Pictured together to celebrate The Bill on Drama from the beginning for the first time ever: Mark Wingett, Eric Richard, Trudie Goodwin, Graham Cole, Lisa Maxwell and Chris Simmons, with an original car from the iconic police series.
Wednesday 9 August 2017
Drama channel brings back The Bill from the beginning for first time since much-loved cop series first aired
To celebrate, Drama reunited cast with original police car from the series
The Bill, from the beginning for the first time, Weekdays from Monday 14 August, 12pm on Drama and available to catch up on UKTV Play
Classic TV police series The Bill is returning to the small screen, with the Drama channel set to repeat every episode for the first time since the show aired in 1984. To celebrate the occasion, six former cast members reunite along with an original 1990s police car used in the series.
The gritty drama, based on the work and lives of police officers at fictitious Sun Hill station, ran for an astonishing TWENTY-SIX years until 2010 - and now the Drama channel is re-showing every episode from this Monday (14/8), starting with the first installment from 1984.
For the first time ever since the original broadcasts, all 2,421 episodes will be shown in chronological order - and as well as being broadcast from the very beginning on weekdays at 12-noon on Drama, episodes will also be available to catch up on UKTV Play.
Originating from police slang term Old Bill, The Bill was one of the UKs longest-running TV series ever. It was highly-acclaimed by fans and critics, winning several awards including BAFTAs, a Writers Guild of Great Britain award and Best Drama at the Inside Soap Awards for four consecutive years. It was also broadcast in 55 different countries around the world.
Ex-cast reunited for the first time included Mark Wingett, who played DS Jim Carver from the very first episode, Eric Richard (Sergeant Bob Cryer), Trudie Goodwin (Sergeant June Ackland), Graham Cole (PC Tony Stamp), Lisa Maxwell (DI Samantha Nixon) and Chris Simmons (DC Mickey Webb) - complete with a 1999 Vectra police car used in the series.
Mark Wingett, in the role of Jim Carver, also appeared in one-off drama Woodentop, broadcast in 1983, from which The Bill was developed the following year - and he went on to appear in 787 episodes over the next 21 years.
He said:
It was a tough job because wed be working six days a week, involving 12-hour days after which Id go home and learn my lines for the following day - so you had to get by on about six hours sleep a night.
But it was a wonderful thing to be part of, particularly because we were custodians of our characters, who we knew so well, and if we disagreed with the script we could make suggestions that would be used.
One of the biggest stars of The Bill was London itself, and its fascinating to watch old episodes and see how the capital changes on screen from the mid-80s onwards.
The early episodes were filmed in docklands at Wapping, and I remember one scene we filmed there in a house where the owners had previously used newspaper to cover the walls as a cheap alternative to expensive wallpaper - if you go back to Wapping now, you find newspaper used to cover the walls in the most exclusive restaurants and homes.
There were three filming locations over the years for Sun Hill - Wapping in East London, North Kensington in North West London, and finally Merton and the surrounding South West London area.
The Bill is fondly-remembered by cast and TV industry colleagues alike as one of the first series to use hand-held cameras to follow the action in a documentary-style. This is a technique which is now commonly used across major US and UK drama series.
Eric Richard, who played Sgt Bob Cryer from 1984 to 2001, said:
Many of the cameramen we used had previously only worked covering football, horse racing or other sports, so they provided a whole new energy. It meant we were one of the first drama series here or in the US to be shot on the streets in a deliberately wobbly hand, single-camera style.
Now its become an established production norm across TV and film, and its fantastic to recall how we helped set the precedent.
The Bill was in a long tradition of great British police dramas, including the likes of Dixon of Dock Green in the 50s and 60, and The Sweeney in the 70s. I dont think theres been another since The Bill finished, but I hope therell be another one soon.
Eric also revealed that Sgt Cryer was written as a West Ham supporter, because the original series was set in East London - but as a life-long Arsenal fan, Eric demanded that production staff change his character to a Gooner supporting their north London rivals, complete with Arsenal mug which was placed on his Sun Hill station desk from episode one.
