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The Bill

 
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This article is about the British TV series. For the Polish punk rock band, see The Bill (band).
The Bill
Thebillnewsequence3-1.jpg
An image from the current opening title sequence of The Bill
Genre Police procedural/Drama
Created by Geoff McQueen
Starring Present cast
Theme music composer Andy Pask
Charlie Morgan
Composer(s) Simba Studios
Country of origin  United Kingdom
Language(s) English
No. of series 25 As of 2009
No. of episodes 2369 As of 5 November 2009 (2009 -11-05) (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Lloyd Shirley (1984–87)
Peter Cregeen (1987–89)
Michael Chapman (1989–98)
Richard Handford (1998–2002)
Chris Parr (2002)
Paul Marquess (2002–05)
Johnathan Young (2005–current)
Jörg Winger (2 episodes in 2008)
Location(s) London, England
Running time
  • 22–24 minutes
    (commercial ½ hour w/1 break)
  • 42–46 minutes (Current Format)
    (commercial hour w/3 breaks)
Production company(s) Talkback Thames
(a FremantleMedia company)
Distributor FremantleMedia Enterprises
Broadcast
Original channel ITV
Picture format 4:3 (1984–1998)

16:9 SD (1998–2009)

HD (2009–)
First shown in 16 August 1983 (Woodentop)
Original run 16 October 1984 – present
Chronology
Related shows *Bureau Kruislaan
*Die Wache
*Burnside
*Beech on the Run
*Beech is Back
*MIT: Murder Investigation Team
External links
Official website

The Bill is a long running British police procedural television series, unusual among police dramas in that its focus is on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work. The series is produced by Talkback Thames, 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. However, ITV were impressed to the extent that The Bill started as a series in October the following year. Woodentop starred Trudie Goodwin as WPC June Ackland of the fictional Sun Hill police station in London, who later became the last remaining original cast member.

The series has come under attack by the Police Federation, which accused it of portraying the police as a racist organisation; however, relations are now on better terms to the extent that the executive producer met with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner to discuss the editorial relationship. Uniquely for a British television series, The Bill uses authentic police uniforms and equipment.

The Bill's theme tune, "Overkill", used in one form or another since The Bill's beginning as a series in 1985, was controversially replaced in 2009 as part of an overhaul of the series. The Bill causes occasional controversy, particularly with its story lines. For example, a 2008 episode that featured a fictional treatment for multiple sclerosis, and another in May of the same year that 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.

In spite of the controversies, The Bill has beaten several other popular series to a series of awards, including a BAFTA and the title of "best drama" at the Inside Soap Awards in 2009, the latter being the series' fourth consecutive win. Throughout its history, The Bill has always been broadcast on ITV (later renamed ITV1 with the network's expansion into digital television). It is now repeated on ITV3, part of ITV's digital network, as well as on digital channels Alibi and Watch. The Bill used to air twice a week in two half hour formats on ITV. This was later changed and The Bill aired twice a week in two one hour formats. As part of the major overhaul in July 2009 this changed again and The Bill currently airs once a week in a one hour format.

Contents

History

Main article: History of The Bill

The concept of The Bill was originally conceived by Geoff McQueen in 1983, then a relatively new television writer, as a one-off drama. McQueen had originally titled the production "Old Bill"[1]. It was picked up by Michael Chapman for production company Talkback Thames, who retitled it "Woodentop" as part of Thames' "Storyboard" series of one-off dramas and aired on ITV, a British, free to air, commercial television channel under the title Woodentop on August 16, 1983[1]. "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[1].

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[2]. With serialisation, the name of the show changed from "Woodentop" to The Bill[1].

1988 saw an increase to three episodes, each of thirty minutes, per week. Almost ten years later, in 1998, The Bill returned to hour-long episodes, now 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[3], the series was revamped as a soap 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"[1]. 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[1]. 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[1].

In 2005, Johnathan Young took over as executive producer[4]. 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[3]. 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[5][3].

Theme tune and title sequence

The Bill's original theme music 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[2]. 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"[6][7].

