The Bill

The Bill..new format

langyman — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:09:22 GMT

The last few weeks have seen the new format of The Bill here in Australia.I do enjoy the plots and characters as I have always done, but oh dear, that "plinky plonk" music during the show make it sound like a second rate American soap!!! Also not sure Im in tune with the new opening music. Maybe I'm just so used to the old opening . Having said all that, I;m still enjoying the show after all these years

When is it back?

petevonmikedaz — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:48:00 GMT

I have been a confirmed Bill fan since it started and have noticed the many changes over the years, some good and some bad.

I agree with the many posters who think the new format is trying too hard and hope the producers take on board the comments and start giving us something a bit less CSI Sun Hill and a bit more like the show we all love.

My main gripe is why a multi award winning show like the Bill is constantly dropped, from its once a week slot, for any odd ball special or reallity show, when programmes like Coronation Street and Emerdale that are on every week night, with obnibuses at the weekend, are not, they will be shown earlier or later.

It looks like ther are no more shows in November, because of I'm a celebrity. When is it coming back?

WHY ? WHY ? WHY!!!

roanne_c — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:55:33 GMT

After 25 years why change something that has always been so succesfull . The Bill wasn't in need of a new look or a new theme song (most would argue that it isnt even worth recognising as a theme ). It didn't need monotonuous **** music that ruins any chance of getting into the non-exsistant story lines. The Bill definately didnt need to turn into an over dramatised ****house americanised crime show where we see nothing from the average coppers in uniform and spend all out time with CID in the dark!!!.

As an 18 year old female who has watched The Bill in Australia for as long as I can remember I'm horrified at what they've turned The Bill into it's lost its quirky-ness and everything that made The Bill the amazing show that it was but with the changes The Bill we know and love is gone , along with many dedicated viewers RIP THE BILL .........

PETITION TO BRING BACK THE OLD BILL!!!!!!!! PLEASE SIGN THIS GET THE POOR SHOW OFF OUR SCREENS!

chainsawandy — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:30:24 GMT

PLEASE EVERYONE WHO HAS LOVE FOR THE BILL SIGN THIS PETITION WE WILL MAKE THE PRODUCERS LISTEN.

I WILL START

ANDREW MEADER

ALEX BAILEY

MARTIN RIVERS

GEOFF SMITH

RICK WILLSON

STACEY WILLSON

CARL WILLSON

JULIE MEADER

KATIE PARKIN

JAMES PARKIN

MARTIN PARKIN

PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THIS LIST AND WE WILL PRESENT IT TO THE PRODUCERS TO TRY AND BRING BACK MY ONCE FAVOURITE TV SHOW TO ITS FORMER GLORY.

BRING BACK THE BILL

THE BILL - What a Coincidence

jacinta1 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:04:11 GMT

I have faithfully watched The Bill since it first started and l did love the programme.It appears that the script writers are trying to copy American programmes, what ashame! I have not enjoyed the new style Bill and decided that Thurs 29/10 episode would be the last I would watch, then uniform played a big roll and there was Tony in the episode, brilliant. So sorry he is leaving. I will watch next week but if it's all razzmatazz and frantic CID with no heart---I'm off to watch something else.

say goodbye to THE BILL

marion15 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:38:01 GMT

I have never felt the need to write to any organisation about their television programmes however I am making an exception in the case of The Bill.

What a disaster the new format is! Obviously, the new format is designed to save money. Cheap scripts, atmospheric shots of characters contemplaing their actions have all replaced the "all singing, all dancing" programme it used to be.

And if this is not bad enough home video quality camera work makes the programme nearly unwatchable. Obviously, this is not the fault of the camera operator but the director who demands this shoddy workmanship in an effort to create atmosphere.

When STV stopped screening The Bill recently, I was quite perplexed and searched for it through Sky's many channels. Now I understand fully why many regions are not screening The Bill anymore. The whole programme is a disaster and I really do feel for the actors who front this.

As a full time teacher, I do not have time to watch TV but I did always make time for the very well made The Bill. Not any more.

Lesley

The Bill

pjvaasge — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:36:01 GMT

Dear ITV

You wont take any notice, the adverts pay your wages. We, my husband and I have enjoyed the bill for years and years. Now we, on odd occasions tape it so that we dont have to look at so many adverts. As far as the show goes, forget it, it is just terrible. BRING BACK THE OLD BILL much more enjoyable. We used to look forward to the story line every week.

