The Bill & Children In Need

Hello Bill fans!

Since my last post in August we've seen The 'new' Bill in action for a couple of months now. Has your opinion of the show changed? For me, I am still enjoying it. Still as gripping as ever but the only thing that I really miss is the character interaction.

I know people moaned before that it was more about the personal lives of the coppers than actual 'police work' story lines but in recent years I felt that they had found a nice balance. You had the comedy, friendships etc and now I just think it's gotten a bit too serious- like 90% about the story and 10% about the characters.

I still like it though! And I always have channels such as 'Watch' and 'Alibi' to get my fix of The 'old' Bill so mustn't grumble.

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On a more light-hearted note away from the show did anybody see The Bill special on Children In Need? It's the thing I look most forward too every year on C.I.N I have to say. The lads and lasses in blue really know how to put on a show for such a good cause.

This year it was the Boys in Blue who wowed the crowds with their rendition of Frank Sinatra's "Mack the Knife"...




How brill were they! PC Nate Roberts, DC Jacob Banks, PC Roger Valentine and DI Neil Manson did an amazing job. Every year we get a brilliant performance from the cast and I can't wait to see what they do next year!

I'm hoping we'll get to see Supt Jack Meadows doing a bit of break dancing or a rap perhaps... ;)

Do you wanna be in my gang?

When Sgt Callum Stone first came on our screens, I thought "hey wasn't he on London's Burning?" haha but as well as that I thought "hmm there's gotta be more to this guy than meets the eye".

And you know what, I think I was right.
I mean so far we've learnt that if you get on the wrong side of the Sarge or if you don't like his policing methods then there's the door, off you go. It was a shame that PC Dan Casper and PC Leela Kapoor had to find out the hard way.

If you do get on the right side of the Sarge then you're lucky. Cos from what we've seen he'll look out for you. Loyalty means alot to Stone and him sticking his neck out for the relief has seen the formation of "Stone's Gang"...

Current members of the gang are: PC Will Fletcher, PC Sally Armstrong and PC Ben Gayle.

How do you get to be in his gang? Basically, you mess up and then Sun Hill's very own Jimmy Saville, Stone fixes it for you. All on the hush hush of course. You're then out of guilt a member of 'the gang'. 'The Gang' then set out to bring you justice, even if it's rough and not very 'on the level', like this.

Best way to describe Stone: Good Cop, Bad Cop (as his first episode was titled)

What's in store for "Stone's Gang": Well there's alot more to come from them, expect to see jealousy of the gang especially from a certain PC Emma Keane...

Scenes that shocked Sun Hill (2)

Sun Hill has had its fair share of drama over the years from bent coppers to petrol bombs. Yep, this station has seen it all. In 'Scenes that shocked Sun Hill' we look back over the storylines that gripped the nation (in no particular order). So sit back and reminisce...

Finding Amy: The case of missing seven-year-old Amy Tennant was one of the longest storylines to be featured in The Bill, lasting over a year.

Amy had mysteriously vanished from her home and since then the search for Amy had began with twists and turns along the way.

DI Neil Manson (spitting image of Alan Shearer wouldn't you say?) was assigned to the case. With excellent performances from Amy's father James Tennant (Neil Stuke) the situation tried to reflect real life by taking a year to conclude the storyline.

Eventually Amy was found alive and well (phew!) in Brighton after being abducted and taken to France by a family friend. Finally reunited with her father, that was the end of this excellent storyline.

The Accused: Back in 2002, PC Tony Stamp was faced with an accusation of sexual harassment by a young lad named Lee Dwyer. PC Stamp had befriended Dwyer after the young lad nominated him for 'Community Bobby of the year'.
The relationship was entirely innocent but when Dwyer's stepfather accused Stamp of abusing his son, suspicions were aroused. Especially as it was confirmed in a medical examination that Lee Dwyer had been sexually assaulted (oh dear).
Stamp was suspended and faced abuse from residents and even hostility from those in the relief *coughJimCarvercough*.
When DC Brandon Kane discovered that it was Dwyer's real father who had been abusing him, Stamp's name was cleared, yay! The traumatic incident was over and he returned to work.

Webb's Ordeal: In a harrowing storyline which brought male rape into the public eye, DC Mickey Webb was tied up, viciously assaulted and raped by criminal Martin Delaney in a warehouse.
It was Sgt Smith who found Mickey but was sworn to secrecy about the incident.
Mickey couldn't bear to talk to anyone about it.
In Sun Hill he started a fight with Sgt Smith, which was broken up my Meadows as he believed Smith had told of his ordeal.
Mickey went awol. Meadows discovered Mickey at his mothers grave where Mickey broke down and told all about the brutal attack.
Delaney was eventually arrested by DC Webb who had then reported the assault. However, he was unable to face the station and decided to leave. He transferred to MIT but would return to Sun Hill a couple of years later.

Scenes that shocked Sun Hill (1)

Sun Hill has had its fair share of drama over the years from bent coppers to petrol bombs. Yep, this station has seen it all. In 'Scenes that shocked Sun Hill' we look back over the storylines that gripped the nation (in no particular order). So sit back and reminisce...

Kiss Kiss...Sgt Craig Gilmore and (straight but confused) PC Luke Ashton locked lips in the locker room in a storyline which got the nation talking.
This passionate embrace sparked around 300 complaints with viewers complaining it shouldn't have been shown pre-watershed (it was the first gay kiss to be shown before 9pm). Ooh er!

...Bang Bang: The end of Sgt Matt Boyden. After sleeping with DI Samantha Nixon's underage daughter (15 at the time tut tut), Boyden wasn't a popular guy. So it wasn't a huge surprise to see him gunned down on the street, which sparked the question "Who shot Sgt Matt Boyden?" The storyline carried on in The Bill spin-off show 'M.I.T: Murder Investigation Team' which revealed his junkie daughter Amy to be behind the shooting. Killed by your own daughter-not cool.

Serial Thriller: A serial killer was on the loose! And one of Sun Hill's very own was to be the next victim. On her way to the Sun Hill Christmas party, PC Cass Rickman was abducted and killed by the serial killer. The bubbly Scousers body was found washed up on the Thames by PC Nick Klein (who was secretly in love with her).
Simon Kitson, her boyfriend and journalist was arrested as he was connected to all the victims but committed suicide while he was locked up in the cell.
The serial killer was in fact Pat Kitson, Simon's sister who was in love with her brother and couldn't bear to see him with anyone else......honest.