The original opening sequence to The Bill consisted of a two police officers (a WPC and a PC) 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) 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 WPC and 1 PC)[8]. The original title music was composed by Andy Pask and Charlie Morgan [9].

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 overtaking a routemaster 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[10].

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 the police stripes flashed across the screen in the same image as a police car. Also gone were any clips of the actors. Instead, this title sequence featured various police procedures. The theme tune was revamped with a slightly jazzed-up feel as it was mainly played by a saxophone[11]. The end credits also changed and now instead of featuring two police constables pounding the beat, simply circled around showing the police uniform. The music for this was arranged by Mark Russell[12][13].

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.[14]. The end credits again changed, designed by "Blue", this time featuring various police equipment as the credits run and a new arrangement of the theme music by Miles Bould [15] and Mike Westergaard [16][17].

The 2003–2006 introduction featured generic police images such as a police car and a police uniform in the opening titles. 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 is simply a police shade of blue and the credits were now designed by Roisin at Blue with a new arrangement of the theme music by Lawrence Oakley [18].

In 2007, the opening credits changed to feature various sights and focused more on scenes involving Police. In this opening sequence the wail of the police siren is still heard and there is reference to the fact that this is Sun Hill police station [19]. The closing credits follow a police car on patrol and the music is again arranged by Lawrence Oakley [20].

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[5][21]. As a result, the credits were again changed, with the old theme tune replaced and the addition of incidental music[22][23]. The new closing credits simply follow a police car on patrol and the music is now by Simba Studios[24].

Broadcasting and production

The Bill is set in and around Sun Hill police station, in the fictional "Canley Borough Operational Command Unit" in East London[1].

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[1]. Locations used when the show is filmed on an estate 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)
  • Durand Close, in Carshalton
  • Phipps Bridge, Mitcham
  • Roundshaw Estate opposite Mellows Park in Wallington, London.

Scenes are often filmed in East London, most notably the London Docklands[25], with other scenes filmed in Tooting[26], Greenwich[27] or Croydon[28].

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[29]. When filming scenes involving police cars, 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[30]. 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[31], the police uniforms used in the series are genuine, again making The Bill unique amongst police dramas[1][32][33].

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[34].

In the United Kingdom

The Bill has been shown on the ITV network (branded ITV1 in England and Wales since 2001), a free-to-air commercial network. With the ITV network's expansion into digital television, it is now shown on ITV 3, particularly a repeat of the most recent episode, which is especially aimed at viewers in Scotland after the series was cancelled there as a result of a dispute with Scottish ITV franchisee, STV[35].

With the rise of digital television, The Bill has become increasingly available within the United Kingdom. Repeats are currently broadcast on commercial digital TV channels Watch and Alibi (formerly UKTV Drama).

As of 2009, The Bill airs on ITV1 at 9pm every Thursday evening for one hour[36]. The series used to air on Scottish channel STV, however on 5 July 2009, the News Of The World reported that The Bill was to be cancelled in Scotland[37]. The final episode of The Bill shown on STV, "Conviction: Judgement Day", aired on 23 July 2009 at 8pm. After being cancelled in Scotland, The Bill was the subject of legal proceedings between ITV and STV. ITV allege that STV are due them money for opting out of showing programmes like The Bill and are currently preparing to sue STV for £38 million[38]. STV has now submitted a counter-claim that ITV are due them over £30 million in unpaid advertising revenues and they have warned that more claims are likely [39].

Outside the UK

The Bill has been broadcast in over 55 different countries[1][40]

  • In Australia, the series is very popular[34] where it is shown on ABC1
  • On satellite and cable in Australia and New Zealand, older episodes are broadcast on UKTV.
  • In Belgium the series is broadcast on één.
  • 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 Ireland the series is broadcast on RTÉ Two. RTÉ shows episodes from 2005. An hour long episode is shown once a week. 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 UTV.
  • In Sweden the series was retitled "Sunhillspolisstation" (Sun Hill Police Station) by broadcaster TV4. It is now broadcast daily on Kanal 9 in the early afternoon with a repeat early the following morning.