The flashing, the noise, camera to close to peoples faces, jumping from one scene to another, it makes us feel dissy and sick.

SORRY BIG MISTAKE.

You have just lost another viewer.

Regards

Pardon me, but your pretentions are showing...

shaneo4217 — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:54:36 GMT

For years The Bill was plain, solid, meat and potatoes fare. Now it has gone upmarket, and is trying oh-so-hard to be oh-so-sophisticated. In place of meat and potatoes, which you could depend on week after week, we now have a disastrous foray into ponced-up frippery, with fancy, inedible decorations filling out the broad white plate where we should expect to find some actual food.

It's not working.

Now it seems nobody can hold a camera steady for longer than three seconds. And they can hardly film an interior shot without having to frame it with some out-of-focus object, an effect that SOMEBODY seems to think is essential to telling a compelling story of modern day policing.

And the music. God, how PRETENTIOUS is the music?

Much of the time the "music" doesn't even have the balls to be music. It's just some kind of low, orchestral sound effect, like a clumsy subliminal. And it grates on your nerves... And when it steps up a gear and actually comes out of the closet, the effect is intrusive and often just laughable.

Oh, dear... the whole show is trying much, much too hard to be cool.

The scripts, the direction, the music, and the ac-TORS are now all so self-serious and overly earnest that the whole show is so OBVIOUSLY straining for credibility. It is now a glaring instance of aping one's betters; that is, if one considers the current crop of American shake-and-bake crime shows worthy of the term.

I remember one or two particular episodes, some years ago now, when there was a very brief flirtation with the desperately shaky-cam style, and it was quickly discarded. This whole current forsaken experiment needs to be flushed away down the pan.

No self-respecting old school copper would be seen dead in this kind of drivel.

Would they, Frank?

Surely they've noticed...

joanna — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:05:18 GMT

SURELY the bigwigs at ITV have noticed the decline in viewing figures of The Bill, also they'd need to be locked in a cupboard not to have noticed at least SOME of the 'across the board' criticism of the new format!

If we want to watch CSI, we can - but we wanted to watch The Bill - the characteristics that it had were what we loved, and were why we watched it!!!

DON'T THEY GET THAT??????

I'm going CRAZY , i cant stand the new Bill!!

lozza705 — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:31:55 GMT

Despite the new Bill , i wouldnt of ever had thought of giving up on it , but i cant stand it anymore! im sick of it.

During the day they play older episodes of the bill , from eariler on in the current series , and its changed so much , and i really dont like it.

The Bill was absolutley FINE , and it didnt need a change. i no its been said before , but RIP the Bill.

RIP the BILL. welcome to LA LAW in LONDON

jrnjrn — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:35:48 GMT

was quite excited, Waiting for the start of the "all new BILL" ITV 1 2100. was quite happy with the new time too. but as I write this now at 2130 its for dissapointment.

I honestly thought I was watching some american crap on 5US or something, no start theme the plot is lost.

After the introduction of the start of the BILL we first see the sponsorship for it and this time it was some stuff for you toilet that sounds like what the toilet is for just that the P has been replaced with a B, then we have some sort of film intro! no no no did not mean that we did not get an intro, well we did as i forementioned the toilet stuff,

The BIll used to be very realistic now very very unrealistic, its no longer like seeing a video of real life bobbys on the beat. now it is like a very very poor American pilot to start a series just hoping that it may get a following. what the hell is the odd strike of useless music about. WE ARE BRITISH we get it we are not American and dont need a piece of music to let us know a point. Believe us when we say our fantastic cast of actors can do that we dont need a strike score of music. we are not watching a film here, we get it, we have been watching it for 30 years, well until today anyway.

The writers still may have it, The actors are still the best even though it now looks wooden acting on cam coz of the way its filmed, Producers have deffo lost it and should be replaced (if they are responsible for the current changes.)

