''
The Bill
''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983.
The programme focused on ...
'' is a long-running British television police procedural television series, named after a slang term for the police. The
characters
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
are all
police officer
A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...
s or civilian staff at the fictional
Sun Hill police station
A police station (sometimes called a "station house" or just "house") is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, al ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
.
Senior officers
The following actors appeared as senior officers in ''The Bill''. Simon Rouse, as Jack Meadows, appeared in 884 episodes, including the series finale "Respect". He is the longest serving actor to portray a character in a senior role. Andrew Lancel, as Neil Manson, and Alex Walkinshaw, as "Smithy", also appeared in the series finale. The character of D.I. Roy Galloway appeared in the pilot episode, "Woodentop", played by
Robert Pugh
Robert Pugh (born 11 October 1950) is a Welsh actor, known for his many television appearances, including the role of Craster in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones''.
Life and career
Pugh was born in the Tynte, Mountain Ash and grew up in Cilf ...
. This character would go on to be portrayed by John Salthouse from 1984 onwards.
Notable senior officers
*
Peter Ellis played
Chief Superintendent
Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces, especially in those organised on the United Kingdom, British model.
Rank insignia of chief superintendent
File:Sa-police-chief-superintendent.png, South Australia Police
File:RCMP Chief Su ...
Charles Brownlow from the start of the series in 1984 to 2000,
when the character tendered his resignation in light of the
Don Beech scandal. He was emphatically the longest serving station commander after serving for 16 years, with Adam Okaro a distant second with 4 years. He made a guest appearance in 2002 to attend the funerals of the six officers killed in the station fire.
*
Cyril Nri
Cyril Ikechukwu Nri (born 25 April 1961) is a Nigerian-born British actor who is best known for playing Superintendent Adam Okaro in the police TV series ''The Bill''.
Early life
Nri was born in on 25 April 1961 in Nigeria. Nri's family are ...
played
Superintendent
Superintendent may refer to:
*Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank
*Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator
*Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...
Adam Okaro from 2002 from 2006, initially replacing the deceased Tom Chandler as Superintendent before accepting a promotion to Borough Commander in 2006. He was the highest ranking black officer in the series history.
*
Christopher Ellison
Christopher Michael Ellison (born 16 December 1946 in St Pancras, London) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as DCI Frank Burnside in the ITV police series ''The Bill'' and short-lived spin-off series '' Burnside''.
Education ...
appeared intermittently between 1984 and 2000 as Frank Burnside. A majority of his time on screen was as a DI, however he was a DS when he first appeared, and had become a DCI by the time he left. Ellison's popularity as the rogue officer led to an ill-fated spinoff ''
Burnside'' after his exit in 2000, however it only lasted for one series.
*
Lisa Maxwell played DI Samantha Nixon from 2002 to 2009, when the character transferred to the
child exploitation unit.
In April 2009 she made an appearance, discussing ''The Bill'', on
The Paul O'Grady Show
''The Paul O'Grady Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by comedian Paul O'Grady, first shown on 11 October 2004. The programme is a teatime chat show consisting of a mixture of celebrity guests, comic stunts, musical performances, an ...
and now appears on ''
Loose Women
''Loose Women'' (previously known as ''Live Talk'' from 2000 to 2001) is a British talk show that broadcasts on ITV1 weekdays from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. The show focuses on a panel of four female presenters who interview celebrities, talk about ...
''.
*
Roberta Taylor
Roberta Alexandra Mary Taylor (''née'' Roberts; born 26 February 1948) is an English actress and author. She is known for her roles of Irene Raymond in ''EastEnders'' (1997–2000), and Inspector Gina Gold in ''The Bill'' (2002–2008).
Career ...
played Inspector Gina Gold from 2002 to 2008,
the character leaving due to the stress of the job.
Taylor has since only appeared as a guest panellist on
Loose Women
''Loose Women'' (previously known as ''Live Talk'' from 2000 to 2001) is a British talk show that broadcasts on ITV1 weekdays from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. The show focuses on a panel of four female presenters who interview celebrities, talk about ...