Episodes

Main article: List of The Bill 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[1]. In 1993, the format was changed, and The bill was broadcast year round, with three episodes per week, though of only thirty minutes each[1]. This format held until 2001, when The Bill, facing falling ratings, switched back to its original, hour-long format,[1] the format in which the series is currently broadcast. The Bill is currently in its twenty-sixth series, with 2360 individual episodes broadcast as of September 2009.


Live 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.

2003

The live episode in 2003 was episode #162, originally broadcast on 30 October 2003 at 8pm. 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, Juliet Becker raises the custody suite alarm. When the rest of the station arrive outside, Mark makes it known that he intends to kill Juliet Becker just as 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.

2005

The live episode in 2005 was episode #349, broadcast on 22 September 2005 at 8pm. 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.

Cast

Main article: List of characters of The Bill

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[41]. Likewise, a number of cast members from the series have appeared in other roles within the series, and in other British soap operas and dramas. All ranks listed are those held by the character currently or at their time of leaving the series

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.

  • Kevin Lloyd played DC Tosh Lines from 1988–98, the character was written out as having accepted a position in the Coroner's Office[55] after the actor was sacked for turning up drunk. The actor died a week after his dismissal[56].
  • Jeff Stewart 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[57]. After learning of his axing from the show, Stewart attempted suicide on set by slashing his wrists [58]. Stewart has not been on television since.
  • Graham Cole played PC Tony Stamp from 1984–2009. The character was written out as part of the 2009 revamp after producers felt that he didn't fit the new show. Cole's last episode was shown on November 5, 2009 and his departure means The Bill has no original characters remaining[59][60].
  • Trudie Goodwin played Sergeant June Ackland from 1983 to 2007, appearing first in Woodentop[61]. 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[62][63].
  • Alex Walkinshaw has played Inspector Dale "Smithy" Smith 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[64].

Ratings

The Bill has become a popular drama in the United Kingdom and in many other countries, most notably in Australia[34][68]. The series has attracted audiences of up to six million viewers in 2008 and 2009[69]. Ratings peaked after the overhaul of the show which brought about the 2002 fire, in which six officers were killed[70] and the 2003 live episode attracted ten million viewers- forty percent of the UK audience share[71]. Immediately following The Bill's 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 BBC's New Tricks[72] with the Daily Mirror later reporting that ITV's schedule change was behind a two million viewer drop in ratings[73].

In the late 1990s, when The Bill aired on Tuesday and a Thursday at 8pm, the ratings for The Bill varied between 7 and 10 million viewers per episode. In comparison to this, EastEnders, which aired on BBC1 at 7.30pm on a Tuesday and Thursday attracted on average 14.95 million viewers per episode, whereas, in the same period (October) in 1999, The Bill was averaging approxiamtely 18 million viewers over both it's Tuesday and Thursday episodes, compared with D.I.Y. SOS, which aired at the same time on BBC1, averaged 8 million viewers[74].

In 2001, prior to Paul Marquess taking over as executive producer, The Bill's ratings had dropped to approximately six million viewers and advertising revenues had dropped, in part due to the ageing demographic of its viewers, leading ITV to order a "rejuvenation" which saw the series adopt a serial format[1].

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[75]. 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[70].

In 2005, The Bill was averaging around 11 million viewers, in comparison to Coronation Street, which was attracting around 10 million viewers[76].

In 2009, The 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 9pm slot[77]. 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 [78].

Awards

Main article: List of Awards of The Bill

The Bill has achieved a number of awards throughout its time on air, ranging from a BAFTA [79] to the Royal Television Society Awards[80] and the Inside Soap Awards, particularly the "best reccuring drama" category, in which it has won six times, of which four were consecutive[81][82].

Impact and Legacy

The Bill is Britain's longest running police drama [83].

It has been compared to Hill Street Blues due to the similar, serial, format that both series take,[84] however, The Bill has seen little direct competition in the police procedural genre over its twenty five year history with the exception of the BBC's Merseybeat, which ran from 2001-04[1][85][86][87]. HolbyBlue, spin off of Holby City, was, in 2007 and 08 scheduled to go "head to head" with The Bill, prompting a brief "ratings war", however HolbyBlue was also cancelled by the BBC in 2008[88][89].

