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
There is not much on the telly that we do watch but The Bill is one of a handful of programs that we do. It has gone through some bad times with dreadful characters and pretty boring storylines, but I thought that over the past few weeks it had turned a corner. I found myself looking forward to Thursday because I wanted to know what would happen to Sergeant Stone.
There is so much dire rubbish on the telly that it is a shame to axe a program that does have loyal viewers.
I guess that that means there will be more crappy reality shows or celebrity dross that we as the public are expected to watch. I will have to trade my TV in for some more books and tickets for the theatre.
So it has come to this! Being an ex- cop, I’ve stuck with the Bill, ever since Z-Cars finished (!) Sure, I almost gave up on it when the scripts were starting to preach “political correctness”, but lately, I’ve thought the storyline’s reasonably okay.
But at least I won’t miss that #$$%*% dog which keeps barking in the background, no matter what suburban scenario the crew arrives at.
It has been interesting to watch the trans-formation in the ranking administration of a police complex as represented in the programme No chief superintendents, civilian upstairs staff, uniformed chief inspector’s – a heap of lady ‘brass” tho.
Again, as an ex-copper, great to see police out on the street on foot patrols (on foot!), no guns, no tasers, no pepper sprays, just trusty old battons.
So let’s hope there’s some decent replacements, even more MSummer M’s -unless they run out of bodies. More of the “Phoenix” ilk’d be a treat – that too was dinkum (Aussie) policing.
I like how the ITV execs blame the audience’s “changing tastes” rather than admit they screwed up the show a long time ago, and recently, with stupid cast/story /theme music changes.
I wonder if it would take Royal intervention to save, it as Prince William is a fan of the show apparently. Leaves a hole in the ABC scheduling, they probably though it was a safe slot from them, guaranteed viewers but now. They could replay the whole series again, start from Woodentop, see old well young PC Jim Carver and PC June Ackland walking the beat again.
I used to love watching this but stopped probably five years ago. It just changed too much and didn’t feel the same.
It’s taken exactly the same path Blue Heelers did, it just took longer to get there.
Getting rid of Reg Hollis sealed their doom.
Final straw for many was the axing of Tony Stamp.
However, the show lost me after the Don Beech scandal/massive C.I.D. clean out in 2000.
I am another Aussie fan of The Bill,but I have been less enamoured of the show in these last couple of years.It was a great show but I feel that it has run its course.However what is ABC1 going to program on 8.30 pm on Saturday nights.Even though it has not been up to the same standard as it was in its heyday,it is still a great deal more believable than those boring American cop shows that the Aussie commercial networks dish up.
Nnnnnnnnooooooo! OMG… what am I going to do without Smithy every week… he’s my Saurday night Clayton’s date!!! No no no no.
🙁
Sad to hear the Bill has been axed! Will miss it badly. We are all subject these days to reality show crap and good drama is hard to find. The American cop shows leave a lot to be desired. At least the Bill felt realistic. Followed it for years!
The Bill’s glory days are long past. It was at its best when it comprised two half hour eps back to back, and focussed on the actual police work. As several people have noted, it’s become little more than a soap opera masquerading as a police drama in recent years.
I don’t need a TV any more. boo hoo
It lost me a while back, but my mother will be disconsolate. She’s been loyal right through. I reckon it never recovered from that stupid explosion that killed off the best characters.
Add Russell Brand to the list of actors given a break- he played a juvenile delinquent multiple times…..little has changed.
It had to happen, though it’s the revamp rather than time changes / episode cutbacks that killed it.
Hopefully though out of the ashes we’ll get some decent new drama from ITV. Probably take a fair few flops to find a gem, but at the moment apart from The Bill they’ve only got one 9pm drama a week, which is ridiculous when not that long ago they’d have 3 or 4.
i am absolutely gutted . why can`t they axe something else the bill has millions of fans it just isnt fair itv shame on you . what am i gona do now without callum and smithy and the gang. i hope whatever you put out the viewing figures will be sh*t
The Bill is my favourite show. I’ve been watching it since I was 6. I agree it’s had its ups and downs, but it is a great show and I’ll miss it!
Its the end of the world for me!
@Ben
What, *another* station bombing??
lol, those episodes were the beginning of the end for me I’m afraid.
The show has run its course. It was the best drama on TV for more than two decades (nearly 3), now it’s a mere husk of its former glory.
Let it go, it isn’t the show it used to be anyway, it was completely ruined in the “revamp”, thouhg a little bit of it has died as each old-timer left…. I miss good old Bob Cryer the most, or maybe Matt Boyden, no wait, Frank Burnside, ah yes, oldmate Frank…. 🙂
And just when they were starting to show it in HD.
Its such a shame to see The Bill being axed,Im a big fan of the show.
Saturday night wont be the same.
Unfortunately the producers have made some massive mistakes over the past few years.They have destroyed a brilliant police drama with stupid storylines,a new theme tune(Which is utter crap)getting rid of a great bunch of old characters very fast without giving them a good send off & reinventing The Bill like an American cop show.I want my old Billback Reg,Tony,June,Jim & Gina Gold.Where’s all the fun going from TV.It’s boring old American sh*te now,everywhere you look.The British are the best so keep The Bill & stop screwing TV up.
it’s a sad day in tv history. maybe 10 should take note with their long running show that is dwindling in the ratings big time. neighbours it’s time too go
I used to watch it.
I quit in the Marquess era. It was ridiculous to suddenly kill off all of the old characters. And to have several murderers working as police.
But I suppose that type of style boosts ratings.
Sad as I thought the new format was working quite well.
Ironic given that it’s going just as it returned to what it used to be when it first started – a gritty, urban look at British policing.
Hopefully the last few episodes will see a return of some old characters and give the show the send off it deserves.
Hmmm… The Bill did have that aura of a show that would always be around.
It was my absolute favourite show 90s to early-00s. I left during the Paul Marquess era (I did return for a peroid for the Luke Ashton/Craig Gilmore storyline – I had such a crush on Luke when he was originally in the show, so when I heard he was returning, in a gay storyline no less, I just had to watch).
I did get back into the show a few years ago, but haven’t been watching it recently.