Axed: The Bill
ITV has axed its long-running, iconic series The Bill after 27 years due to dwindling ratings.
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ITV has axed its long-running, iconic series The Bill after 27 years due to dwindling ratings.
The show, based around the fictional Sun Hill police station in east London, first hit screens in 1984. In its life it has shifted from focussing on crime and policing to serialised personal lives of police officers.
Last year it was a victim of ITV being hit in the recession, as the show was dropped from two episodes a week to one, along with a revamp, including replacing the theme tune, “Overkill.”
But the changes failed to connect with the audience. In 2002 it averaged more that 7 million viewers, while more recently audiences been about 3.5 million.
ITV claims the decision to drop the series was made as part of a creative rethink of its drama schedule, and not on cost-cutting grounds. It intends to use the savings to create shorter run drama series.
“The Bill has been a fixture on our screens for more than 25 years and has been the home of some of the UK’s best serial drama storylines, and a great showcase for terrific scriptwriting and fine acting talent,” said ITV’s Peter Fincham.
“But times change, and so do the tastes of our audience. Whilst The Bill will come to an end in 2010, we will continue to invest more in drama programming than any other commercial broadcaster in the UK and viewers can look forward to a wide range of high quality drama on ITV1.”
A significant number of redundancies is expected amongst the 90-strong production team.
Amongst its notable cast members, Mark Wingett played DS Jim Carver from 1983 to 2005, Eric Richard played Sergeant Bob Cryer from 1984–2001, Graham Cole played PC Tony Stamp from 1984–2009 and Trudie Goodwin played Sergeant June Ackland from 1983 to 2007 -the world record for the longest time an actor has portrayed a police character.
Actors who got an early break on the series include Kiera Knightley, Michelle Collins, James McAvoy, Paul O’Grady and Les Dennis. Australia’s Daniel MacPherson was also a cast member.
In Australia the series has been pivotal to the ABC. In recent years it has aired on Tuesdays and Saturdays, until being shifted solely to Saturdays, first at 2 eps then at 1 ep a week. It still attracts healthy figures with 713,000 viewers for last Saturday.
The Bill has been produced by Talkback Thames, a FremantleMedia company.
The show will end in the UK in Autumn 2010, our Spring, meaning it is likely to stay on air for much of the year.
Source: Guardian
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60 Responses
I’m devastated by the axing of The Bill. I’ve watched almost every episode since 1994, throughout all of its various transformations over these last 16 years. I’m sure that the soapy opera phase of the show lost many viewers. But in the last few years it has regrown from strength to strength, returning to its fundamental cop-show basis, and reflecting current social issues. I don’t watch any American cop shows – they’re so over-the-top and unreal. A few ex-“bobbie” colleagues have told me over the years that The Bill is quite a close representation of London policing. As The Bill is still pulling 3.5 million viewers in the UK and over 700,000 here, I’d have expected its producers to have given it a bit more time to reclaim viewers, especially given that it’s the longest running series on TV.
I see a fair few appeals and petitions have been set up around the internet, as many of us (I expect 100’s of thousands) are not too happy about our favourite show (I’ve been watching it religiously and have missed less than 10 episodes since I first ‘noticed it in 1986) falling victim to that infamous clichéd ‘Axe’ that so many television channels love wielding about and dropping for the most insignificant of reasons.
One more effective method that might be to ‘axe’ one or two of our TV exports, such as ‘Neighbours’ or ‘Home and Away’, both of which are more popular in the UK than The Bill has ever been here! (I know, I’ve been there and most poms are obsessed with both of these Australian iconic soap operas).
Be rest assured, our British colleagues would do all they could to ensure The Bill continues to 30 years and beyond if it meant that their little taste of Australian life remains in their lounge-rooms and their hearts for any time…
I am gutted the Bill has been given the chop,it was a great drama and will be missed for sure,a network could pick it up surely,can we save the Bill hope so just in the Nic of time we all hope so,thanks to all of the cast for all of your efforts over the years Reg,Tony,well you know who you are. my week will be alot less entertaining without you guys,Take care all the best SAVE THE BILL…….
Why don’t the producers of the show simply offer The Bill to another network?
The Bill is hugely popular in Germany, for example, all they need do is find another TV network to buy future episodes of the series.
That Network then gets paid by other networks to screen episodes.
The Bill is guaranteed to get millions of viewers every week, any new TV production merely takes a chance on getting millions of viewers.
I’m sure the production company must know this…so it begs the question of just why they have decided to cancel?
Plenty of viewers are saying they like the new rougher and tougher format, even if they dislike the new theme music.
Even at its worst episodes The Bill was still better than Saturday night football and repeated over and over again movies. I will miss it.
This is not good. I have watched this show for about 20 years. I love it. Every time I watch an episode I think oh this is not going to be any good but I end up hating it when the episode ends. Such a shame. Anothe good show bites the dust.
Its so sad the bill is ending . Lets help save the bill.
facebook.com/profile.php?id=1404170481&ref=hpbday&pub=2386512837#!/group.php?gid=108140065873577&ref=ts
gopetition.co.uk/online/35099/sign.html#se
facebook.com/profile.php?id=1404170481&ref=hpbday&pub=2386512837#!/SaveTheBill?ref=ts
As soon as they put that new contemplative music and got rid of reg and tony it was bound to die ( tried to make it like the eagle- danish show)- now we are bound to get some corny australian rubbish oh well back to cable for the british stuff
Oh no!! I love the Bill I watch it every saturday!! It is my favourite show. It is so sad to see it finish after all these years…………..
I learnt a lot about the police from it.
Save The Bill Petition: gopetition.com/online/35108.html