The Bill: Difference between revisions
Tag: references removed |
|||
Line 80: | Line 80: | ||
'''Theme tune and opening sequence''' |
'''Theme tune and opening sequence''' |
||
The original |
The Bill's original opening sequence consisted of 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. These shots would be interspersed with shots of the police car's blue light. The first episode shown of The Bill is called Funny Old Business - Cops and Robbers. The original end music simply showed the feet of two police constables pounding the beat (always 1 WPC and 1 PC). The original title music was put together by Andy Pask and Charlie Morgan <ref name="Original Ending Credits to The Bill">{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m68KkR_WtY&feature=PlayList&p=C94CC0C49603E5FF&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=1|title=The Bill original ending credits|publisher=TheDoctor001|accessdate=2009-10-27|location=London}}</ref>. |
||
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 <ref name="1997 credits The Bill">{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuIX4eiqfrU|title=The Bill 1997 credits|date=2009|publisher=forten78|accessdate=2009-10-27|location=London}}</ref> |
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 <ref name="1997 credits The Bill">{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuIX4eiqfrU|title=The Bill 1997 credits|date=2009|publisher=forten78|accessdate=2009-10-27|location=London}}</ref> |
Revision as of 23:21, 29 October 2009
![]() | This article or section is in a state of significant expansion or restructuring. You are welcome to assist in its construction by editing it as well. If this article or section has not been edited in several days, please remove this template. If you are the editor who added this template and you are actively editing, please be sure to replace this template with {{in use}} during the active editing session. Click on the link for template parameters to use.
This article was last edited by 130.102.0.175 (talk | contribs) 14 years ago. (Update timer) |
![]() | This article is currently undergoing a major edit by the Guild of Copy Editors. As a courtesy, please do not edit this page while this message is displayed. The copy editor who added this notice is listed in the page history. This page was last revised at 23:21, 29 October 2009 (UTC) (14 years ago) by 130.102.0.175 (talk · contribs) ( ). Please remove {{GOCEinuse}} from this page as this page has not been edited for at least 24 hours. If you have any questions or concerns, please direct them to the Guild of Copy Editors' talk page. Thank you for your patience. |
The Bill | |
---|---|
File:The Bill titles.jpg The Bill logo (January 2007–July 2009) | |
Genre | Police procedural/Drama |
Created by | Geoff McQueen |
Starring | Present cast |
Theme music composer | Andy Pask Charlie Morgan |
Composer | Simba Studios |
Country of origin | ![]() |
Original language | Englisch |
No. of series | 25 As of 2009[update] |
No. of episodes | 2361 As of 10 September 2009[update] (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers | 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) |
Production locations | London, England |
Running time |
|
Production companies | Talkback Thames (a FremantleMedia company) |
Original release | |
Network | ITV |
Release | 16 October 1984 – present |
Related | |
The Bill is a long running British police procedural television series, unique 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. 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 primarily starred Trudie Goodwin as WPC June Ackland of the fictional Sun Hill police station in London, who was later to become the last remaining original cast member.
The series has come under attack by the Police Federation, who 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 and the series, again making it unique on British television, uses authentic police uniforms and equipment.
The Bill still causes occasional controversy, particularly with its story lines- for example, a 2008 episode which featured a fictional treatment for multiple sclerosis and another episode in May the same year which resulted in litigation by MP George Galloway for defamation. The series has also faced more general criticism over the levels of violence it portrays, particularly prior to 2009, when it occupied a pre watershed slot. In spite of the controversy and after the change to its scheduling, The Bill beat several other popular series to a BAFTA and the title of "best drama" at the Inside Soap Awards in 2009, the latter being the series' fourth consecutive win.
History
The Bill was originally conceived as a one-off drama for British television network ITV, entitled Woodentop. The pilot episode starred Mark Wingett as Police Constable Jim Carver and Trudie Goodwin as Woman Police Constable June Ackland of the Metropolitan Police, both attached to the fictional Sun Hill police station in London. Ackland became a mentor to Carver on his first day "on the beat".
The Bill was originally devised by Geoff McQueen as a one off. However, Woodentop impressed ITV to the extent that they decided to commission an entire series. After Woodentop, the series was started as one post-watershed episode per week, featuring an hour- long, separate storyline for each episode of the first three seasons.
In 1988, this was increased to three episodes 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 became more serialised. When Paul Marquess took over as Executive Producer in 2002, the series was revamped as a soap with many veteran characters - including 1980's alumni Inspector Monroe, Chief Inspector Conway and Detective Constable Carver - written out. The years 2002 to 2005 saw the highest death toll of police officers in the show's history[citation needed]. When Johnathan Young took over as executive producer in 2005, the serial format was dropped and the show returned to stand-alone episodes with more focus on crime and policing[citation needed]. 2006 was the first year since 2001 that did not involve the death of a regular character in the series.
