I never used to be a fan of the Bill back in the day, but now i'm confirmed! Straight laced Monroe is a fave of mine... Such a shame the actor took his own life...
DRAMA: The Bill
On: Drama (166)
Date: Friday 11th July 2014 (starting in 20 days)
Time: 12:00 to 13:00 (1 hour long)
A Week of Nights.
The story continues in the second of a two-parter. McAllister and Glaze believe they have found the Jasmine Allen rapist, but PC Taviner thinks otherwise.
(Widescreen, Subtitles, 4 Star)
Starring: Paul Usher, Jeff Stewart, Mark Monero, Fraser Ayres, Elizabeth Berrington, Eryl Maynard
Taviner 1st episode but they are only showing part 2 of the 2 part story
I'm baffled by the decision. I just watched both episodes as recorded off air when broadcast on Alibi. I imagine they may have been edited a little for violence but the storyline was perfectly coherent and I'd have thought they contained nothing thematic that's worse than is served up in the Bill regularly on Drama. If anything I'd have said the second part may have been more suspect than the first because of casual racist dialogue in a couple of scenes, yet that's the one that's going out.
Just caught up on a whole host of episodes following the World Cup...
I think Going Under might just be the worst of The Bill pre-Paul Marquess. I know they've had soap previously but often it has felt at least relatively understated, there was still a decent amount of crime and the overall feel seemed to tie in with the show's general style (often being quite humorous, such as the two episodes focussing on Dave's wedding which I enjoyed because there was plenty of camaraderie and you could imagine a group of colleagues in such a setting.) Yet this felt like it was just a complete soap opera - I mean it got to about 20 minutes in and I could barely remember a mention of crime which was exactly what you'd sometimes get under PM. Some of the interaction and bickering between the officers just didn't feel natural. Add to that they changed the theme tune for the worse and for some reason midway through a 3 part storyline! (As I recall that was controversial at the time and I seem to remember reading that the person/group initially asked to change it refused to do so?)
I did quite enjoy Long Shadows though. It was interesting again to see the Meadows/Lennox/Chander/Cullen dynamic and I think Kate has been put in a very interesting position.
Disappointed if they're not showing the first episode of Week of Nights - it's been on both Watch and Alibi before and I can't think of anything worse than any other episode of The Bill.
Just caught up on a whole host of episodes following the World Cup...
I think Going Under might just be the worst of The Bill pre-Paul Marquess. I know they've had soap previously but often it has felt at least relatively understated, there was still a decent amount of crime and the overall feel seemed to tie in with the show's general style (often being quite humorous, such as the two episodes focussing on Dave's wedding which I enjoyed because there was plenty of camaraderie and you could imagine a group of colleagues in such a setting.) Yet this felt like it was just a complete soap opera - I mean it got to about 20 minutes in and I could barely remember a mention of crime which was exactly what you'd sometimes get under PM. Some of the interaction and bickering between the officers just didn't feel natural. Add to that they changed the theme tune for the worse and for some reason midway through a 3 part storyline! (As I recall that was controversial at the time and I seem to remember reading that the person/group initially asked to change it refused to do so?)
I did quite enjoy Long Shadows though. It was interesting again to see the Meadows/Lennox/Chander/Cullen dynamic and I think Kate has been put in a very interesting position.
Disappointed if they're not showing the first episode of Week of Nights - it's been on both Watch and Alibi before and I can't think of anything worse than any other episode of The Bill.
I have to agree. The storyline of Dave's breakdown would have been good on its own and it didn't need the soapy Polly love affair crap with it. I'm glad that this story's pretty much over because it dragged the show down. I've definitely noticed a change in The Bill since after Don Beech left. There's less humour, a bit more grit and the addition of the new CID has contributed to giving the show a pretty dark tone. Chandler's a mysterious character and we saw this in Long Shadows. Cullen has more to him than meets the eye and is sort of caught in the middle between Chandler and Meadows. The CID dynamic is definitely a fascinating part of the show. The CID episodes for me have been an improvement on the previous CID episodes pre-Don Beech. The uniform episodes have been a bit hit-and-miss for me, which is the opposite of how it was pre-Don Beech.
