does so, both Casper and the real Gabriel Kent are shot. The real Gabriel Kent is rushed to hospital where the false Gabriel Kent threatens him in order to keep the identity switch a secret.
A series of special episodes titled The Bill Uncovered were produced to reflect the stories of select characters and events. The first was The Bill Uncovered : Des and Reg (2004) – The story of the unusual friendship between PC Des Taviner and PC Reg Hollis, traversing their history from Des's first day at Sun Hill to his death in a Sun Hill cell.
The second was The Bill Uncovered : Kerry's Story (2004), the story of PC Kerry Young, who met her death outside Sun Hill. The third special was The Bill Uncovered : Jim's Story (2005), the story of DC Jim Carver – from his first day at Sun Hill (in the pilot "Woodentop"). The last was The Bill Uncovered: On The Front Line (2006), in which Superintendent Adam Okaro recounts the extraordinary events that have surrounded Sun Hill over his time in charge. A review of the second of these specials criticised the "increasingly degenerative plotlines" of the series, and characterised the special as a "cheerless outing" covering The Bill
In 2008, a special programme called "The Bill Made Me Famous" in light of the show's 25th anniversary was broadcast, which saw former actors and special guest stars telling their accounts of working on the show and how it changed their lives. It included old favourites such as Billy Murray
Billy Murray (actor)
Billy Murray is an English actor, best known for playing Don Beech in The Bill from 1995 to 2004, Johnny Allen in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2005 to 2006, Captain John Price in the video games Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare...
(DS Don Beech), Chris Ellison
Chris Ellison
Christopher Martin Ellison , is a former Liberal member of the Australian Senate. He represented Western Australia in the Senate from July 1993 to January 2009.-Background:...
(DI
Inspector
Inspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
Frank Burnside) and popular TV personalities such as Paul O'Grady
Paul O'Grady
Paul James Michael O'Grady MBE is an English comedian, television presenter, actor, writer and radio DJ. He is best known for presenting the daytime chat television series, The Paul O'Grady Show and, more recently, Paul O'Grady Live, as well as his drag queen comedic alter ego, Lily Savage, as...
and Les Dennis
Les Dennis
Les Dennis is an English comedian, television presenter and actor best known as the host of Family Fortunes for 15 years.-Early life:...
.
The last special was called "Farewell The Bill" and it was air directly after the last episode of The Bill. Farewell The Bill talked about the show and gave viewers a back stage view of the filming of the last episode. This special was later release onto DVD in Australia region all.
Cast
The Bill has a large regular cast to support the number of episodes that are produced each year. Working on The Bill has become something of a rite of passage in British acting, with 174 actors having formed part of the series' main cast since the series began. A number of cast members have played multiple roles in the series, and in other British soap operas and dramas.Notable cast members
There are numerous actors who have either appeared on The Bill for some considerable length of time, or on whose careers The Bill has made a significant impact. The following is a concise list of the most notable, an expanded version is available at List of characters of The Bill.- Billy MurrayBilly Murray (actor)Billy Murray is an English actor, best known for playing Don Beech in The Bill from 1995 to 2004, Johnny Allen in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2005 to 2006, Captain John Price in the video games Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare...
appeared in The Bill for 5 years playing DS Don Beech. The character was a corrupt police officer, notably having murdered DS John Boulton, forcing Beech to go on the run, sparking the "Don Beech scandalDon Beech ScandalThe Don Beech Scandal was a storyline in the long-running police procedural British television series, The Bill.The storyline centred around the corrupt Detective Sergeant Don Beech. Since the character's debut in 1995, his corruption had steadily grown...
". Since leaving The Bill, Murray's career has included a stint on EastEndersEastEndersEastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
as Johnny AllenJohnny Allen (EastEnders)Jonathan "Johnny" Allen is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Billy Murray.-Storylines:Johnny Allen was a businessman and retired gangster, who grew up in Walford but moved away to start up an empire of his own which he named J.A. Enterprises...
and two films, Rollin' With The Nines and Rise of the FootsoldierRise of the FootsoldierRise of the Footsoldier is a 2007 English crime film released on 7 September, 2007. It is the third film from BAFTA award winning director Julian Gilbey...