Theme tune and opening sequence
The Bill's original opening sequence consisted of 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. These shots would be interspersed with shots of the police car's blue light. The first episode shown of The Bill is called Funny Old Business - Cops and Robbers. The original end music simply showed the feet of two police constables pounding the beat (always 1 WPC and 1 PC). The original title music was put together by Andy Pask and Charlie Morgan [1].
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 [2]
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 theme tune featured various police procedures, missing person reports, a map, a vague image of someone being arrested, a person having his mugshot taken and a fingerprint were included. The theme tune remained the same but had been slightly jazzed up as it was now mainly played by a saxophone [3]. 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 put together by Andy Pask and Charlie Morgan [4]
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.[5]. The end credits again changed, again designed by Andy Pask and Charlie Morgan, this time featuring various police equipment as the credits run [6]
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 [7].
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 [8]. The closing credits follow a police car on patrol and the music is again designed by Andy Pask and Charlie Morgan [9].
In 2009 the programme underwent a major overhaul due to its move to a 9pm viewing on ITV. As a result the credits were again changed. The Bill is now filmed and broadcast in high definition and has returned to its original post-watershed format of a single, hour-long episode per week, with its iconic theme tune replaced and the addition of incidental music to the show [10] [11]. The closing credits are now simply following a police car on patrol and the music is now by Simba Studios [12]
Setting
The Bill is set in and around Sun Hill police station, in the fictional London borough of Canley in East London[13]. Other fictional police stations within the Canley Borough Operational Command Unit (BOCU), mentioned but usually unseen are:
- Barton Street, which is the location of Borough Headquarters.
- Stafford Row
- Spicer Street.
Filming takes place all over London, mainly in South London and particularly the London Borough of Merton, where the Sun Hill set is located.[14] 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 [15] with other scenes filmed in Tooting, Greenwich or Croydon [16][17][18]
Episodes
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.
Special episodes
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.[19].
Spin-offs and related shows The Bill has spawned several spin-off productions and documentaries.
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.[20]
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. (Before it was broadcast, it was also rumoured to feature Chris Simmons as Mickey Webb, who had recently departed from The Bill, but these rumours turned out to be false). The series was created by Paul Marquess. The second series was produced by Johnathan Young.
The Bill Uncovered A series of The Bill Uncovered documentaries 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.
Impact and Legacy
When the programme started, the majority of the Metropolitan Police were against the programme, claiming that it openly showed racism within the Police Force [21]. However, feelings towards the programme have now mellowed[citation needed].
The Bill's 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 enough. However he is always keen to point out that The Bill is not "editorially bound" to the Police Force [22]
When filming The Bill, if some of the scenes need improving, they are then 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 [23].
When filming scenes involving the panda cars, a camera is attached to the outside of the car which then feeds back images to a computer in the back of the vehicle. It is this that was used to film the new opening titles of The Bill [24].
The Bill does not have permission to use sirens when filming on location, these are added in the dubbing suite.[25]
In the early days of The Bill, a local resident registered her protest at what she deemed to be a stereotypical portrayal of council estates as hotbeds of crime. She held up filming by stationing herself in the background with an ironing board, an iron and a basket full of laundry.[26]
Cast
Working on The Bill is something of a rite of passage in British acting, many members of the profession having appeared in the series. The Bill has a large regular cast to support the number of episodes that are produced each year, indeed a number of regular cast members have appeared in other roles.
Notable Past Cast Members
In this list are actors who have either appeared on The Bill for some considerable length of time, or have had The Bill make a significant impact on their careers. See below for current cast members.
- Billy Murray appeared in The Bill for 5 years playing Don Beech. The character was a corrupt police officer, notably having murdered DS John Boulton, forcing Beech to go on the run. He is still on the run and his current whereabouts are unknown. Since leaving The Bill, Billy has had a varied career including a stint on EastEnders as Johnny Allen and has appeared in two films, Rollin' With The Nines and Rise of the Footsoldier.
- Ciaran Griffiths played temporary Detective Constable Gary Best for 3 years, the character leaving after he was shot and nearly paralysed in a drugs operation, transferring to Manchester to be closer to his family. As well as appearing in The Bill, Griffiths has appeared in numerous other television programmes including Shameless, Coronation Street and Clocking Off as well as several films.
