The Bill

It was the Paul Marquess era when the rot started. For instance, how many times does the average police station get blown up?

Farewell The Bill says goodbye to TV’s longest running police drama.


As ITV1’s The Bill draws to a close this summer after 27 years on air, Farewell The Bill looks back over the lifetime of the show and goes behind the scenes of TV’s longest running police drama as it follows the final weeks of filming.

With exclusive access to the series’ final shoot this May and June, this touching one-off documentary captures the emotion, tears and laughter as both cast and crew say farewell to the show and film the final ever two-parter of The Bill which transmits on ITV1 this month. Cast including Alex Walkinshaw (Smithy), Simon Rouse (Spt Jack Meadows) and Chris Simmons (DC Mickey Webb) and crew talk exclusively about their experiences of working on the series and what it was like to be filming it’s last ever scenes.

Series Producer, Tim Key speaks about the final storyline called ‘Respect’ which follows the harrowing storyline of a young female gang member torn between her loyalty to the gang and her broken trust of the police, ‘we wanted to do something that celebrated what The Bill has always been about, ordinary people wearing a uniform and taking responsibility for society, this is what The Bill has always done.’

From the making of the last ever episode to the first, the documentary shows footage of the debut episode which broadcast in 1983, of Jim Carver’s first day as a rookie at fictional police headquarters Sun Hill. The programme looks back at highlights over the years, of the numerous chase scenes synonymous to The Bill to the many stunts, explosions and arrests.

Two of the show’s longest running ex-cast members, Graham Cole (PC Tony Stamp) and Trudie Goodwin (Sgt June Ackland) pay one final visit to the set and take a nostalgic look around as they reminisce about some of their characters’ most memorable storylines - how Stamp once ran over Ackland, their one on-screen kiss and how Ackland ended up in a disastrous marriage to Carver.

Farewell The Bill features archive footage of some of the famous faces who’ve appeared over the years as guest artistes, including Roger Daltrey, Ray Winstone, Hugh Laurie, Alex Kingston, David Walliams and John Hannah. As well as actors such as Keira Knightley and James McAvoy who cut their teeth on the series before going on to become big screen leading talent.

Executive Producer is John Comerford. Producer/Director is Kim Duke.

Ah ok thanks I did look on the official site but it only mentions ITV1's times

I have to say, what I saw tonight was very good indeed, trust ITV to axe a programme when it's improving, oh well what else do you expect with ITV

I agree it was really good tonight!

I don't think there will be, but I hope that they do something special for next week - even if it is something like playing the old end credit theme tune.

Yeah I'd like the 1988-1997 version to crop up, hopefully

Shame the DVD's of the classic years take so long to get released

and the "famous walking feet" Even like the last scene ending and then going to feet level and recreating the old credits would be a nice touch. But I cant see it happening myself!

There'll be a homage to the walking feet at the start of next week's episode. There'll also be a Jack Meadows "Go, Go , Go". Tim Key didn't say the old theme would come back, but he did say wait and see if it does, so you never know.