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[33] 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[33].

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[8]. Specific story lines have also come under fire in the media, such as that surrounding a gay kiss in 2002[1], 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"[90]. 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[91][92][93].

The series has also been criticised by the tabloid press for the replacing of the iconic theme tune as part of a revamping effort[94].

Spin-offs and related series

The Bill has spawned several spin-off productions and documentaries.

A crossover episode with the German series SOKO Leipzig was produced, in cooperation with the ZDF, under the title "Soko Leipzig: The Bill – Entführung in London" (German title). It was broadcast both in Germany and the UK on November 12, 2008, and September 4, 2009[95].

Bureau Kruislaan Bureau Kruislaan was a Dutch series based on The Bill. It was produced by Joop van den Ende for VARA from 1992 to 1995. In the last year, the show received a nomination for a Gouden Televizier Ring, a Dutch award for the best television programme.

Die Wache A German version of The Bill, entitled Die Wache, which utilised scripts from the series was produced for RTL Television from 1994 to 2006[96].

Burnside Burnside lasted a single series of six episodes, the first of which debuted on 7 July 2000. The series focused on the newly promoted DCI Burnside as a member of the National Crime Squad. It was created and produced by Richard Handford. A DVD was released in Australia 8 October 2008 and features all of the episodes in a 3-disc set.

Beech On The Run Beech on the Run is a one-episode spin-off that continues the story of ex-DS Don Beech, living in Australia with associations to crime to fund his life of luxury. However, Claire Stanton is hot on his tail – determined to bring him to justice.

Beech Is Back This sequel to spin-off Beech On The Run debuted in 2001. It lasted only six episodes and was more of a break away from the regular Bill (it was shown in that timeslot) than a complete spin-off. Beech is Back again focused on dodgy ex-DS Don Beech, still on the run from Claire Stanton who wants him brought to justice for the murder of her boyfriend DS John Boulton. None of the episodes were given a title, with each being part of a single six part serial.

MIT: Murder Investigation Team In 2003, ITV launched MIT: Murder Investigation Team. The first episode investigated the drive-by shooting of Sgt. Matthew Boyden, who had been at Sun Hill for eleven years. The first series consisted of ten one-hour episodes. The second series was filmed in 2004, but not shown until mid 2005, and consisted of four ninety-minute episodes. It featured Eva Sharpe (Diane Parish) from The Bill, who had transferred to MIT. The series was created by Paul Marquess. The second series was produced by Johnathan Young.

The Bill Uncovered A series of documentaries entitled The Bill Uncovered were produced to reflect the stories of select characters and events (broadcast on ITV 2 and ITV 3):

  • The Bill Uncovered : Des and Reg (2004) – The story of the unusual friendship between PC Des Taviner and PC Reg Hollis and intercut with clips from Des's first day at Sun Hill to his death in a Sun Hill cell.
  • The Bill Uncovered : Kerry's Story (2004) – The story of PC Kerry Young, who met her death outside Sun Hill.
  • 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 Bill Uncovered : On The Front Line (2006) – Supt. Adam Okaro recounts the extraordinary events that have surrounded Sun Hill over the years. Only shown in Australia – a planned UK broadcast was cancelled.

DVD releases

UK (Region 2) 'The originals:
In the United Kingdom, series 1 to 3 have been released on DVD individually, as well as collectively in a box set[97].

Note: The episode numbering system for the first three series is exclusive to that series.

DVD Series Episodes Years of Series Release Date
Series 1 and Woodentop
1–11
1983–1985
06 Jun 2005
Series 2
1–12
1985–1986
17 Oct 2005
Series 3
1–12
1987
28 May 2007
Series 1–3
1–35
1983–1987
19 Nov 2007

Half-hour format:
Series 4– comprised of volumes 1, 2 and 3 have been released on DVD[98].

Note: From series 4 the numbering system will apply to the whole of the half-hour format, when the series began airing continuously through the year.

