"The Bill" (1984) TV series 1984-????

User Rating:

6.1/10   

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 / ... (521 episodes, 1984-2009)
Trudie Goodwin	...	Sgt. June Ackland / ... (429 episodes, 1984-2007)
Jeff Stewart	...	PC Reg Hollis / ... (425 episodes, 1984-2008)
Simon Rouse	...	DCI Jack Meadows / ... (415 episodes, 1990-2009)
Mark Wingett	...	D.C. Carver / ... (319 episodes, 1984-2007)
Alex Walkinshaw	...	Sgt. Dale Smith / ... (278 episodes, 1992-2009)
Roberta Taylor	...	Insp. Gina Gold / ... (275 episodes, 1990-2008)
Chris Simmons	...	DC Mickey Webb / ... (240 episodes, 1998-2009)
Eric Richard	...	Sgt. Cryer / ... (232 episodes, 1984-2004)
Lisa Maxwell	...	DS Samantha Nixon / ... (215 episodes, 2001-2009)

Runtime:

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

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

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:

The producers of the show clear all new regular police character names with the Metropolitan police service to ensure there are no current serving officers with the same name. However if a person with the same name were to join the service at a later date, the show would be entitled to continue using the name.

Quotes:

PC Gabriel Kent: You think I'm afraid of you Kerry? I'm not. You're like a fly buzzing around me, waiting to be swatted away.
PC Kerry Young: Yeah, well we all know what flies are attracted to.

Movie Connections:

Edited into The Bill @ 21 (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Overkill

A good series spiralling into absurdity

'The Bill', along with the BBC's medical shows 'Holby City' and 'Casualty' has been transformed from a popular drama series into a straightforward soap opera. The clearest sign of this is the steady replacement of the old cast over recent years with refugees from 'East Enders', 'Coronation Street' and 'Brookside'. The problem with this is that instead of the old format where crimes would be investigated each week with characters' personal lives providing occasional subplots, the two have become merged. Each crime in Sun Hill now involves one of the regular's wife/lover/child/brother etc. Long lost friends and relatives appear out of the blue to be gunned down or abducted. Like Holby City in particular the plots have become ever more sensational and ludicrous. Several of the cast who were to be written out perished in a fire at the Police Station-started by one of the other characters!This character is still in the show and his crime has now been quietly forgotten. Another character was kidnapped and murdered by a female serial killer who was so over the top she practically foamed at the mouth.The Superintendent went mad and shot himself, but not before getting another of the characters pregnant. Every regular is having an affair with or secretly fancies one of the others. At least three of the regular characters are seriously deranged, one is a drug addict and another a complete crook. Some of the characters, including the new ones are engaging and well acted-my interest in the show always revives when Suprintendent Okaro, Inspector Gina Gold or DCI Jack Meadows are involved and actually carrying out police work. The Bill's revamp has apparently increased its audience significantly, but can it avoid sinking under the weight of its increasingly top-heavy and absurd plotlines?