But it doesn't really feel like The Bill anymore. It's still great and it's dark and we've had some pretty hard-hitting stuff (like the one with Jim's alcoholic friend who committed suicide at the end), but it's completely missing any sort of humour. It's perhaps no coincidence that a lot of the episodes we're seeing were shown at 9pm, because we have seen a bit of swearing as well. But it's lacking the humour that made the show great, which is why I still look back on the 1998-2000 era as the highlight of The Bill.
I still enjoy it but it is starting to get really dark with very little light and shade. 2001 is a lot stronger than I thought it would be, but there were definitely signs that the writers were losing their golden touch from the Don Beech era.
I have to agree. The storyline of Dave's breakdown would have been good on its own and it didn't need the soapy Polly love affair crap with it. I'm glad that this story's pretty much over because it dragged the show down. I've definitely noticed a change in The Bill since after Don Beech left. There's less humour, a bit more grit and the addition of the new CID has contributed to giving the show a pretty dark tone. Chandler's a mysterious character and we saw this in Long Shadows. Cullen has more to him than meets the eye and is sort of caught in the middle between Chandler and Meadows. The CID dynamic is definitely a fascinating part of the show. The CID episodes for me have been an improvement on the previous CID episodes pre-Don Beech. The uniform episodes have been a bit hit-and-miss for me, which is the opposite of how it was pre-Don Beech.
But it doesn't really feel like The Bill anymore. It's still great and it's dark and we've had some pretty hard-hitting stuff (like the one with Jim's alcoholic friend who committed suicide at the end), but it's completely missing any sort of humour. It's perhaps no coincidence that a lot of the episodes we're seeing were shown at 9pm, because we have seen a bit of swearing as well. But it's lacking the humour that made the show great, which is why I still look back on the 1998-2000 era as the highlight of The Bill.
I still enjoy it but it is starting to get really dark with very little light and shade. 2001 is a lot stronger than I thought it would be, but there were definitely signs that the writers were losing their golden touch from the Don Beech era.
I know what you mean about the change in mood at this stage but remember the 2009-10 episodes?
I originally gave up on The Bill at that stage as it had changed so much. I've only recently watched all of those episodes. Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed them but that was perhaps because the Bill is no more and the chance to see 'new' episodes was a bonus.
It's so serious though. I don't think a character raised a smile in that final year and dark isn't the word for the storylines and overall feel of the episodes. A character like Reg Hollis would never have existed in that final run of episodes. It would have been like having Frank Spencer in Schindler's List.
The last straw was the understated departure of Tony Stamp. He hardly even had a leaving scene. Just a handshake from Smithy and he was gone.
The Stamp 'end of an era' is being played out at the moment with poor 'Uncle Bob Cryer. I really think the storyline has been well written and believable. Felt so sorry for him being hustled out of the job because of the 'modern' way of policing, He went out with his head held high though.
I think I noticed a small continuity era on Thursdays episode. When CAD was being overwhelmed by calls and Cryer was trying to prioritise...at one stage he asks "Where's Sam and Dave"? Assuming Quinnan is the only Dave likely to have been with Sam on the relief that shift, he must have forgotten Dave was on extended leave.
Either Chandler was correct and Bob was losing it or the scene was recorded before Dave left!!!!
A shame, but you could tell that Bob was out of touch with the new era of Cops, he was too old school and i think deep down even Bob knew he was getting too old to be a Police Officer.
I read somewhere that Eric Richard wasn't told he was leaving he only found out by reading in the script that his character was retiring
If true that is shocking, he had been there since pretty much the beginning and he was a Bill legend, shocking way to treat someone who had given 17 years of there life to the show.>:(
If true that is shocking, he had been there since pretty much the beginning and he was a Bill legend, shocking way to treat someone who had given 17 years of there life to the show.>:(
I read somewhere that Eric Richard wasn't told he was leaving he only found out by reading in the script that his character was retiring
Apparently, one of the cast who disappeared in the recent "cull" had seen a memo to the effect that Cryer was to be retired and told Eric Richard who was none too pleased, as nobody had told him officially and he had hoped to stay in the series for a few more years. Likewise Peter Ellis, who played Brownlow, was furious at being given the chop, although as he was 65, he would have been retired in real life.
]EDIT: While I was typing the above, the full explanation was posted (see previous post).