. The character also spawned Beech on the Run and Beech is BackBeech is BackBeech is Back was a six-part mini-series spin-off from The Bill revolving around the corrupt Don Beech played by Billy Murray.The series was preceded by a regular episode of The Bill, entitled Beech on the Run, which was broadcast on 19 August 2001...
.
- Tony O'CallaghanTony O'CallaghanTony O'Callaghan is a British television actor of Irish descent.He is notable for his character Sergeant Matt Boyden on the television series The Bill from 1991 to 2003.-Early life:...
played Sergeant Matt Boyden for 12 years from 1991–2003. Boyden was shot dead by his daughter's boyfriend so she can profit from insurance money to fund her drug habit. This was the storyline that formed the basis for the opening episode of spin-off M.I.T.: Murder Investigation TeamM.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team (TV series)MIT: Murder Investigation Team was a British police procedural drama series produced by the ITV network as a spin-off from the long running series, The Bill. The series is based around the investigations of a London Murder Investigation Team, and is closely styled after the American series CSI:...
. Tony O'Callaghan has also appeared in The Magnificent EvansThe Magnificent EvansThe Magnificent Evans is a 1984 BBC situation comedy written by Roy Clarke and starring Ronnie Barker, Sharon Morgan and Myfanwy Talog.-Plot:...
, Family AffairsFamily AffairsFamily Affairs was a British soap opera broadcast on Five, from 1997 to 2005. It was the second programme to be broadcast on the channel on 30 March 1997, the channel's launch night...
, Holby CityHolby CityHolby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
, Doctors and ShamelessShamelessShameless is a British television drama series set in Manchester on the fictional Chatsworth council estate. Produced by Company Pictures for Channel 4, the first seven-episode series aired weekly on Tuesday nights at 10pm from 13 January 2004...
.
- Christopher EllisonChristopher EllisonChristopher Michael Ellison is an English actor. He is best known for his role as DCI Frank Burnside in the popular ITV police series The Bill and short lived spin off series Burnside....
played DCI Frank Burnside for 5 years. Burnside made many enemies both at Sun Hill and with the villains, indeed Chief Superintendent Pearson tried to frame Burnside in a corruption inquiry. Since leaving The Bill, Ellison has enjoyed a guest stint as Len Harker in EastEndersEastEndersEastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
. Ellison has also appeared in MinderMinder (TV series)Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
, CasualtyCasualty (TV series)Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, Judge John DeedJudge John DeedJudge John Deed is a British legal drama television series produced by the BBC in association with One-Eyed Dog for BBC One. It was created by G.F. Newman and stars Martin Shaw as Sir John Deed, a High Court judge who tries to seek real justice in the cases before him. It also stars Jenny Seagrove...
and voiced a Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
audio adventure. The character spawned spin off BurnsideBurnside (TV series)Burnside is a British television police procedural drama, broadcast on ITV in 2000. The series, a spin-off from ITV's long-running police drama The Bill, focused on DCI Frank Burnside, formerly a detective at Sun Hill and now working for the National Crime Squad...
.
- Mark WingettMark WingettMark Wingett , is an English actor. He is best known for playing the role of Jim Carver in the ITV1 police procedural The Bill.-Career:...
played DS Jim Carver from 1983 to 2005. After his marriage to June Ackland collapsed and he built up gambling debts, the character left Sun Hill. Since leaving, Wingett has also appeared in EastEndersEastEndersEastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, the British version of American ChopperAmerican ChopperAmerican Chopper is a reality television series that airs on Discovery Channel, produced by Pilgrim Films & Television. The series centers on Paul Teutul, Sr. and his son Paul Teutul, Jr. , who manufacture custom motorcycles. Orange County Choppers is in Newburgh, New York...
and SpartacusSpartacusSpartacus was a famous leader of the slaves in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Little is known about Spartacus beyond the events of the war, and surviving historical accounts are sometimes contradictory and may not always be reliable...
.
