One For The Road (The Bill)

The sixth series of '' The Bill'', a British television drama, consisted of 104 episodes, broadcast between 2 January and 27 December 1990. The series was first released on DVD as part of the Collection 5 and Collection 6 DVD boxsets in Australia, made available on 9 April – 8 October 2008, respectively. The series was later reissued as two-half series boxsets in Australia, released on 7 March 2012. The above artwork is taken from the most recent Australian release. It features images of DC Tosh Lines and DI Frank Burnside. The original Collection boxsets contained sole images of PC Reg Hollis and DS Ted Roach. In the UK, the first nine episodes were released on DVD under the title Volume 7, on 2 September 2013.

Series 6 marked a significant period of change on the series, the most notable being the move to its third and ultimately final set at Merton, accounting for the move with a station fire plot, the first of three on the series. PC Ken Melvin was killed as a result of a car bomb as one of several high profile exits, with original characters PC Taffy Edwards and Sergeant Tom Penny departing after six years: Penny’s exit came as part of a plot that was split into two, giving evidence in the case of rival station Barton Street custody sergeant assaulting a prisoner, the same station’s officers later arresting Penny for drink driving to end his career prematurely. Other multi part plots, rarely seen on the series prior to this year, saw the hunt for a child serial killer as well as an affair between pilot star WPC June Ackland and the show’s first DCI Gordon Wray.

A number of Audio Commentaries for Series 6 episodes have been recorded with cast and crew, including stars Larry Dann (Sgt. Alec Peters), Chris Humphreys (P.C. Richard Turnham), Jon Iles (D.C. Mike Dashwood) and Lynne Miller (W.P.C. Cathy Marshall), writers Russell Lewis, Garry Lyons and J.C. Wilsher, camera operator Alison Chapman and producer Tony Virgo.

Cast changes

Arrivals

* Insp. Andrew Monroe (Episode 4–)
* DCI Gordon Wray (Episode 33–)
* PC Barry Stringer (Episode 41–)
* Det. Supt. Jack Meadows (Episode 45–)
* PC Steve Loxton (Episode 47–)
* PC Ron Smollett (Episode 50–)
* DAC Trevor Hicks (Episode 78–)
* WPC Delia French (Episode 79–)
* Sgt. Joseph Corrie (Episode 100–)
* DCI Kim Reid (Episode 102–)
* Sgt. John Maitland (Episode 103–)

Departures

* Insp. Christine Frazer – Took a leave of absence to write a thesis on women in the police
* PC Timothy Able – Unexplained
* PC Francis "Taffy" Edwards – Transferred to a Welsh police force
* PC Richard Turnham – Transferred to MS11
* PC Ken Melvin – Killed in the first Sun Hill station fire
* Sgt. Tom Penny – Resigned after being arrested for drink driving
* DCI Gordon Wray – Transferred after having an affair with WPC June Ackland

Episodes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bill series 6, The
1990 British television seasons
The Bill series