Adrian Wills, General Manager of Drama, said:
The Bill is one of the most loved and recognisable TV dramas of the last 30 years. We are delighted to bring back this iconic show from the beginning in 2017 for our viewers to enjoy all over again. It is fantastic to celebrate the occasion with this exciting reunion of the brilliant cast members.
Trudie Goodwin, whose character June Ackland also featured in 1983 one-off drama Woodentop, appeared in The Bill from the first episode in 1984 until leaving in 2007 - making her both the longest serving cast member AND setting the world record for the longest time an actor has portrayed a police character.
The actor, whose daughter is La Roux lead singer Ely Jackson, added:
It was a ground-breaking series which meant a lot to so many people, and were all extremely proud to have been part of it. And if the Drama channel re-run is going to take another 26 years to show, lets hope were all still here so we can come back again in 2043 and celebrate The Bill once more.
The Bill, from the very beginning for the first time, weekdays
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
01/12/2025
L3Harris and PentenAmio formalise their teaming agreement at MilCIS 2025, streng...
01/12/2025
Artemis II is NASA's first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. The crew, from left: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Vic...
01/12/2025
IRVINE, Calif. Wooden Camera has introduced its new Accessory Collection for the Canon EOS C50. The new lineup includes a low-profile, gimbal-ready cage, expand...
01/12/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for its Dec. 18 Open Commission Meeting that will include a vote on a report an...
01/12/2025
In most years, a graph of annual local TV ad spending is about as predictable as an electrocardiogram of a reasonably healthy patient in a doctor's office. ...
01/12/2025
Many industries have seen big-ticket hardware turn into software. Switchers, though, demand a combination of real-time performance and sheer bandwidth that has ...
01/12/2025
GENEVA Shanghai will host the next quadrennial Radiocommunication Assembly (RA-27) and World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27), Oct. 11-Nov. 12, 2027. This...
01/12/2025
NEW YORK Just in time for Giving Tuesday tomorrow (Dec. 2), the Broadcasters Foundation of America is seeking out donations to help television and radio industr...
01/12/2025
STOCKHOLM, Sweden Net Insight CEO Crister Fritzson has informed the company's board that he will retire from the video transport and media cloud technology ...
01/12/2025
01 Dec 2025
Kyivstar and Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation Select Go...
01/12/2025
The prequel to the global hit Sky Original mob crime saga, Gomorrah' is a s...
01/12/2025
Featuring Florence Welch, Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Flea, designer Bella Freud...
01/12/2025
Back to All News
A Down to Earth, All Too Relatable Hero: Cashero' Teaser ...
01/12/2025
In the rush to deliver content to every screen, many broadcasters overlook one of the most crucial steps in the workflow: format and frame rate conversion. Get ...
01/12/2025
Fox Corporation Chief Financial Officer Steve Tomsic to Participate in Upcoming ...
01/12/2025
Arvato Systems' Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Receives BSI C5 Certification (T...
01/12/2025
Summary This short video gives you an summary of the changes in under two minutes.
--...
01/12/2025
As the festive season approaches, RT Supporting the Arts is proud to showcase a...
01/12/2025
Researchers worldwide rely on open-source technologies as the foundation of their work. To equip the community with the latest advancements in digital and physi...
01/12/2025
Festive specials of Christmas in Kilmainham presented by Marty Whelan, High Road Low Road, Callan Kicks the Year and Keys to My Life
Ring in the New Year with ...
01/12/2025
Architect and television presenter Hugh Wallace, best known to RT audiences as a long-serving judge on Home of the Year, has died at the age of 68.
In a state...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
Pictured together to celebrate The Bill on Drama from the beginning for the first time ever: Mark Wingett, Eric Richard, Trudie Goodwin, Graham Cole, Lisa Maxwell and Chris Simmons, with an original car from the iconic police series. 