- Eric RichardEric RichardEric Richard is an English actor.His theatre work includes plays at the Royal Court Theatre and the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, as well as seasons with the Royal Exchange, Manchester, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Sheffield Crucible Theatre and Paines Plough...
played Sergeant Bob Cryer from 1984–2001, the character leaving after being injured when he was accidentally shot by then PC Dale SmithDale 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:...
. The character later made brief re-appearances in the series, including in one storyline involving his niece Roberta who later joined the station. Prior to appearing in The Bill, Richard appeared in a number of TV programmes including Open All HoursOpen All HoursOpen All Hours is a BBC sitcom written by Roy Clarke which ran for four series a first run in 1976, a second run in 1981, third in 1982 and finally with a fourth run in 1985, with a pilot episode from the Seven of One series in 1973...
, Made In BritainMade in BritainMade in Britain is a 1982 British drama film directed by Alan Clarke, and written by David Leland, about a 16-year-old white power skinhead named Trevor, and his constant confrontations with authority figures. It was originally broadcast on ITV as the fourth in an untitled series of works by...
and Shoestring.
- Kevin LloydKevin LloydKevin Reardon Lloyd was a British actor, born in Derby, and trained at East 15 Acting School, London. Best known for his part of DC Alfred "Tosh" Lines in Thames Television's The Bill....
played DC Tosh Lines from 1988–98, the character was written out as having accepted a position in the CoronerCoronerA coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
's Office after the actor was sacked for turning up drunk. The actor died a week after his dismissal.
- Jeff StewartJeff Stewart (actor)Jeffrey Stewart is a Scottish actor, probably best known as PC Reg Hollis in the ITV drama The Bill, a role he played from 1984 to 2008....
played PC Reg Hollis from 1984–2008. In 2008, the character was written out with the character resigning after being traumatised by the death of colleagues in a bomb blast. After learning of his axing from the show, Stewart attempted suicide on set by slashing his wrists.
- Graham ColeGraham ColeGraham Cole is an English actor.He is best known as PC Tony Stamp in the ITV police drama The Bill, a role he has played from 1984 until 2009. He had made previous uncredited appearances as an unnamed PC....
played PC Tony Stamp from 1984–2009. The character was written out (taking up a driving instructor's post at HendonHendon Police CollegeHendon Police College is the principal training centre for London's Metropolitan Police Service. Founded with the official name of the Metropolitan Police College, the college is today officially called the Peel Centre, although its original name is still used frequently...
) as part of the 2009 revamp after producers felt that he didn't fit the new show. Cole's last episode was shown on 5 November 2009 and his departure meant the end of a 25 year association with the programme.
- Trudie GoodwinTrudie GoodwinTrudie Goodwin is an English actress best known for playing Sergeant June Ackland in the high-profile British television police drama The Bill from 1984 to 2007. On September 7th, 2011 it was announced that Goodwin is to join the long-running soap Emmerdale...
played Sergeant June Ackland from 1983 to 2007, appearing first in 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...
. The character retired in 2007 after her on-screen relationship with DC Jim Carver came to an abrupt end. When Goodwin left The Bill in 2007 she was not only the longest serving cast member in the history of The Bill, but also held the world record for the longest time an actor has portrayed a police character.
- Alex WalkinshawAlex WalkinshawAlex 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:...
has played Inspector Dale "Smithy" SmithDale 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:...
since 1999. Walkinshaw made three "one off" appearances in the series prior to becoming a regular cast member and has made appearances in several other British soaps and serial dramas.
- Simon RouseSimon RouseSimon Rouse is an English actor, best known for playing the role of Superintendent Jack Meadows in the long-running ITV police drama The Bill....
has played Superintendent Jack Meadows since 1989, though the character only became a regular role in 1992. Aside from The Bill, Rouse has had small appearances in a number of other British television series including Robin of SherwoodRobin of SherwoodRobin of Sherwood , was a British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. Created by Richard Carpenter, it was produced by HTV in association with Goldcrest, and ran from 1984 to 1986 on the ITV network. In America it was retitled Robin Hood and shown on the premium cable TV channel...