SORRY guys but after being a Lifelong fan from when I was only 14 you have lost me. I dont mind change just not destruction of what was once one of the best things on TV. Just tuned to LA law on 5 US or is it the BILL? I get confused. RIP the BILL

The Bill - New Look - Awful!!

tonty — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:26:54 GMT

I have followed The Bill right from when it first started - it has changed styles many times but always retaining the basic format which has made it one of the best British dramas of all time. Sorry but I have given this new look Bill a chance and the makers have destroyed it as far as I am concerned - I for one have given up watching it.

I don't want an American style series - there is enough of them and anyway this is British! The picture is dark, jerky and looks as if it has been filmed by some amateur with a cheap camcorder. The soundtrack echoes and the background music is just totally irritating.

The Bill used to have have great storylines, strong characters, good writing, photography and directing - all gone!

when it started

aberdonian1 — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:00:49 GMT

i Understand that the bill started in october 1984, did it used to be a daytime show or has it always been on in the evening

Mistakes and oddities on the bill

andymulley — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 23:24:04 GMT

Hello

Anyone else notice on Thursday's Bill (27th Nov) the swap in cars?

About half way through when the woman from the car dealership is followed from Sun Hill Station, she gets into the Peugeot with the registration plate T855 YAM, then when she arrives at the car lot she pulls in driving the peugeot registered X872 LHN?

Weird.... WHY!?!?!?!

Is there a mistake each week that the crew have to find for a competition??? It happens quite regularly I've noticed the oddities.... Like the episode where there was an 'apple for teacher' on the desk in the incident room.... why?

Feel free to add what you notice in the future episodes!!!!

bring back the bills old theme tune

karen young — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:54:33 GMT

please please bring back the old theme tune to the bill, i cant get used to the new one and cant hear it if im in the kitchen ,

10 Things I Hate about The New Bill

criticseye — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:16:56 GMT

10 Things I hate about "The New Bill":

1. The lack of exterior scenes,

2. Dark lighting. All the interior Sun Hill scenes could be in a nightclub.

3. Dialogue that sounds like it came from a 1950's Joan Crawford weepie.

4. Direction that makes the actors move and behave as though they're in a 1930's West End melodrama.

5. Music from a sub-horror film.

6. Police characters that no longer behave like police - or people for that matter.

7. Criminal characters all drawn from a 1950's kitchen sink drama.

8. Incoherent storylines that leave the viewer bemused.

9. A complete removal of the series from anything resembling reality.

10. The destruction of a once great police procedural.

change to The Bill

lions666 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:13:50 GMT

I do not like this new change to 'The Bill'. the bill used to be catchy and exciting, but the new background music and American feel to it has made it feel slow and frankly not as fun to watch. the rest of my family have the same opinion. i also would like the old theme tune back as it was that tune that makes you know your watching The Bill. I still like the actors, they are still awsome!

Destroyed a good programme

david .c — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:05:28 GMT

Having been an avid fan I cant believe that the show now looks as though its been presented by poor amateurs.

Sound,,,,,poor and indistinct and sounds like your listening down a pipe. I even changed channels to establish it wasn't my set

Picture.....Photography and lighting irritating and dark

Set.......seems to belong to local dramatics group

Storyline......spoilt by above issues and without character input and humour

A GOOD LONG RUNNING PROGRAMME HAS BEEN RUINED

The Bill's new image

cushla 1 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:17:54 GMT

Is anyone else seriously unimpressed with The Bill's new look? The new music (both theme and incidental) and graphics are absolute ***, and as for getting rid of Graham Cole, that's the stupidist idea ever! Get rid of Roger Valentine, Millie Brown and Eddie as they're *** actors, and serously irritating and pointless characters.

There's a reason why The Bill's been around for 25 years, and wins awards - it's always been good. I want something other than C.S.I. from a British show, not a British show that's trying (and so far miserably failing) to copy C.S.I. and the like. The changes we've seen so far, and the ones to come, will be the death of it, just like every show that gets character personal has always died.

I know the aim is to do post-watershed appropriate storylines, but the watershed doesn't really exist anymore anyway, as most pre-watershed shows have child -unsuitable storylines anyway. Part of the appeal of The Bill has always been it's family friendliness, and this is another reason why it's kept going for as long as it has.

Obviously ITV and The Bill's production team have never heard the phrase "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

I am fast losing the will to keep watching, having been a fan of The Bill since the beginning. Put it back how it was, or I'll switching off, and never switching on again. Please tell me I'm not the only one who feels this way...!?

