... billification of 'The Bill' ...

The Billification of the Bill

Billification: to turn a good drama series into a bad pseudo soap
... this is my definition ...

I used to like The Bill. The episodes used to be tightly written and were reasonably believable, although there was not a lot of emphasise on the 40% of time spent doing paperwork. The revamp which among other things lost the image of a policeman and woman's walking feet - probably one of the strongest images on UK TV, has changed the programme out of all recognition.

Sex, drugs and even a little of rock and roll has changed the programme out of recognition. Some of the story lines are pure fantasy. We've had the station firebombed to get rid of some of the better characters, corruption, the corrupt chief inspector who is a rapist, including his wife on their honeymoon, who then commits suicide. We've had lots of sulks as one policeman crosses another in love or doublecrossed each other to get a 'result'. We have even got the nice Reg Hollis as best pal with Des Taviner, a completely unbelievable combination, particularly as Reg is being called 'Reggie Baby' - euckk.

I felt the programme reached a low point with the kiss between Sergeant Gilmore and young PC Luke Ashton. I have no objection of a gay couple kissing, just no tongues in my presence please - gay or straight, but to kiss in the police station. It was totally out of character for the Sergeant. He would not have survived in the police force by being so indiscreet. In fact the way his character is portrayed is insulting to gays. The kiss was just there for the publicity and succeeded as their were over 300 complaints. For many other viewers it just proved that the programme is moving into fantasy land.

The introduction of Inspector Gina Gold, as an old time, uniformed police officer, running a tight ship. A combination of toughness, pragmatism and some sensitivity, looked like a move back towards the old standards, but the programme last night convinced me that the rot is permanent. Taviner confessing he started the fire that killed his colleagues; the cynical Debbie now being portrayed as loving the bastard Chandler; the attempt by Gilmore to try and get Luke and Kerry together - he's gay - so he's sensitive. Pure lack of realism and what about school crossing patrols.



The only saving grace of the last night's programme was Baxter, played by Hywel Bennett. Baxter the convicted sex offender and serial murder suspected. His cold, calculating, amused relationship with Acting DI Nixon, is sinister and you really have concerns whether he is setting himself up as murder suspect for some weird, cynical motivation or is he really the murder. There is a lot of depth to the Baxter character compared to the other story lines or even the other characters involved in this particular story.

So 'The Bill' - once the Baxter story is over I will stop watching.


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