, The ProfessionalsThe Professionals (TV series)The Professionals was a British crime-action television drama series produced by Avengers Mk1 Productions and London Weekend Television that aired on the ITV network from 1977 to 1983. In all, 57 episodes were produced, filmed between 1977 and 1981. It starred Martin Shaw, Lewis Collins and Gordon...
, CasualtyCasualty (TV series)Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, MinderMinder (TV series)Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
and Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
.
- Chris SimmonsChris SimmonsChris 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....
played DC Mickey Webb from 2000 to 2010. He appeared twice on the show playing different roles, most notably as a criminal in 1999, before joining the cast as a regular in the following year. He left the series temporarily in 2003, as the culmination of a storyline where his character was raped. He made several guest appearances before returning as a regular in 2005.
Ratings
The Bill has become a popular drama in the United Kingdom and in many other countries, most notably in Australia. The series attracted audiences of up to six million viewers in 2008 and 2009. Ratings during 2002 peaked after the overhaul of the show which brought about the 2002 fire episode, in which six officers were killed and the 2003 live episode attracted ten million viewers- forty percent of the UK audience share. Immediately following The Bills revamping and time slot change, it was reported that the programme had attracted 4.5 million viewers, 19% of the audience share, however, it lost out to the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's New Tricks with the Daily Mirror later reporting that ITV's schedule change was behind a two million viewer drop in ratings.
In 2001, prior to Paul Marquess
Paul Marquess
Paul Marquess is a Northern Irish-born British television producer.-Television career:His credits include Brookside, The Bill and Family Affairs. He also originated the idea for the series Footballers' Wives...
' appointment as executive producer, The Bill
In 2002, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
reported that The Bill
In 2005, The Bill was averaging around 11 million viewers, in comparison to Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, which was attracting around 10 million viewers.
In 2009, The Daily Mirror
The Daily Mirror
The Daily Mirror is a British national daily tabloid newspaper which was founded in 1903. Twice in its history, from 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was changed to read simply The Mirror, which is how the paper is often referred to in popular parlance. It had an...
reported that The Bill was to be moved to a post-watershed slot to allow it to cover grittier storylines. It was reported that it is the first time in British Television that ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
have broadcast a drama all year in the 9 pm slot. The changeover happened at the end of July 2009. Before the move, The Bill was averaging 10 million viewers between the two episodes each week. BARB
Barb
Barb may refer to:* A backward-facing point on a fish hook or similar implement, rendering extraction from the victim's flesh more difficult* Wind barbs for each station on a map of reported weather conditions...
reports that the week 12–18 October 2009 saw 3.78 million viewers watch The Bill.
The show is rated M in Australia and M in New Zealand for its medium level violence.
Awards
The Bill has achieved a number of awards throughout its time on air, ranging from a BAFTA to the Royal Television SocietyRoyal Television Society
The Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
Awards. and the Inside Soap Awards
Inside Soap Awards
The Inside Soap Awards is a yearly award ceremony run by Inside Soap magazine since 1996. The awards celebrate the British and Australian soap operas and their actors. Until 2007, EastEnders had won the award for "Best Soap" on every occasion...
, particularly the "best recurring drama" category, in which it has won six times, of which four were consecutive
In 2010, The Bill was nominated for a Royal Television Society award for Best Soap/Continuing Drama, beating both Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
and Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
on to the nominations list. The only soap to be nominated was EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
and the results were announced on 16 March 2010.
Impact and legacy
The Bill was Britain's longest running police drama.It has been compared to Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...
due to the similar, serial, format that both series take. However, The Bill has seen little direct competition on British television in the 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...
genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
over its twenty-five year history, though the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
has twice launched rival series. The first was Merseybeat
Merseybeat (TV series)
Merseybeat is a British police procedural television series shown on BBC One, with a total of four series broadcast between 2001 and 2004. The series follows the personal and professional lives of one shift of police officers from the fictional Newton Park police station on Merseyside, England.In...
, which ran from 2001 but was cancelled in 2004 due to poor ratings and problems with the cast. The second, HolbyBlue
HolbyBlue
HolbyBlue was a British police drama series that aired on BBC One from 2007 to 2008. Produced by the BBC, Red Planet Pictures and Kudos for BBC One, it is a spin-off of the successful BBC One medical drama Holby City, itself a spin-off of the long-running series Casualty.The first series was...