- Russell Boulter played DS John Boulton for 5 years. The character was murdered by DS Don Beech. Since appearing in The Bill, Russell has also appeared in Casualty, Judge John Deed, Heartbeat, Mobile, Waking The Dead and currently narrates Deep Wreck Mysteries on the History channel.
- Tony O'Callaghan played Sergeant Matt Boyden for 12 years from 1991-2003. The character left after he was shot dead by his daughters boyfriend so she can profit from insurance money to fund her drug habit. Tony O'Callaghan has also appeared in The Magnificent Evans, Family Affairs, Holby City, Doctors and Shameless.
- Peter Ellis played Chief Superintendent Charles Brownlow for over 16 years from 1983 to 2000, the character leaving after he tendered his resignation in light of the Don Beech scandal. In 1983, Ellis appeared in the play Trafford Tanzi opposite Toyah Wilcox.
- Christopher Ellison played DCI Frank Burnside for 5 years, the character leaving in 1993 to join the Metropolitan Police. Since leaving The Bill, Christopher has enjoyed a guest stint as Len Harker in EastEnders. Ellis has also appeared in Minder, Casualty, Judge John Deed, Doctor Who audio adventure The Game and, of course, Burnside.
- Mark Wingett played DS Jim Carver from 1983 to 2005. After building up gambling debts, the character left Sun Hill knowing he would only make the same mistakes if he stayed. Since leaving, Wingett has also appeared in EastEnders, the British version of American Chopper and Spartacus.
- Eric Richard played Sergeant Bob Cryer from 1984-2001, the character leaving when he was accidentally shot by then PC Dale Smith after being held hostage at a school. Tom Chandler used this as an opportunity to force Cryer out of the force so he left Sun Hill. Prior to appearing in The Bill, Richard appeared in a number of TV programmes including Open All Hours, Made In Britain and Shoestring.
- Natalie J. Robb played PC Andrea Dunbar from 2004-05, she was a policewoman who led a double-life as she was actually a journalist posing as a policewomen researching a story on whether or not the Police had become too soft with criminals. This role was apparently thought of by The Bill after a BBC1 Panorama programme of the same nature [27]. Andrea was one of the policewomen killed in the 2005 station fire. Since leaving The Bill, Robb has appeared in a number of television programmes including EastEnders, Emmerdale and Waking The Dead.
- Larry Lamb played Senior Crown Prosecutor Jonathan Fox for 4 months in 2004. The character developed a relationship with Inspector Gina Gold, but, realising the force would always come first in her life, requested a transfer to another station. Since appearing in The Bill, Lamb has appeared in a number of television programmes including EastEnders and Gavin & Stacey.
- Daniel Flynn played Superintendent John Heaton from 2006-09, the character leaving to take charge of a specialist unit targeting human trafficking. As well as The Bill, Flynn has appeared in a number of television programmes including Goodbye Mr Chips, Peak Practice and Murder in Mind.
- Scott Maslen played DS Phil Hunter from 2002-07, the character leaving to transfer to Special Operations. Since leaving The Bill, Maslen has played the character of Jack Branning in EastEnders.
- Stephen Beckett played PC Mike Jarvis from 1993-98, the character leaving when he transferred to the Diplomatic Protection Group. Since appearing in The Bill, Beckett has appeared in a number of television programmes including Heartbeat, Doctors and Casualty.
- Todd Carty played PC Gabriel Kent from 2003-05, the character leaving when it was discovered that he was operating under a false identity. He jumped to his death after a violent confrontation with then Sergeant Dale Smith. As well as appearing in The Bill, Carty has appeared in a number of television programmes including EastEnders, Grange Hill, Heartbeat and Holby City.
- Kevin Lloyd played DC Tosh Lines from 1988-98, the character was written out as having accepted a position in the Coroner's Office. A week after his dismissal from The Bill, Kevin Lloyd died.
- Andrew Paul played PC Dave Quinnan from 1989-2002 when the character left to transfer to SO10 Covert Operations. Since leaving The Bill, Paul has enjoyed a brief stint on EastEnders as Maxwell Moon and on Where The Heart Is until the programme was axed in 2006.
- Michael Higgs played PC Eddie Santini from 1998-99, the character leaving after being gunned down due to his part in a murder. Since leaving The Bill, Higgs has been in a number of television programmes including EastEnders, Silent Witness and Double Time.
- Diane Parish played DC Eva Sharpe from 2002-04, the character leaving to join the Murder Investigation Team. Since The Bill, Diane has appeared in the spin off Murder Investigation Team and is currently playing Denise Wicks in EastEnders.
- Jeff Stewart played PC Reg Hollis from 1984-2008. In 2008 the character was written out with the character handing in his resignation after being traumatised by the death of colleagues in a bomb blast. Stewart has not been seen on television since the character was axed.