DVD Title Episodes Year of Episodes Release Date
Series 4 – Volume One
01-13
1988
30 Jun 2008
Series 4 – Volume Two
14–26
1988
02 Mar 2009
Series 4 – Volume Three
28–39
1988
11 May 2009

U.S. (Region 1):
The first series of The Bill has also been released in the United States. However, no further series are currently planned for release[99].

DVD Series Episodes Year of Series Release Date
Series 1 and Woodentop
1–11
1983–1985
5 Jun 2007

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 Burke [100], 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.

The format of the books differed from the original scripts in minor details and the episodes are presented in a more serialised style, with the narrative events of separate episodes moving into and out of each other, not unlike the format used in later years by the television series.

An early taboo of the series, that the officers private lives remained off-screen, was also broken. During the first two books, DI Galloway was described at home with his wife and his daughter.

When the novels began to adapt the half-hour episodes (Book Three onwards) there was a noticeable jump in continuity, as the sudden influx of a larger cast of characters meant that not every "first episode" of each character could be adapted. As a result, several characters suddenly appear half way through each book, with little or no introduction as to who they are or where they came from.

All the novelisations were published in paperback editions. The first two books were also published in rarer hardcover editions. The stories from Series Three of the TV series never received a novelisation because of various unavoidable production problems with that series.

Novel Title Year Published Episode Cover Photo
The Bill 1 [101]
1985
 Adapted select episodes of Series 1 (1984) PC Jim Carver chasing a suspect
The Bill 2 [102]
1987
 Adapted select episodes of Series 2 (1985) Sergeant Bob Cryer in civilian clothing
The Bill 3 [103]
1989
 Adapted select episodes of Series 4 (1988) Sergeant Bob Cryer and Inspector Christine Fraser in Sun Hill station carpark.
The Bill 4 [104]
1990
 Adapted select episodes of Series 5 (1989) DC "Tosh" Lines and DC Mike Dashwood
The Bill 5 [105]
1991
 Adapted select episodes of Series 5 (1989) DS Ted Roach
The Bill 6 [106]
1992
 Adapted select episodes of Series 6 (1990) Inspector Andrew Monroe and DI Frank Burnside

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Tibballs, Geoff (November, 2003). "Introduction" (in English). The Bill: The Official History of Sun Hill. Carlton. pp. 10. ISBN 9781844426676. 
  2. ^ a b ""The Bill" Funny Ol' Business - Cops & Robbers (1984)" (in English). Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0525292/. Retrieved 2009-11-13. 
  3. ^ a b c "The Bill: Changing Times" (in English). ATV Networks. http://www.atvnewsnetwork.co.uk/today/index.php/special-reports/1366-the-bill-changing-timesT. Retrieved 2009-11-13. 
  4. ^ "Johnathan Young" (in English). Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0949724/. Retrieved 2009-11-13. 
  5. ^ a b Allen, Nick (23 Jan 2009). "The Bill cut to one episode a week as ITV seeks to reduce costs". London: Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/4321319/The-Bill-cut-to-one-episode-a-week-as-ITV-seeks-to-reduce-costs.html. Retrieved 2009-10-28. 
  6. ^ "Who nicked The Bill's theme tune?" (in English). London: The Guardian. 23/07/09. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediamonkeyblog/2009/jul/23/the-bill-theme-tune-titles. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
  7. ^ "The Bill's theme tune to be axed" (in English). London: BBC News. 03/07/09. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8133163.stm. Retrieved 2009-11-03. 
  8. ^ a b TV living: television, culture, and everyday life. ebrary, Inc. 2000. pp. 297, 298. ISBN 041518486X. http://books.google.com/books?id=dWMdhtyFAcEC&dq=the+bill+thames+tv&client=firefox-a&source=gbs_navlinks_s. Retrieved 28/10/09. 
  9. ^ "The Bill original ending credits". London: TheDoctor001. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m68KkR_WtY&feature=PlayList&p=C94CC0C49603E5FF&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=1. Retrieved 2009-10-27. 
  10. ^ "The Bill 1997 credits". London: forten78. 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuIX4eiqfrU. Retrieved 2009-10-27. 
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