, launched in 2007, was a spin off of successful medical drama Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
(itself a spin off of the long running Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
). It was scheduled to go "head to head" with The Bill, prompting a brief "ratings war", however HolbyBlue was also cancelled by the BBC in 2008, again, largely due to poor ratings.
When The Bill started, the majority of the Police Federation
Police Federation of England and Wales
The Police Federation of England and Wales is the representative body to which all police officers in England and Wales up to and including the rank of Chief Inspector belong. There are 141,000 members as of July 2009...
were opposed to the programme, claiming that it portrayed the police as a racist organisation, however, feelings towards the programme have now mellowed to the extent that Executive Producer Johnathan Young met with Sir Ian Blair, then Commissioner of the Met
Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is the head of London's Metropolitan Police Service, classing the holder as a chief police officer...
in 2006 and it was decided that the editorial relationship between the police and the programme was sufficient. However, Young stressed that The Bill is not "editorially bound" to the police.
Despite better relations with the police, The Bill has still not been without controversy. The Bill has been repeatedly criticised for the high levels of violence portrayed in its scenes, especially prior to 2009 when it occupied a pre-watershed
Watershed (television)
In television, the term watershed denotes the time period in a television schedule during which programs with adult content can air....
timeslot. Specific story lines have also come under fire in the media, such as that surrounding a gay kiss in 2002, as well as an episode broadcast in March 2008 which featured a fictional treatment for multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
, leading the MS Society to brand the plot "grossly irresponsible". In May of the same year, George Galloway
George Galloway
George Galloway is a British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010. He was formerly an MP for the Labour Party, first for Glasgow Hillhead and later for Glasgow Kelvin, before his expulsion from the party in October 2003, the same year...
, MP issued legal proceedings against The Bill for defamation after an episode, viewed by six million people, which featured a corrupt MP who smuggled antiques out of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
before the war, which Galloway alleged was a portrayal of him.
The series has also been criticised by the tabloid press for the replacing of the iconic theme tune as part of a revamping effort.
Spin-offs and related series
During its 26 year-run, The Bill spawned several spin-off productions and related series in German and Dutch languages, as well as a series of documentaries. The following is a list of the most notable of these.- SOKO LeipzigSOKO LeipzigSOKO Leipzig is a German police procedural television programme, a spin-off of the earlier German police programme SOKO 5113. It was first broadcast on the 31st of January 2001, on German television channel ZDF...
: German interpretation based on a similar format. SOKO LeipzigSOKO LeipzigSOKO Leipzig is a German police procedural television programme, a spin-off of the earlier German police programme SOKO 5113. It was first broadcast on the 31st of January 2001, on German television channel ZDF...
has been broadcasting since the late 1990s, but became better known when a crossover episode with the British series, entitled "Proof Of Life", was broadcast on 4 September 2009. It has been announced that further episodes of the series have been commissioned following the British version of The Bill ending in Germany in early 2011.
- Bureau Kruislaan: Dutch interpretation of the series. Produced by Joop van den EndeJoop van den EndeJohannes "Joop" Adrianus van den Ende is a Dutch media tycoon, theatrical producer, co-founder of Endemol and founder/owner of Stage Entertainment....
for VARA Television, the programme lasted for four series running from 1992 to 1995. In 1995, the show was nominated for the Gouden Televizier Ring, an award for the best television programme in the Netherlands. All four series of the show have been released on DVD there.
- Die Wache: German interpretation of the series. As decent script-writers were hard to find at the time, the German producers were given the licence to utilise (re-use) scripts from the British series. The series was produced by RTL TelevisionRTL TelevisionRtl.de' redirects here. For other uses, see RTL.RTL Television , or simply RTL, is a German commercial television station distributed via cable and satellite along with DVB-T , in larger population centres...
, running for nearly 750 episodes from 1994 to 2006.