,
The Wright Stuff
''The Wright Stuff'' is a British television chat show which was hosted by former tabloid journalist Matthew Wright from 2000 until 2018. It aired on Channel 5 on weekday mornings from 9:15 to 11:15am. The series characterised itself as "Br ...
and
The Paul O'Grady Show
''The Paul O'Grady Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by comedian Paul O'Grady, first shown on 11 October 2004. The programme is a teatime chat show consisting of a mixture of celebrity guests, comic stunts, musical performances, an ...
.
*
Simon Rouse
Simon may refer to:
People
* Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon
* Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon
* Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...
played
Detective Chief Inspector
Chief inspector (Ch Insp) is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as chief inspector of police (CIP).
Usage by country Australia
The rank of chief inspector is use ...
/
Superintendent
Superintendent may refer to:
*Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank
*Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator
*Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...
Jack Meadows from 1990 until the series finale. He was the longest-serving character to appear in the finale; he was with the show for 20 years, however he was a recurring character between 1990 and 1992.
*
Colin Tarrant
Colin Tarrant (14 June 1952 – 26 January 2012) was an English actor best known for playing Inspector Andrew Monroe in ITV's ''The Bill'' between 1990 and 2002.
Early life and career
Tarrant was born in 1952 in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, and stud ...
played Inspector Andrew Monroe from 1990 to 2002, replacing Christine Frazer. He appeared in over 700 episodes, more than any other high-ranking uniform officer. Only Simon Rouse as Jack Meadows had more appearances by a senior officer during the series history. The character was killed in the Sun Hill explosion in 2002.
*
Ben Roberts played Chief Inspector Derek Conway from 1988 to 2002. He was the second-longest serving uniform manager, with his 14 years only eclipsed by the 16 years of Charles Brownlow. The character was killed by Jeff Simpson in a drive-by petrol bomb attack.
*
Alex Walkinshaw played
Dale "Smithy" Smith from 1999 until the series finale. Walkinshaw had made three one-off appearances in the series before becoming a regular member of the cast. He returned to the show in 2003, having been a PC between 1999 and 2001, by then promoted to Sergeant. He spent six years as a Sergeant, taking centre stage in several major storylines; they included the death of two lovers, one of which led to a false imprisonment, while he was stabbed on duty in his later days as a Sergeant. During the 2009 revamp, he was promoted to Inspector, holding that rank until the show ceased production in 2010.
Overview
Senior officers timeline
Sergeants
The following actors portrayed Sergeants and Detective Sergeants. Both of the series' original lead actors, Trudie Goodwin and Mark Wingett, portrayed Sergeants, with Goodwin appearing in 978 episodes as Sergeant June Ackland, and Wingett appearing in 784 episodes as D.S. Jim Carver. Sally Rogers, Sam Callis, Christopher Fox and Lucy Speed, as Sergeants Jo Masters, Callum Stone, Max Carter, and Stevie Moss, respectively, appeared in the series finale "Respect". Eric Richard's role as Sergeant Bob Cryer was widely lauded as the standout performance on ''The Bill''. Sergeant Matthew Boyden, played by Tony O'Callaghan is notable as the murder of his character launched the spin-off series ''
Murder Investigation Team
Major Investigation Teams (MIT) are the specialised homicide squads of the Metropolitan Police in London, England. Forming part of the Homicide and Major Crime Command, there are 24 MITs within the Met. MITs investigate cases of murder, manslau ...
'' in 2003.
Notable sergeants
*
Billy Murray appeared in The Bill between 1995 and 2004, playing Don Beech.
He spent five years between 1995 and 2000 as a corrupt DS, going on the run after accidentally killing DS
John Boulton. He was involved in a six part mini series, ''Beech is Back'', after a 90-minute special aired in Australia in 2001, eventually being jailed for murder by Boulton's fiancée Claire Stanton. Beech made six guest appearances in 2004 before escaping from prison.
*
Tony O'Callaghan
Tony O'Callaghan (born 16 June 1956) is an English television actor. His most notable role is that of Sergeant Matt Boyden on the British television series ''The Bill'' from 1991 to 2003. He had previously appeared as a villain in ''The Bill'' i ...
played Sergeant Matt Boyden for 12 years, from 1991 to 2003.
