The Bill

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ITV (ended 2010)

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TheOldBill

User Score: 36897
The Bill
8.2
out of 10
User Rating
363 votes
38

SHOW REVIEWS
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Episode Guide

S 26 :  Ep 31 Aired 8/31/10
S 26 :  Ep 30 Aired 8/24/10
S 26 :  Ep 29 Aired 8/17/10
S 26 :  Ep 28 Aired 8/10/10
S 26 :  Ep 27 Aired 8/3/10
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Show Summary

Welcome to The Bill guide at TV.com. The Bill recounts the goings-on within and around Sun Hill, a Metropolitan Police Station located in the fictional Borough of Canley, in east London. Running for over 25 years, The Bill was Britain's longest running police drama series, finally outstripping Dixon of Dock Green on 10 August 2005. It adapted to meet the challenges of the highly competitive world of independent television, evolving from a standard post-watershed police procedural drama, through a period as a twice- and, later, thrice-weekly early evening ratings grabber with stand-alone plots, then as a twice-weekly one-hour drama with ongoing soap-style exploration of the troubled personal lives of its police officers. The Bill reverted to a once a week, post-watershed drama on 23 July 2009, but ITV decided not to renew the show when the contract came up for renewal the following year. The Bill is not your average cop show, but rather an extraordinary police drama that brings each episode to the audience through the eyes of the characters. An excellent cast, supported by some of the country's leading writers and directors and some innovative camera work gives an incredible sense of realism. Other police dramas have been created in an attempt to mirror its conventions and match its success, but none has lasted. The Bill truly deserves its accolade as Britain's most successful police drama.moreless

Cast & Crew

John Salthouse

John Salthouse

Det. Insp. Roy Galloway [ 1984 - 1987 ]
Eric Richard

Eric Richard

Sgt. Bob Cryer [ 1984 - 2001 ]
Mark Wingett

Mark Wingett

P.C./D.C. Jim Carver [ 1984 - 2005 ]
Colin Blumenau

Colin Blumenau

P.C. Francis 'Taffy' Edwards [ 1984 - 1990 ]
Trudie Goodwin

Trudie Goodwin

W.P.C./Sgt. June Ackland [ 1984 - 2007 ]
Gary Olsen

Gary Olsen

P.C. Dave Litten [ 1984 - 1985 ]
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The Bill Listings

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Fan Reviews (38)

SUBMIT REVIEW

  • The greatest police drama that will ever exist

    10
    By adamj1997, Jun 19, 2013
    This is quite possibly, the best show, ever to appear on TV. It's a huge shame that it ended. ITV were dumb to make the decision. There will never be a drama quite as good as The Bill was, No chance.

  • I wish it would go on.....

    10
    By bazillformuli, May 20, 2013
    I am quite small 12yrs old but still the bill is so cool and I wish it would go on and I am on the last series s26 e31 I saw a big book of THE BILL but I couldn't get it coz... But it was so cool

  • great television

    9.5
    By gregpearson18, Jan 21, 2013
    loved this show the best around 1995- 2001ish, loved the burnside era, the don beech era and the early shows were brilliant too! I can see why the show was axed because it became boring and dropping the famous theme tune adding incidental music it j became a different show, also getting rid of pcs hollis and stamp there was no chemistry the coppers and dcs became characterless and just procedural! the real bill is dc carver, sgt cryer, dci meadows, burnside and june ackland! what was different about the bill was the way it was shot set it apart from anything else! love this show but glad it was axed! glad all the early episodes with tosh and roach are being released!!moreless

  • it is 25 years old next year

    10
    By sean190, Jul 06, 2010
    it is great it is the longest running programe on itv out stripping heartbeat pc stamp is good as ever in the show they could of done a special remeberance spin of with all the cast like reg hollis ans june ackland and gina gold mat boyden bob cryer charles brownlow it will be on until 2010 october 2010 when it will be in its 26th year and they have had manny changes to the show and with pc beth green leaving next year and i think tony stamp will be next to leave the show then it will be jack meadows and then the only orginal cast member from 1999 will be dale smithmoreless

  • What on earth are they doing to this programme?

    4.5
    By sassyj64, Nov 10, 2009
    I have been watching TB since Woodentop. Over the years Producers have come and gone, and the show has waxed and waned somewhat. So the promise of new grittier storylines actually gave me some hope that 2009 would end on a real upswing and breathe some new life into the formula.



    Not on this current showing it won't.



    The post-watershed change appears to have sucked most of the humour and humanity out of the characters. Now we have the monotony of DC X and DS Y investigating Teenager Z who's in grave danger because of A, B or C. DC X/DS Y get overly involved, and somebody has to pull them back when they let their emotions interfere with the job (although it often turns out they were right all along if only *someone* had listened to their angsty rant earlier).



    Unfortunately, for me that pretty much sums up the 9pm episodes so far. There's been the odd flicker of amusement, but mostly it's been as dour and humourless as a sixties kitchen sink drama. The main problem is that whilst some of the episodes have been undoubtedly "worthy" they have also been dull and pedantic, the Pinter-esque style and moralising in a programme like TB is just not what I look for in what was my favourite show.



    I would also like to see an episode containing no one under the age of 25. Yes, children and teens in danger are worthy subjects; but crimes against children are not the only crimes out there. And shifting the focus away from the central police characters towards the impact of crime on minor characters doesn't seem to have worked either.moreless
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Latest News

  • 2010 TV network scorecard 1
    2010 WAS A YEAR IN WHICH BAD BOYS CAME BACK TO OUR SCREEN (ESPECIALLY ON SEVEN), THERE WERE TOO MANY POLICE DRAMAS AND NOT ENOUGH COMEDIES, PLENTY OF SPIN-OFFS AND FEW NEW FORMATS, DIGITAL CHANNELS WERE BOOMING, AND 3D BECAME A GIMMICK BUT WHERE WAS OUR HD TELEVISION? COOKING CLONES WERE EVERYWHERE, TEN GOT NEW BOSSES, THAT HEY DAD..! SCANDAL BROKE OUT AND WE BID FAREWELL TO LOST AND THE BILL.

    2010 TV network scorecard

    Never mind the ratings, we rate the Aussie networks on what they brought to the table in 2010.

    By David Knox, Dec 10, 2010

  • What to Watch: October 18 - 24 0
    TV.COM'S PICK OF THE BEST SHOWS ON AUSSIE SCREENS THIS WEEK.

    What to Watch: October 18 - 24

    Our pick of the best shows on Aussie screens this week including premieres of Undercover Boss Australia, Iron Chef Australia, Grand Designs Australia and Beauty and the Geek Australia, as well as Justin Bieber on CSI, The Bill farewell special and more.

    By David Knox, Oct 17, 2010

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    Drama

    Themes

    Cop Shows, Thrillers, British TV

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