- BurnsideBurnside (TV series)Burnside is a British television police procedural drama, broadcast on ITV in 2000. The series, a spin-off from ITV's long-running police drama The Bill, focused on DCI Frank Burnside, formerly a detective at Sun Hill and now working for the National Crime Squad...
: Spin-off from the main British series, following ex-DI Frank Burnside in his transfer and promotion to the National Crime SquadNational Crime SquadThe National Crime Squad was a British police organisation which dealt mainly with organised and major crimes. Formed in April 1998 after the amalgamation of six former Regional Crime Squads it merged on 1 April 2006 into the Serious Organised Crime Agency. The NCS reported directly to the Home...
. The programme lasted for just a single series of six episodes, debuting in the UK on 7 July 2000. The series was created and produced by Richard Handford. On 8 October 2008, the series was released on DVD in Australia in a 3-Disc set.
- Beech is BackBeech is BackBeech is Back was a six-part mini-series spin-off from The Bill revolving around the corrupt Don Beech played by Billy Murray.The series was preceded by a regular episode of The Bill, entitled Beech on the Run, which was broadcast on 19 August 2001...
: Spin-off from the main British series, focusing on the adventures of ex-DS Don Beech, who eloped to Australia in an attempt to avoid DS Claire Stanton, who was pursuing him for the murder of her boyfriend, DS John Boulton. The pilot episode, "Beech on the Run", was broadcast in 2000, with a series of six episodes debuting in the UK on 4 April 2001. The series has yet to be released on DVD.
- MIT: Murder Investigation Team: Spin-off from the main British series. Lasting for two series, the drama began with a group of MIT officers investigating the drive-by shooting of Sgt. Matthew Boyden, who had been at Sun Hill for eleven years. The first series consisted of eight one-hour episodes. The second series consisted of four ninety-minute episodes. The series was created by Paul MarquessPaul MarquessPaul Marquess is a Northern Irish-born British television producer.-Television career:His credits include Brookside, The Bill and Family Affairs. He also originated the idea for the series Footballers' Wives...
, produced by Johnathan YoungJohnathan YoungJohnathan Young is a British television producer. His credits include EastEnders, Casualty, Holby City, The Bill and The Sinking of the Laconia....
and starred ex-Bill DS Eva Sharpe (Diane ParishDiane ParishDiane Parish is a British actress best known for her role as Denise Johnson in the BBC Soap EastEnders and DC Eva Sharpe in The Bill.-Career:...
).
- The Trial Of Eddie Santini: A one-off special focusing on the trial of ex-PC Eddie Santini, who was last seen in 1998. The special has been released on DVD.
DVDs
| DVD release name | Episodes | Years of Series | UK Release Date (Region 2) |
North American Release Date (Region 1) |
Australian Release Date (Region 4) |
Worldwide (Region All) (Region 0) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series 1 & Woodentop |
1–12 | 1985 | 6 June 2005 | N/A | 3 August 2011 Only released in Australian |
|
| Series 2 | 1–12 | 1985–1986 | 26 October 2005 | N/A |
N/A |
3 August 2011 Only released in Australian |
| Promotional Taster Includes Woodentop and The Chief Super's Party |
1–2 | 1985–1986 | 16 April 2007 | N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
| Series 3 | 1–48 | 1987 | 28 May 2007 | N/A | N/A | 3 August 2011 Only released in Australian |
| Series 1-3 | 1–36 | 1985-1987 | 19 November 2007 | N/A | 16 November 2009 | N/A |
| Series 4 | 1-48 | 1988 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 31 August 2011 Only released in Australian |
| Series 1-4 | 1-84 | 1985-1990 | N/A | N/A | 5 October 2011 | N/A |
| Series 4-5 | ? | 1988-1989 | Volume One (Series 4) Episodes 1–13 30 June 2008 |
N/A | 16 November 2009 |
N/A |
| Volume Two (Series 4) Episodes 14–26 2 March 2009 |
N/A | |||||
| Volume Three (Series 4) Episodes 27–39 11 May 2009 |
N/A | |||||
| Volume Four (Series 4) Episodes 40–48 (Series 5) 49-52 15 March 2010 |
N/A | |||||
| Volume Five (series 5) Episodes 53–65 11 July 2011 |
N/A | |||||
| The Trial of Eddie Santini | N/A | 1999-2000 | 7 October 2002 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Farewell The Bill | N/A | 2010 Special | N/A | N/A | N/A | 5 October 2011 Only released in Australian |
Note: Box art states 'Series 4-5' but only contains series four (48 episodes).
