The Bill

IMO it was at it's best between 1997 and 2002.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppT-KCQJTVI

Pre-titles scene and new titles. I like them. The actual titles start at 2.05

The titles don't get a positive vote from me, but I've got to see them in context with the programme, I suppose. That will be later.

I'd rather get them to remove the filmic effect. As much as I like the programme, I'm not going to tinker with my brightness and colour settings for long just so that I can watch it.

Filmic effects (and dodgy shakey cams) should be reserved for the exhibits of students and people who visit Art Council funded cinemas.

Well I just watched the opening, well some of it, it was that long I got bored, that was after I realised it was the opening and that I hadnt missed 5 minutes of the programme.

The music has no relivence or relation to this type of drama. Its too calm, Overkill was upbeat and you know what you were getting. There no identifiers to say 'This is The Bill'. When it breaks to commerfcials you can hear when it returns if you are not in the room, you identify with the music, 'The brand'.

The only part of Overkill is when they show the words 'The' and 'Bill' and the title of the episode.

After 20 years of watching it at its best, this is the worst thing they could do, is change the 'brand' and the 'look'.

The way it is now filmed with the filmatic look that all shows seems to be going ( I remember when grange hill did it, I thought there was something wrong with my eyes)

Look what Consignia did to The Post Office, another costly mistake as people couldn't identify with it.

Verdict: 4/ 10. I dont like it.

Anyway that's my two penny worth

I have to say, the titles were good and fit the show. I would have prefered it to have some of Overkill in it but we can't all get what we want.

I agree, it's no longer The Bill. It's morphed into one of it's spinoffs.. Burnside, MIT etc.

Maybe STV was right afterall!

Strictly speaking - it isn't an "effect" now. When you shoot SD video you almost universally shoot 50 fields interlaced and give the video a "film effect" in post production, as there are very few 25 frames progressive cameras.

When you shoot HD you can very easily shoot 25 frames progressive natively. This means you are shooting as if you were using a film camera. It isn't an effect any more than it is when you shoot on film.

The choice you make when shooting, and then grading in post, could be still regarded as an effect - but the frame rate isn't really. (Shooting 25p also has benefits when you compress for digital transmission - and can deliver a picture that appears "clearer")

Personally I think they've de-saturated it a bit too much on some scenes - and the choice of 25p over 50i gives it a more "drama" feel, and distances it from soap.

Personally I think the 50i video look gives "real life" drama a realistic look - and shows which aim to reflect reality - like Holby, Casualty, The Bill etc. - benefited from 50i when they used it.

However now it is a choice to do it without compromising quality in HD I can understand it. When doing it in SD (as Top Gear, Holby and Casualty do) the resulting resolution drop - even when done well - is annoying. This isn't the case in HD - if anything it can deliver slightly sharper pictures.

As for the choice of camera work - that is a very subjective decision. Shooting stuff handheld with a slightly jerky, shaky look can give it a "news look" with a dramatic feel - as if the events are happening un-rehearsed and the camera operator is having to take quick decisions to cover it - as in News. (Though shooting 50i would increase this feel)

I watched an original SVT Wallander (not the TV4 series being shown on BBC Four) earlier this week - and they had shot the entire drama on SD video, and film effected it. However there was a chase scene which they left 50i, and shot with very dynamic "on the fly" handheld. It worked really well for the treatment of the drama.

After flicking to 993, I am actually enjoying this. It still retains a feel of The Bill but its slightly more Americanised. (Is the one-storyline thing new to the revamp or have they been doing this a while?)

The new theme is by 'Simba Studios' who ever they are.

I enjoyed that episode of the Bill, I did think that the theme was lacking, but thought that it did fit in well with the backing music. I think the choices of backing music were quite subtle & did enhance the programme. I haven't watched the bill for a while, but I did enjoy the twists that this episode brought with the suspect being proved innocent & the impact that that can have on their relations, especially following a death.

I didn't notice many shaking camera movements, most scenes seem to use simple angles effectively. Even in the chase seen they opted for more panning shots following the chasing or long shots having the character/s running towards the camera.

I think I will be watching again, but I'm unsure of what other maybe older viewers who are avid fans of the Bill will make of this.

Unfortunately they've ruined The Bill of which I have been an avid viewer until now.

I cannot fathom to see why ITV still insist on copying other succesful shows only for them to fail miserably (e.g. Primeval, Britannia High etc.) Now with a low budget carbon copy of a CSI-esque show they've tried to cheaply Americanise it which doesn't work. If I want to watch CSI then I'd watch CSI and not The Bill.

On its own I'm sure the show would be good... but in the form of The Bill I know I won't be watching anymore.