I've watched No Victim, Common Language and PC Smith earlier. Three really enjoyable episodes. I think The Bill is on a strong run of form at the moment. I love how the storylines have got a bit grittier and darker, and there have been some great twists in the episodes as well. I really like Nick Klein, Chandler and the ongoing tension with him, Meadows, Smithy and Cryer.
Some characters are starting to look stale now though - Dave Quinnan has been a good character, but there's a sense that his character has run his course now and he is starting to outstay his welcome.
I'm confused as to why they used to unused 2001 theme tune on today's episode, does anyone know anything about this
I'm not entirely sure why they chose to use the 'unused' theme for that particular episode. All I know is, Miles Bould and Mike Westergaard submitted different variations to the producers, only for a lot of them to get knocked back.
Here is their first submission which was ultimately rejected in 2000 (the idea was the titles and music were supposed to be renewed after the Beech saga, but were delayed until a more appropriate version of the theme was produced).
I liked Bob, not up to his leaving yet, just watched the one where that new Sgt comes in to replace him.
Don't know whats happened to Nick Klein, as when he first came into it, he was living with that lass in a flat, and now hes at home, with his dad always on his back about his job, and him still living at home.
EDIT: Just remembered, the last one i saw was Boydons 40th, him and Hagan took them kids on that trip.
The show has been really good these last few week, loving these re-runs as I didn't see a lot of this period first time around. I stopped watching in 2000 and then returned in 2002 when Des firebombed the station. It's good to see these as they all lead up to that. How far into 2001 are we now?
Out Of The Frying Pan and Mexican Stand Off are both pretty dire episodes to be honest, as is the other episode featuring Paul Riley and his brother. The episodes feel soulless, there is no atmosphere or buzz to them, the storylines are poor, there is no tension or drama to them. I think these episodes are perfect examples to support Paul Marquess's revamp of the show a year later - the show had to move on, more stories had to be packed into an episode with more of the cast featured to inject some excitement, and there had to be better continuity from episode to episode. More soap stories would be featured a year later to keep up with changing viewer tastes.
Having said that, I'm loving the episodes focusing on Nick Klein, Smithy and Chandler at the moment.
Comments
I'm baffled by the decision. I just watched both episodes as recorded off air when broadcast on Alibi. I imagine they may have been edited a little for violence but the storyline was perfectly coherent and I'd have thought they contained nothing thematic that's worse than is served up in the Bill regularly on Drama. If anything I'd have said the second part may have been more suspect than the first because of casual racist dialogue in a couple of scenes, yet that's the one that's going out.
I think Going Under might just be the worst of The Bill pre-Paul Marquess. I know they've had soap previously but often it has felt at least relatively understated, there was still a decent amount of crime and the overall feel seemed to tie in with the show's general style (often being quite humorous, such as the two episodes focussing on Dave's wedding which I enjoyed because there was plenty of camaraderie and you could imagine a group of colleagues in such a setting.) Yet this felt like it was just a complete soap opera - I mean it got to about 20 minutes in and I could barely remember a mention of crime which was exactly what you'd sometimes get under PM. Some of the interaction and bickering between the officers just didn't feel natural. Add to that they changed the theme tune for the worse and for some reason midway through a 3 part storyline! (As I recall that was controversial at the time and I seem to remember reading that the person/group initially asked to change it refused to do so?)
I did quite enjoy Long Shadows though. It was interesting again to see the Meadows/Lennox/Chander/Cullen dynamic and I think Kate has been put in a very interesting position.
Disappointed if they're not showing the first episode of Week of Nights - it's been on both Watch and Alibi before and I can't think of anything worse than any other episode of The Bill.
I have to agree. The storyline of Dave's breakdown would have been good on its own and it didn't need the soapy Polly love affair crap with it. I'm glad that this story's pretty much over because it dragged the show down. I've definitely noticed a change in The Bill since after Don Beech left. There's less humour, a bit more grit and the addition of the new CID has contributed to giving the show a pretty dark tone. Chandler's a mysterious character and we saw this in Long Shadows. Cullen has more to him than meets the eye and is sort of caught in the middle between Chandler and Meadows. The CID dynamic is definitely a fascinating part of the show. The CID episodes for me have been an improvement on the previous CID episodes pre-Don Beech. The uniform episodes have been a bit hit-and-miss for me, which is the opposite of how it was pre-Don Beech.