Note 2: Table Correct as of 5 September 2011 if a substantial amount of time has passed please check for new releases and amend as appropriate.
UK
| Title | UK Release Date | Series / Episode No. |
|---|---|---|
| The Bill Volume 1: Snouts & Red Herrings / Suspects | 1989 | Series 2, Episodes 1 & 2 |
| The Bill Volume 2: Don't Like Mondays / Pick Up / Trojan Horse / Rites | 1990 | Series 5, Episodes 59 & 60 Series 6, Episodes 41 & 42 |
| Woodentop | 12 June 1993 | Series 1, Episode 1 |
| The Originals Volume 1: Wooden Top / Funny Ol' Business | 23 October 1995 | Series 1, Episodes 1 & 2 |
| The Originals Volume 2: A Friend In Need / Clutching At Straws | 23 October 1995 | Series 1, Episodes 3 & 4 |
| The Originals Volume 3: Long Odds / A Dangerous Breed | 6 November 1995 | Series 1, Episodes 5 & 8 |
| Target | 11 March 1996 | Series 12, Episodes 89 & 90 |
| Spill / Death Of A Nobody | 23 June 1997 | Series 12, Episodes 74, 75, 138 & 139 |
| The Burnside Files | 14 July 1997 | Series 6, Episodes 7, 21 & 50 Series 9, Episode 27 |
| The Roach Files | 11 August 1997 | Series 5, Episode 59 Series 6, Episodes 31 & 104 Series 9, Episode 57 |
| The Trial Of Eddie Santini (Also Released on DVD) | 9 October 2000 | Series 15, Episode 36 & Series 16, Episode 21 |
Australia
| Title | AU Release Date | Series / Episode No. |
|---|---|---|
| The Bill: Burnside Knew My Father/ Dinosaur/ Information Received | 1996 | Series 6, Episode 21 Series 8, Episode 7 Series 17, Episode 3 |
| The Bill: Scores/ A Clean Division / If it Isn't Hurting | 1996 | Series 6 Episode 50 & 7 Series 9 Episode 27 |
| The Bill: Beg, Borrow or Steal/Street Life/ When Opportunity Knocks | 1996 | Series 10, Episode 139 Series 11 Episode 17 & 47 |
| The Bill: Waiting for Frank /Cast No Shadow | 1996 | Series 12, Episode 103 Series 14, Episode 99 |
| The Bill:A Bunch of Fives /Death of a Nobody | 1996 | Series 13, Episode 61 Series 12, Episode 138 |
| The Bill: Saved/ True to Life Player/ Gentleman Jim | 1996 | Series 11, Episode 126 Series 13, Episode 17 & 83 |
| The Bill: In on the Game/ Spill | 1996 | Series 14, Episode 40 Series 12, Episode 74 |
Novels
A series of six novelisations of The Bill were published between 1985 and 1992, by Thames/Methuan Publishing (under the Mandarin imprint). Each book was written by John BurkeJohn Burke (author)
John Burke was an English writer of novels and short stories.He had written under the names J. F...
, and adapted from television scripts by Geoff McQueen, Barry Appleton, Ginnie Hole, Christopher Russell, Lionel Goldstein, Al Hunter, Nicholas McInnery, JC Wilsher, Jonathan Rich and Robin Muckherjee.
All the novelisations were published in paperback editions. The first two books were also published in hardcover editions.
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Books
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See also
- List of regular The Bill actors who have appeared in other roles
- List of guests on The Bill
- Woodentop (The Bill)Woodentop (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...
External links
- The Bill at itv.comItv.comitv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 11 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV1 brand. The website offers on-line streaming, ITV archive, news, sport, entertainment, games, soaps, lifestyle, drama and an interactive TV...