Decline of The Bill

el sid — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:44:42 GMT

Although I sympathise with those who bemoan the passing of previous excellent productions of "The Bill", is it not the natural order of things? All successful productions rely on quality creative script writing, but inevitably, the permutation of plots presented runs dry. And this can result in characters losing impact with subsequent weaker plot lines. That is why successful sitcoms are terminated before any decline can take place. "The Bill" is like a sitcom that has progressed well beyond its sell-buy date. With the removal of much-loved characters, the occasional explosion or fire which changes the interior decor, and in particular the revamping process, all indicate an attempt via change to maintain a fresh? approach and to ensure viewer interest. The first transition from the old to the "new" Bill is a case in point. It became soapy and introspective in respect of concentrating on staff liaisons. Storylines became so tame that Sun Hill Social Services would be a more accurate description. Personally this is not my scene, but may well have appealed to many viewers, and so is not an implied criticism. However there is one aspect common to all productions prior to this recent revamp, and that is the presentation was of a high professional standard. This cannot be said of this latest offering which has taken a nosedive in respect of quality production, and it is in this area that viewers can justifiably take exception. Brash, gimmicky, noisy, and with dimly lit interiors, it would negate the efforts of the most talented actors and script writers. A case in point regarding the programme on Thursday Oct 1st. A pivotal scene in an interview room in which the statement by a character would establish the plot-line was suddenly over-ridden by strident music which completely eliminated any understanding of the information that the dialogue presumably was intended to convey. The mumbling delivery by the character did not help either. Just as there is not much point in reading a book when the lights fail, so there is little point in viewing a programme if you cannot, or are prevented from hearing the dialogue. Suffice to say, in recognising the trashy nature of this offering, I turned the set off, and as far as this series is concerned, permanently.

STV - "The Bill" No More In Scotland

nala0801 — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:45:53 GMT

Given that Scottish 'TB' fans are being made to suffer due to our local service STV axing the show completely from it's schedules after Thursday 16th July, does anyone know if there is any chance ITV could come up with some manner of ensuring we don't miss out?

Surely the show could at least be made available on ITV Player or through The Bill's Official Site, if not given a slot on ITV2, ITV3, etc sometime after the main screening.

I, like many others, have watched the show religiously since it's 1983 debut airing, and am thus furious that Scottish viewers like myself will now be deprived of a popular and flagship show purely down to where we live. We were given absolutely no say whatsoever in the matter, and have no choice of whether we wish to receive local broadcasting. Some of us do not have Sky or sattelite services and cannot access ITV1 at all. STV have also recently ceased broadcasting other popular shows such as Kingdom and Lewis, apparently due to 'unreasonable costs' and wishes to show 'new Scottish programming' . At least those such programmes are available for catch up through the ITV Player, unlike The Bill.

Just wondered if ITV planned to do anything about this for the sake of the fans at least, putting aside petty arguments with STV.

The only change I agreed with was.....

pepperpots — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:34:33 GMT

The only change I agreed with was moving the time slot. The various footie matches being screened on a Wednesday evening meant that the poor Bill often got shunted around the schedule, so moving it to a time slot that was unlikely to be subject to change was a good idea in my opinion.

Like many folk I don't much like change so I watched the new Bill with an open mind, telling myself not to be determined to dislike it simply because things had changed. I told myself to give it a chance as sometimes change can be good. Like many other viewers I have watched The Bill for a long, long time. Must see telly every week for me. So I have watched several of the new episodes now and feel that I can now decide if the changes are good or not.

