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The Bill

Gone after 26 years (March 2009)

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BP
bpmikey
Quote:
The revamped Bill, which is being repositioned as a post-watershed drama for the first time in its 25-year history, will begin its run in its new 9pm slot on Thursdays from 23 July with a double episode special, concluding the following night.

Changes to the continuing series include high definition filming with a musical score, new title credits and theme music.

"We haven't sought to totally reinvent The Bill, but we have wanted to create a more immersive experience for our viewers," said the show's executive producer, Johnathan Young.

"We're digging deeper into characters to tell stronger and more challenging stories which really examine the true causes and effects of crime. The later timeslot allows us to produce darker, grittier and more hard-hitting drama, through the eyes of our existing characters. The heart of the show will remain the same, but it will look very fresh."

Sergeant Callum Stone (played by Sam Callis) and PC Ben Gayle (Micah Balfour) will be the first characters to tread the streets of Sun Hill in the new 9pm timeslot, leading the action into the first big storyline, titled Live by the Sword, which features a 15-year-old boy who is critically injured following a knife attack on an estate.

Viewers will get the first taste of the new-look show through a national ITV marketing campaign, including billboard posters and on-air trails.


So there we have it, thanks to the Guardian. Excited now!!!
BP
bpmikey
I suppose the idents wont change??
MW
Mike W
I suppose the idents wont change??


Titles, not idents.
MW
Mike W

In this youtube clip, I like the ident at the end and the chequered banners at the beginning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XThi6HVLYpY&feature=related

Ah, yes. The Bernard Allum titles from 1998 - Best Titles IMO.
ME
mediaman2007
Beep posted:
I suppose the idents wont change??


Titles, not idents.


Give the guy a break...
ME
mediaman2007
Beep posted:

In this youtube clip, I like the ident at the end and the chequered banners at the beginning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XThi6HVLYpY&feature=related

Ah, yes. The Bernard Allum titles from 1998 - Best Titles IMO.


Well yeh, but not in that clip - the user has put the 2001 music over it! Loved the 1998 titles + music, the time when Sun Hill was all sunny n hip Laughing

I don't know what happened to this era tbh. Richard Handford was a fantastic exec but then Billy Murray and co all left in the same storyline about Don Beech and ever since the show has been very up and down imo. I think so many people leaving at once ultimately led to CID, probably stronger than uniform overall in the show's history, become a bit limp and many people turned off. Then Handford went out and Paul Marquees came in...oh deary me Crying or Very sad Not his fault mind, ITV appeared to tell him what to do.
AM
amosc100
With regards to the Guardian report, they have made a monumental cock-up in the first paragraph saying, "The revamped Bill, which is being repositioned as a post-watershed drama for the first time in its 25-year history..."

Now correct me if I am wrong but for the first few years wasn't The Bill shown in a 9 o'clock post-watershed slot and only on for about 12 to 13 weeks a year???
ME
mediaman2007
With regards to the Guardian report, they have made a monumental cock-up in the first paragraph saying, "The revamped Bill, which is being repositioned as a post-watershed drama for the first time in its 25-year history..."

Now correct me if I am wrong but for the first few years wasn't The Bill shown in a 9 o'clock post-watershed slot and only on for about 12 to 13 weeks a year???


Yep that's right. I love the way how ITV are making such a big deal out of this move when The Bill has experience in that slot already. This is what I hate about modern TV - everything is a huge deal and we've got to slap on some really slick music, make it all look really glossy blah blah blah. What they did when The Bill was originally at 9pm was just to carry on making good stories. Shame ITV can't grasp that now. I do however have confidence in the current regime at Thames. Jonathan Young and Tim Key have undoubtably taken the show up a good few notches since the gutter of 2004.
IM
IM
A video about the recording of the new theme tune can be found at the link below. It appears they are using real instruments and not synthesizers! They have kept the familiar five-note motive used at the beginning of and during the current theme tune but the rest of (according to the video) sounds like a posh 1990s gameshow! Oh well hopefully it will sound better in full on the television on the 23rd July.

http://thebill.com/videos/videodetail/item_200051.htm
Last edited by IM on 11 July 2009 7:02am
PT
Put The Telly On
Looks like it's going with the Inspector Morse, Midsomer Murders style orchestral then. I'd imagine the "d-duh d-duh" bit is the only part that remains with a new underscore.
MW
Mike W
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjgrkYK1yrA&feature=related
Best Titles Ever.
BE
Ben Founding member
They tried Casualty with an orchestra and it only lasted one series.

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