Over its 26 year history, The Bill has seen some 174 cast members come and go. The current cast is listed below [28]:
Current Cast
Senior Officers
Rank | Name | Actors | First Appearance |
---|---|---|---|
Supt | Jack Meadows | Simon Rouse | 1990 |
Insp | Dale Smith | Alex Walkinshaw | 1999 |
DI | Neil Manson | Andrew Lancel | 2003 |
Detective Sergeants
Rank | Name | Actor | First Appearance |
---|---|---|---|
DS | Max Carter | Christopher Fox | 2007 |
DS | Stevie Moss | Lucy Speed | 2008 |
Uniformed Police Sergeants
Rank | Name | Actor | First Appearance |
---|---|---|---|
Sgt | Callum Stone | Sam Callis | 2007 |
Detective Constables
Rank | Name | Actor/ Actress | First Appearance |
---|---|---|---|
DC | Mickey Webb | Chris Simmons | 2000 |
DC | Terry Perkins | Bruce Byron | 2003 |
DC | Will Fletcher | Gary Lucy | 2005 |
DC | Jo Masters | Sally Rogers | 2005 |
DC | Grace Dasari | Amita Dhiri | 2007 |
DC | Jacob Banks | Patrick Robinson | 2008 |
Uniformed Police Constables
Rank | Name | Actor/ Actress | First Appearance |
---|---|---|---|
PC | Tony Stamp | Graham Cole | 1985 |
PC | Roger Valentine | John Bowler | 2004 |
PC | Benjamin Gayle | Micah Balfour | 2007 |
PC | Sally Armstrong | Ali Bastian | 2007 |
PC | Nate Roberts | Ben Richards | 2007 |
PC | Millie Brown | Clare Foster | 2008 |
PC | Leon Taylor | Dominic Power | 2008 |
PC | Mel Ryder | Rhea Bailey | 2008 |
Civilian Police staff
Rank | Name | Actor | First Appearance |
---|---|---|---|
CSE | Eddie Olosunje | Jason Barnett | 2008 |
Upcoming character changes
Rank | Name | Actor/ Actress | Status | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|
PC | Tony Stamp | Graham Cole | Leaves 5 November 2009 | [29] |
DC | Will Fletcher | Gary Lucy | Leaves December 2009 | [30] |
PC | Sally Armstrong | Ali Bastian | Leaves 2009 | [31] |
PC | Kirsty Knight | Sarah Manners | Arrives February 2010 | [32] |
DC | Jo Masters | Sally Rogers | Transfers to Uniform and promoted to Sergeant, January/February 2010 | [33] |
Broadcasting
England
The Bill now airs on ITV 1 at 9pm every Thursday evening for one hour [34].
Scotland
The Bill used to air on Scottish channel STV. On 5 July 2009, the News Of The World reported that The Bill was to be axed in Scotland.[35]. The final episode of The Bill shown on STV was "Conviction: Judgement Day" and it was aired on 23 July 2009 at 8pm.
Digital Broadcasting
Due to the broadcast cancellation in Scotland and its major revamp to coincide with its scheduling, ITV 3 now repeat the show on Monday nights [36].
Overseas broadcast
The Bill has been broadcast in over 55 different countries.
- In Australia, the series is very popular where it is shown on ABC1 on Saturday evenings and was repeated on the digital-only channel ABC2 on Tuesday until September 2009. The Australian screenings are approximately seven weeks behind the UK. In addition repeats of older episodes are shown on ABC1 at 14:00 Monday-Thursday, when Parliamentary Question Time is not being broadcast.[37] After broadcast, episodes are available online within Australia through the ABC iView IPTV service.[38]
- 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.
DVD video releases
UK (Region 2)
The originals
In the UK, The Bill has released series 1 to 3 individually and in a box set [39].
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 | |||
Series 2 | |||
Series 3 | |||
Series 1-3 |
Half-hour format
Series 4 - Volumes 1, 2 and 3 have been released.[40]
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 | |||
Series 4 - Volume Two | |||
Series 4 - Volume Three |
U.S. (Region 1)
The Bill was also released in the US with the first series, but at the moment no further series are planned for release.[41]
DVD Series | Episodes | Year of Series | Release Date |
---|---|---|---|
Series 1 and Woodentop |
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 [42], 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 seen at home with his wife and his daughter.