For me this has turned into a case of something that wasn't broken being "fixed". All the things I liked about it and that I thought made it brilliant have gone it seems to me:-

(1) A police drama that was distinctly British - one of the things I think Brit TV does brilliantly is characterisation and through that drama plots which are distinctly character led. This new format to me seems heavily plot driven and hence very Americanised for me. It no longer seems to matter if a particular cop would or would not behave in a given way or why they might break or bend the rules. Getting the job done is all that matters, so even when one cop is clearly unhappy with another cop being every bit as bad to a witness as the local drug dealer has already been, or whatever, it seems to go unchallenged;

(2) Calling it a police drama is now a complete misnomer. It is now a detective drama and nothing more. One of the things I really loved about The Bill was that we got to see all different kinds of police work that goes into protecting and helping the public as well as solving crime. Being about police work across the board this often opened the door for dramas around the introduction of new real life policies and how that affected policing e.g. the introduction of Community Support Officers, frequent glimpses to some of the more mundane work that has to be done (endless paperwork, trawling through CCTV etc.) and some of the community work, such as in schools. Those doors it seems to me will be shut if only solving crime and hence detective work is what we are given:

(3) I assume a good police station in real life relies on all of it's officers and staff, not just the detectives but if you watched The Bill you would think that only CID run things - we see the odd uniform with their one liners (two if they're lucky), and in great brevity now we see the wonderful Eddie and the fab Jack Meadows. To say that they have been sidelined would be an understatement! And where are the other uniformed officers? I am missing Tony Stamp in particular - he's almost invisible, but I would have thought him a key character!

(4) The warmth and humour that pervaded The Bill has gone completely. I think there has been an attempt to make a more gritty (possibly American style - sigh) drama and for me it just doesn't work. Mainly, because of what we have lost in the process - the wealth of characters and their individual depth, the warmth and camaraderie, the humour (essential I would have thought to survive some of the grim stuff they have to deal with). What we get now is plot, plot, plot driven by CID, useless music (I use the term music very loosely) and camera angles that just don't work. The other reason it doesn't work as a grittier, atmospheric, plot driven detective piece is because I already watch loads of that kind of drama elsewhere! Yes, I watch detective dramas, I watch legal dramas, I watch dramas which include police officers on a regular basis e.g. Heartbeat, but top of my list was The Bill, because it was a broad based, warm, funny, character led drama that wrote rich stroy lines for both its cops and its villains and whilst being fictional I felt gave us the closest representation of police work in Britain in all it's glory, gory, humour and tedium; and

(5) The single biggest crime of all I have saved until last - the signature tune. Not only did they get rid of one of the best and most recognised signature tunes ever they replaced it with something that isn't even a tune!

An indication of how my attitude has changed towards one of my most cherished TV dramas is the fact that I now rarely watch The Bill when it is transmitted. Now I record it and watch it whenever, so already it has stopped being must see telly for me. Pretty soon I suspect I will even stop recording it and just watch old episodes on the multichannels.

I rarely contribute to forums, but feel so strongly about this that I did decide to contribute to this one.

The Bill

wendy1806 — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:04:18 GMT

What has happened to one of the best programs on the box, with some great actors.

Picture not clear, too many flashing images ie. when adverts come on and the stories seam rushed.

The Bill was an excellent program, but for me it is now ruined. I used to look forward to my twice weekly episodes, now we have one epsiode and yet another chance for more football or horrible reality shows.

It wasn't broken so why fix it, and getting rid of Tony Stamp was a bad mistake, he was the human element.

Please can we have our old Bill back.

Disappointed with the new Bill

belly1628 — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:41:44 GMT

I don't usually participate in internet forums but felt I really had to express an opinion on this. As a Bill fan for many years it's one of my guilty pleasures and I look forward to watching it every week. The adverts for the new Bill looked great so I expected a lot from the new look programme and was sorely disppointed.

I think the worst change has to be the addition of the background music which sounds uncomfortable and doesn't seem to fit. It actually made my husband and I cringe. The camera shots through the office blinds etc were also annoying but I could live with the new style of filming if they got rid of the ridiculous 'American thriller' music which fails to add anything positive to the atmosphere of the programme.

I hope the producers read this forum and listen to the viewers because it seems like I'm not the only one with this opinion and it would be a shame to lose the Bill as a result of reduced ratings. Our household may be one of those to switch off over the next few weeks if it doesn't get any better.

The Bill R.I.P.

daratcliffe — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:32:56 GMT

At the same time as making the Bill available in HD the picture quality is degraded to give the programme the look of a filmed series, strange. The show has lost something with all the changes, a sense of immediacy, it looks stale. The Bill has always been more like a soap in style, which I think suited it.

I have read that initial viewing figures have dropped. I hope that it is not fatally damaged, but I'm not sure that I will be tuning in as often as I have in the past.