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The Bill...is it time to say goodbye?
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We always used to have the Bill on in our household. I remember it just always being there since I was born (1983, so I was one when it started in 1984) and it was like that for most of my life. But my mum stopped watching the Bill ages ago, saying it's "lost it". I think I agree with her. I've not actually watched The Bill properly for a while now. The last thing I made a real effort to tune for was Honey's exit storyline and although that was excellent, it went downhil again for me after that. Louisa Lytton turning up didn't help either.
They really need to do something to shake it up IMO. Maybe take it away for a while and re-invent it. Or just scrap it altogether because you can never usually get the glory days back anyway.
What do other The Bill fans think? Does it still have some steam or should they give up trying?
They really need to do something to shake it up IMO. Maybe take it away for a while and re-invent it. Or just scrap it altogether because you can never usually get the glory days back anyway.
What do other The Bill fans think? Does it still have some steam or should they give up trying?
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The Bill has obviously taken on a more soap-opera feel over the years, focussing on the characters' personal lives, using the occasional bit of background music, and of course its ongoing plot lines and cliffhangers, but I don't think this has necessarily been to its detriment.
I think it doesn't have a particularly strong line-up at the moment (apart from Sergeant Stone, growl
So no, I think it may be going through a barren patch right now but it's a TV institution and I have every confidence it'll bounce back!
Ah yes and Gabriel Kent.
Every cop shop needs a bent copper.
I don't think it is time to say goodbye yet, it's still good. The recent storylines have been quite good though I really do not like the current Will Fletcher / Callum Stone part. I think the writers messed up there.
It was good when Taviner was in it and it was good when Phil Hunter was in it.
I say was for Hunter as he is leaving for EastEnders. A great shame.
Ain't that the truth.
The Bill needs a bit of tweaking, though. I feel there needs to be a bit of respite from the continual focus on police investigations; a bit of humour or some decent building of relationships (not sexual) between characters would be welcome. And the same could be said for hostage situations - that's an overly used plot device. I also think they need to develop some of their newer and existing characters.
These are just small quibbles, though. I find The Bill of 2007 far more enjoyable than The Bill of 2004/5, where it was practically unwatchable.
I also think Beth Green (played by Louisa Lytton) is a criminally underrated character and seems to be heavily demonised. Yes, she looks very young, but I love the character... and this is coming from somebody was quite scathing about the decision to cast her. Beth is just too likeable, in my opinion.
Rant over.
I 'came back' to it a few months ago and it is now, once again, on of my favourite shows.
It's Callum and Sam who ruin it for me, I can't stand either of them. I'm glad Phil's leaving as it puts an end to the ridiculous Sam/Phil tripe that's banded around by a few extreme fans, despite the fact that nothing really happened and what did happen was a waste of time.
I've enjoyed it since the beginning and class it as my favourite programme. I'd be very sad to see it go.
Good job I have the first few series on DVD to go back to and there are some good episodes on YouTube.
Debbie MacAllister was always good value as well, I was sorry to see her go.
I was always more interested in CID than the uniformed officers... stories with Honey Harman, that other girl who became an escort and now appears in car insurance ads, even Gabriel Kent, often turned me off.
I enjoyed Des Taviner, though, particularly his double act with 'Reggie Babe'. There was no need to turn him into a bent copper with all that fire stuff, he would have been better to continue as a guy who bent the rules, but was basically on the right side.
Sadly, I haven't watched it for a year or so, simply because of time. I'd like to get back into it again, but I feel that surely too much has happened and I'd find it difficult. I last saw it just as the tough red haired guy had become Super and started p**sing Jack off.
I'd love to find a website that could give me a rundown on the 12 months I've missed.
BTW, is Terry Perkins still in it? I always thought the guy who plays him was an excellent actor, totally believeable in every storyline, even if the plot itself was a bit shaky.
Can you get DVDs of when it first started then?
Yes, series 1 and 2 are on box sets and I think series three is available in Australia on box set. After series three ended, the next series just carried on...... and is still going today. Okay, it's changed a bit (well a lot actually), but you could say that this is still series 4
Although if you're a fan of the current style of the show, I doubt you'll like the early episodes. Although they were on TV later in the evening so there is more swearing and violence - they were more of your gritty cop show style, rather than your place for ex soap stars to hang out and glamorous 20 somethings to appear as supposedly 'experienced' coppers.
My two favourite characters of The Bill ever is Don Beach, Gabriel Kent and DS Phil Hunter, I got into The Bill back in 2002 when I saw DS Hunter, and than started to watch the old show in UK gold, and after also seeing DS Beach both of these characters for me the best thing to happen to the show. I wont bother anymore as DS Hunter is leaving, and we would be stuck with the likes of Mikey and Terry.:D
She is far to to small and and looks more of a teenage girl, she just doesn't fit the character.
A good start would be to totally, completely and absolutely drop any aspect of who's sleeping with who at the station, forever. And no more corrupt officers, for a long time at least.