But it doesn't really feel like The Bill anymore. It's still great and it's dark and we've had some pretty hard-hitting stuff (like the one with Jim's alcoholic friend who committed suicide at the end), but it's completely missing any sort of humour. It's perhaps no coincidence that a lot of the episodes we're seeing were shown at 9pm, because we have seen a bit of swearing as well. But it's lacking the humour that made the show great, which is why I still look back on the 1998-2000 era as the highlight of The Bill.
I still enjoy it but it is starting to get really dark with very little light and shade. 2001 is a lot stronger than I thought it would be, but there were definitely signs that the writers were losing their golden touch from the Don Beech era.
I know what you mean about the change in mood at this stage but remember the 2009-10 episodes?
I originally gave up on The Bill at that stage as it had changed so much. I've only recently watched all of those episodes. Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed them but that was perhaps because the Bill is no more and the chance to see 'new' episodes was a bonus.
It's so serious though. I don't think a character raised a smile in that final year and dark isn't the word for the storylines and overall feel of the episodes. A character like Reg Hollis would never have existed in that final run of episodes. It would have been like having Frank Spencer in Schindler's List.
The last straw was the understated departure of Tony Stamp. He hardly even had a leaving scene. Just a handshake from Smithy and he was gone.
The Stamp 'end of an era' is being played out at the moment with poor 'Uncle Bob Cryer. I really think the storyline has been well written and believable. Felt so sorry for him being hustled out of the job because of the 'modern' way of policing, He went out with his head held high though.
I think I noticed a small continuity era on Thursdays episode. When CAD was being overwhelmed by calls and Cryer was trying to prioritise...at one stage he asks "Where's Sam and Dave"? Assuming Quinnan is the only Dave likely to have been with Sam on the relief that shift, he must have forgotten Dave was on extended leave.
Either Chandler was correct and Bob was losing it or the scene was recorded before Dave left!!!!
A shame, but you could tell that Bob was out of touch with the new era of Cops, he was too old school and i think deep down even Bob knew he was getting too old to be a Police Officer.
If true that is shocking, he had been there since pretty much the beginning and he was a Bill legend, shocking way to treat someone who had given 17 years of there life to the show.>:(
Chandler must have been thinking "two birds with one stone"
Palm Smithy off onto SO19 and getting rid of Bob Cryer
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/I+thought+I+was+important+to+The+Bill..to+find+out+I+wasn%27t+was+a...-a073610428
Apparently, one of the cast who disappeared in the recent "cull" had seen a memo to the effect that Cryer was to be retired and told Eric Richard who was none too pleased, as nobody had told him officially and he had hoped to stay in the series for a few more years. Likewise Peter Ellis, who played Brownlow, was furious at being given the chop, although as he was 65, he would have been retired in real life.
]EDIT: While I was typing the above, the full explanation was posted (see previous post).
Some characters are starting to look stale now though - Dave Quinnan has been a good character, but there's a sense that his character has run his course now and he is starting to outstay his welcome.
I'm not entirely sure why they chose to use the 'unused' theme for that particular episode. All I know is, Miles Bould and Mike Westergaard submitted different variations to the producers, only for a lot of them to get knocked back.
Here is their first submission which was ultimately rejected in 2000 (the idea was the titles and music were supposed to be renewed after the Beech saga, but were delayed until a more appropriate version of the theme was produced).
I believe this was their second attempt.
Then this was their final submission which was used.
I can only guess the 'unused' variation was either used by mistake or they decided to try it out…
Don't know whats happened to Nick Klein, as when he first came into it, he was living with that lass in a flat, and now hes at home, with his dad always on his back about his job, and him still living at home.
EDIT: Just remembered, the last one i saw was Boydons 40th, him and Hagan took them kids on that trip.
Having said that, I'm loving the episodes focusing on Nick Klein, Smithy and Chandler at the moment.
Bob Cryer giving Chandler a piece of his mind at the leaving do and making a point of saying goodbye to the few old school coppers left
Vicky Hagen getting taken down a peg or two
http://www.devoteddvd.com.au/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=78687
http://www.devoteddvd.com.au/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=78688