When the novels began to adapt the half-hour episodes (Book Three onwards) there is 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, so several characters can be seen suddenly appearing half way through 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 to find 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 | Adapted select episodes of Series 1 (1984) | PC Jim Carver chasing a suspect | |
The Bill 2 | Adapted select episodes of Series 2 (1985) | Sergeant Bob Cryer in civilian clothing | |
The Bill 3 | Adapted select episodes of Series 4 (1988) | Sergeant Bob Cryer and Inspector Christine Fraser in Sun Hill station carpark. | |
The Bill 4 | Adapted select episodes of Series 5 (1989) | DC "Tosh" Lines and DC Mike Dashwood | |
The Bill 5 | Adapted select episodes of Series 5 (1989) | DS Ted Roach | |
The Bill 6 | Adapted select episodes of Series 6 (1990) | Inspector Andrew Monroe and DI Frank Burnside |
See also
References
- ^ "The Bill original ending credits". London: TheDoctor001. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ^ "The Bill 1997 credits". London: forten78. 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ^ "The Bill 1998-2001 Opening Credits". London: TheBillTitles. 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ^ Leitch, Lyn. "1998-2001 Closing Credits". London: lynleitch. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ^ "The Bill 2001-2002 Opening Credits". London: TheBillTitles. 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ^ "The Bills Closing Credits 2001-2002". London: lynleitch. 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ^ "The Bill 2006 Opening and Closing Credits". London. 2006. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ^ "The Bill 2007-2009 Opening Credits". London: TheBillTitles. 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ^ "The Bill 2007-2009 Closing Credits". London: TheBillTitles. 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ^ McMahon, Kate (02.07.09). "The Bill introduces incidental music". London: Broadcast Now. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "The Bill Opening Credits 2009". London: BroadcastnowTV. 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ^ "The Bill Closing Credits 2009". London: TheBillTitles. 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ^ Tibbels, G (2006). The Bill: The Official Case Book (Illustrated ed.). London: Carlton Publishing. pp. 1–64. ISBN 9781844421732.
{{cite book}}
:|access-date=
requires|url=
(help) - ^ "Location of the Sun Hill set". Thebill.wikia.com. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
- ^ Virtue, Rob (06.08.09). "The Bill Answers the Call of the Dark Side". London: wharf. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Broadway, Tooting (12.11.08). "The Bill Filming in Tooting". London. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "Greenwich Council Filming". Greenwich: Greenwich Council. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ^ Truman, Peter (2009-01-27). "Filming in Croydon". Croydon: croydonguardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ^ Stephen Armstrong (2 November 2008). "The Bill meets SOKO Leipzig - Times Online". Retrieved 13 November 2008.
- ^ Writer Haldane Duncan EMAIL MORE ARTICLES. "Part 11: The Cologne Diaries | Haldane Duncan | TV Heroes". Transdiffusion.org. Retrieved 2009-03-02.
- ^ "Police against The Bill". London. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ Sharp, Rob (01.09.08). "The Bill and The Police". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "The Bill Behind The Scenes". London: ITV. 02.04.09. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "How The Bill Is Filmed". London: ITV. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ Silver, Rachel (1999). The Bill: The Inside Story: Behind the Scenes of Britain's Top Police Drama. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-257137-1.
- ^ Navigator, Solar. "Woman Disrupts Filming on The Bill". London: solarnavigator.net. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ "Andrea Dunbar Joins The Bill". London: tv.com UK. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ "The Bill Current Cast List". London: ITV. 2009-10-23. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|coauthors=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Soaps – News – PC Tony stamped out of 'The Bill'". Digital Spy. 2009-06-03. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
- ^ "Soaps – News – Gary Lucy quits 'The Bill'". Digital Spy. 2009-07-29. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
- ^ "Soaps – News – Basitian Quits The Bill". Digital Spy. 2009-09-13. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
- ^ "Soaps – News – Meet PC Kirsty Knight". thebill.com. 2009-10-23. Retrieved 2009-10-23.
- ^ "Soaps – News – Sgt Jo Masters". Tim Key. 2009-10-14. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- ^ "Thebill.com". ITV. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ^ Mulholland, James. "STV | THE BILL | Scottish|Scottish Showbiz". News Of The World. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
- ^ Holmwood, Leigh (2009-07-21). "The Bill Airing on ITV 3". London: guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ "SeaChange - Hungi Jury - ABC1 Television Guide". Abc.net.au. 2008-08-19. Retrieved 2009-03-02.
- ^ "ABC iView". Abc.net.au. 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2009-03-02.
- ^ "The Bill DVD Releases". London. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ "The Bill Half Hour Formats". London: IMDB. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ "The Bill on DVD". London: TV shows on Demand. 06.05.07. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Burke, John (1985). "The Bill Novels". London: John Burke. Retrieved 2009-10-26.