"The Bill" (1984) TV series 1984-????

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Creator:

Geoff McQueen

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | unknown

Release Date:

16 October 1984 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

Episodes follow uniform officers and detectives from an inner London police station as they enforce law and order on a day to day basis.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Uniform | Detective | Police Station | London England

Awards:

6 wins & 22 nominations

Cast

Graham Cole	...	PC Tony Stamp / ... (563 episodes, 1984-2009)
Trudie Goodwin	...	Sgt. June Ackland / ... (459 episodes, 1984-2007)
Jeff Stewart	...	PC Reg Hollis / ... (450 episodes, 1984-2008)
Simon Rouse	...	DCI Jack Meadows / ... (449 episodes, 1990-2009)
Mark Wingett	...	D.C. Carver / ... (342 episodes, 1984-2007)
Alex Walkinshaw	...	Sgt. Dale Smith / ... (297 episodes, 1992-2009)
Roberta Taylor	...	Insp. Gina Gold / ... (279 episodes, 1990-2008)
Chris Simmons	...	DC Mickey Webb / ... (263 episodes, 1998-2009)
Eric Richard	...	Sgt. Cryer / ... (240 episodes, 1984-2004)
Andrew Lancel	...	DI Neil Manson / ... (229 episodes, 1995-2009)

Runtime:

25 min (1988-1998) | 50 min (1984-1988, 1998-)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono | Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Australia:PG | UK:12 (some episodes) | UK:15 (some episodes) | UK:PG (some episodes)

Filming Locations:

Kew Bridge Steam Museum, Green Dragon Lane, Brentford, Middlesex, England, UK

Company:

Thames Television

Trivia:

Emily Watson was interviewed for visiting parts a number of times.

Quotes:

DI Burnside: Ask the real community what they want and they'll tell you loud and clear. Cuff 'em and stuff 'em.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "SOKO Leipzig: The Bill - Entführung in London (#12.1)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Overkill

Long running British TV Police Drama

Created by Geoff McQueen, The Bill began life in 1983 as the pilot 'Woodentop', which centered on PC Jimmy (Mark Wingett) Carver on his first day at fictional Sun Hill. Other characters included WPC June Ackland, PC Taffy Morgan and Sgt Wilding. The following year it returned, slightly changed and with McQueen's original title of The Bill. For its first three years it had three series of one hour episodes, before it went into a half hour format in 1988, a format to stay for ten years.

Many say that the show was at its best in the nineties (my favourite era was 1995-2000) with the familiar 'plodding feet credits', great detective storys and such characters as DI Frank Burnside, Insp Andrew Monroe, DC Liz Rawton, PC Vicky Hagen, DS Don Beech and many other greats.

Although the show went through some changes from 1998, including a revert back to hour episodes, and some delving into personal lives, the show changed beyond all recognition in 2002, when new producer Paul Marquess killed off much of the cast and took to a permanant serialised format. For many fans of the show, that was the end of The Bill...