Boyden was involved in several major storylines including two relationships with underage girls, and a long-running plot involving his daughter Amy's drug addiction, a recurring storyline that led to the character's death when Boyden was shot dead by his daughter's boyfriend so that she could profit from Boyden's life insurance.
Tony O'Callaghan also appeared in an earlier episode as a criminal (series 5 episode 30).
*
Eric Richard
Eric Richard (born Eric Smith, 27 June 1940) is an English actor and presenter.
His theatre work includes plays at the Royal Court Theatre and the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, as well as seasons with the Royal Exchange, Manchester, Birmingham ...
played Sergeant Bob Cryer from 1984 to 2004,
holding the record for the show's longest serving Sergeant (17 years). The character retired in 2001 when he was accidentally shot by then PC
Dale Smith, however he made a number of recurring appearances between 2002 and 2004.
*
Tony Scannell
Thomas Anthony Scannell (14 August 1945 – 26 May 2020) was an Irish actor, known for his role as DS Ted Roach in ITV's ''The Bill''.
Career
Scannell's debut on ''The Bill'' was on 23 October 1984, in an episode called "A Friend in Need". In ...
played DS Ted Roach from 1984 to 1993, when the character left Sun Hill after punching Inspector Andrew Monroe. He made two guest appearances in 2000 before the character was killed off-screen in 2004.
*
Trudie Goodwin
Trudie Goodwin (born 13 November 1951) is an English actress best known for playing Sergeant June Ackland in the high-profile British television police drama ''The Bill'' from 1983 to 2007, and Georgia Sharma in the ITV soap ''Emmerdale'', f ...
played June Ackland from 1983 to 2007, appearing first in ''
Woodentop''.
She began as a WPC before promotion to Sergeant in 1996, holding that rank until the character retired in 2007, having fallen in love with school teacher Rod Jessop (
Richard Hope). Ackland's storylines included being targeted by an assassin, being wrongfully arrested for corruption, marrying long-term friend DC
Jim Carver
''The Bill'' is a long-running British television police procedural television series, named after a slang term for the police. The characters are all police officers or civilian staff at the fictional Sun Hill police station in London.
Senior ...
and being critically injured in a collision with the station's area car. 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.
*
Larry Dann
Larry Dann (born 15 May 1941 in London, England) is a British film and television actor.
His acting career began by a fluke, with "a chance knock at the door looking for kids to work in films." He made his film debut age five in '' Adam and Evely ...
played Sergeant Alec Peters from 1984 to 1992. Peters swapped jobs with Bob Cryer, from desk sergeant to duty sergeant, then quietly left the force after making a slow recovery from being stabbed. He made a guest appearance in 2004 to attend the funeral of DS Ted Roach.
Overview
Sergeants timeline
Detective constables
''The Bill''s roster of Detective Constables investigate crimes under the direction of their sergeants. Kevin Lloyd, as Alfred "Tosh" Lines, appeared in more episodes than any other DC, in 383 episodes between 1988 and 1998. In the series finale, "Respect", Amita Dhiri, Chris Simmons, Patrick Robinson, and Bruce Byron play Constables Grace Dasari, Mickey Webb, Jacob Banks, and Terry Perkins. Other notable Detective Constables include Eva Sharpe, played by Diane Parish, who departed in 2004 but went on to headline the second series of ''Murder Investigation Team'' in 2005, and Rae Baker as Juliet Becker, who departed the series in the 2003 live episode "Fatal Consequences".
Notable DCs
*
Kevin Lloyd
Kevin Reardon Lloyd (28 March 1949 – 2 May 1998) was a British television actor, who came to prominence in the role of DC Alfred "Tosh" Lines in Thames Television's police drama series ''The Bill''.
Early life
Lloyd was born in Derby in ...
played DC Tosh Lines from 1988 to 1998, when the character was written out after accepting a position in the
Coroner
A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into Manner of death, the manner or cause of death, and to investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...
's Office, but his off-screen axing was highly publicised due to Lloyd's addiction to alcohol.
After turning up to work drunk, he was dismissed by show producers, and Lloyd tragically died a week after his dismissal. His son, James Lloyd, later played PC
Steve Hunter
Stephen John Hunter (born June 14, 1948) is an American guitarist, primarily a session player. He has worked with Lou Reed and Alice Cooper, acquiring the moniker "The Deacon". Hunter first played with Mitch Ryder's Detroit, beginning a long as ...
from 2004 to 2006.
*
Mark Wingett
Mark Christopher Wingett (born 1 January 1961) is an English actor.
He is best known for his roles as PC/DC Jim Carver in ''The Bill'' and '' EastEnders'' as Mike Swann, '' Hollyoaks'' as Frank Symons and '' Heartbeat'' as Terry Molloy. His fi ...
played DC Jim Carver from 1983 to 2007.
Carver was the main character in the pilot after joining as a probationary PC. He was promoted to DC in 1989 before returning to uniform in 1999. He returned to CID in 2004 before his departure in the wake of the 2005 station fire, however he returned as a DS for three guest appearances in 2007, appearing in Trudie Goodwin's final episodes as Sergeant
June Ackland
''The Bill'' is a long-running British television police procedural television series, named after a slang term for the police. The characters are all police officers or civilian staff at the fictional Sun Hill police station in London.
Senior ...
. Carver's storylines included addictions to alcohol and gambling, a marriage in which he was domestically abused and a second to long-term friend June.
*
Chris Simmons
Christopher Matthew Simmons (born 8 January 1975 in Gravesend, Kent) is an English television and stage actor. He is best known for his roles as DC Mickey Webb in ''The Bill'', Mark Garland in '' EastEnders'' and Stuart Summer in ''Hollyoaks''.
...
played DC Mickey Webb from 2000 to 2010.
He made two guest appearances in 1998 and 1999 before joining the cast as a regular the following year. He transferred out of Sun Hill in 2003 after being raped by a suspect, however his move to the Murder Investigation Team, and later the National Crime Squad, saw him return for several guest appearances. In 2005, he returned to Sun Hill after being demoted from DS at the NCS.
Overview
DCs timeline
Police constables
The largest proportion of the cast play uniformed police constables. Gary Olsen appeared as Dave Litten in "Woodentop", the series pilot, as well as the entire first series, before returning as a guest star in 1986. He was the actor who appeared in the fewest episodes as a series regular. Colin Blumenau also appears in the pilot episode, as Taffy Edwards, though his character was then called Taffy Morgan. Jeff Stewart, as Reg Hollis, appeared in 1,021 episodes between 1984 and 2008, while Graham Cole appeared as Tony Stamp in 1,204 episodes between 1984 and 2009 . Hollis and Stamp are the series' longest-serving characters, though Stamp did not become a regular member of the cast until series 4. The series finale, "Respect," features five PCs: Micah Balfour as Benjamin Gayle, Dominic Power as Leon Taylor, John Bowler as Roger Valentine, Rhea Bailey as Mel Ryder and Sarah Manners as Kirsty Knight. Ben Richards starred in Series 26 as Nate Roberts, but did not appear in "Respect".
Notable PCs
*
Huw Higginson
Huw Higginson (born 21 February 1964) is an English actor, best known for playing PC George Garfield in ''The Bill'' from 1989 to 1999.
Higginson has also appeared in '' Heartbeat'', '' EastEnders'', ''Casualty'', '' By Any Means'' and '' Jess ...
played PC George Garfield from 1989 to 1999, when the character left after his colleague Dave Quinnan had an affair with his girlfriend, Nurse Jenny Delaney.
*
Andrew Paul
Andrew Paul (born Paul Andrew Herman; 17 March 1961 in Mile End, East London) is an English actor, known for portraying PC Dave Quinnan in the ITV drama ''The Bill'' for 13 years.
Life and career
Paul grew up in Manor House, North London, ...
played PC Dave Quinnan from 1989 to 2002, when the character left to transfer to
SO10
SO10 was the former designation of the Metropolitan Police's Covert Operations Group.
History
The group's origins can be traced back to 1960, with the formation of what was known as the Criminal Investigation Branch, which later evolved and was m ...
. He was involved in a major storyline in 1999 that saw him stabbed on duty after being ambushed by a gang of youths.
*
Lisa Geoghan
Lisa Maria Geoghan (born 1 June 1966 in Southwark, London) is an English actress best known for playing PC Polly Page from 1992 to 2004 in the long-running police drama ''The Bill''.
Career
Geoghan trained at the Anna Scher Theatre School fro ...
played PC Polly Page from 1992 to 2004. After assisting a friend's suicide, she was wrongly jailed for murder, but later returned to Sun Hill for a brief stint as a Civilian CAD Officer before resigning.
*
Jeff Stewart played PC Reg Hollis from 1984 to 2008. The character was written out off-screen by having him resign after being traumatised by the death of colleagues in a bomb blast.
After appearing in over 1000 episodes, he was controversially axed from the show in 2008, leading a devastated Stewart to attempt suicide on set by slashing his wrists.
*
Graham Cole
Graham Cole OBE (born Graham Coleman-Smith on 16 March 1952) is an English actor.
Early life
Cole was born in Willesden in 1952 to Victor and Freda Coleman-Smith (née Coleman), the youngest of three children.
He was part of the film crew of ...
played PC Tony Stamp from 1984 to 2009. The character was written out as part of a revamp of the show after producers decided that he didn't fit the new format. Cole's last episode, in which he transferred to
Hendon
Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Great ...
as an advanced driving instructor, was shown on 5 November 2009; his departure meant that ''The Bill'' had no original characters remaining.
Overview
PCs timeline
Civilian staff
In addition to its large ensemble of police officers ''The Bill'' also features supporting actors in auxiliary roles. Jason Barnett, as Crime Scene Examiner Eddie Olosunje, appeared in the series finale "Respect", after appearing regularly from 2008.
Moya Brady
Moya Brady (born 8 September 1962) is an English actress. Her roles include Breda McQueen on the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2018 to 2020.
Brady grew up in the seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. She has appeared in a ...
's character, Robbie Cryer, is notable for being the niece of Sergeant Bob Cryer, played by Eric Richard. Marilyn Chambers, played by Vickie Gates, was engaged to PC Reg Hollis (Jeff Stewart), while Rochelle Barrett, played by Anna Acton, was married to Chief Superintendent Ian Barrett and embarked on an affair with PC Dan Casper.
Overview
Recurring cast and characters
''The Bill'' features a number of recurring characters, who star alongside the main cast in multiple episodes of the series. Several of these actors are notable for their appearances in other series. Richard Hope (who played Rod Jessop), for example, had previously starred as D.S. Barry Purvis in sister series ''Murder Investigation Team''. Rosie Marcel (who played Louise Larson) would later star in
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, alongside ''The Bill'' alums Alex Walkinshaw and Kaye Wragg.
This is a list of some of the most notable actors (or actors who later became well known) to have made brief or cameo appearances in ''The Bill''.
(at the start of her career) played child burglar Sheena Rose in a 1995 episode titled "Swan Song".
*
(years before he became well-known) played teenager Billy Case in a 1994 episode titled "Land of the Blind".
*
(at the start of his career) played kidnapper Steven Clemens in a 1995 episode called "Deadline".
*
– credited as "Paul Savage" – played transvestite prostitute Roxanne in three episodes between 1988 and 1990.
*
(shortly after he graduated) played robber Horace Clark in an episode titled "Long Odds" in 1984.
*
played Tommy Lawson in four episodes in 2001: "Judas Kiss", "Shout", "Aftershock" and "Night Games".
*
(in her early acting career) appeared in "Give and Take" in 1993 and "Fly on the Wall" in 1994.
*
appeared as herself in 2003 in an episode in which PC Cathy Bradford appeared on her
appeared as reformed drug addict Larry Moore in a 1999 episode titled ''Cracked Up''.
*
(in her first television appearance) played Jemma Jackson in 2007 episode "Crash Test".