The Bill: Long Odds

Last Update: 05 November 2000 (You need a browser capable of viewing tables to see this page properly)

The Bill is a British drama series centered around a Metropolitan Police Station in London, England. The stories are set in Sun Hill, located in the fictitious Borough of Canley, in northeast London. Labelled the most successful police drama series on British television, The Bill has been on the air since 16 October 1984, when the the first episode, Funny Ol' Business: Cops & Robbers, was transmitted on British television.

From Episode One until the end of Series Three, The Bill consisted of weekly 50 minute episodes. From July 1988 onwards, two half-hour episodes were broadcast per week. Beginning in January 1993, The Bill was (and continues to be) shown three times a week in half-hour episodes.

The early episodes of the series were filmed on location in London, and in a purpose-built "police station" in a single-storey warehouse and office complex in Artichoke Hill, Wapping, in the East End of London (right next to the News International printing plant, home of The Sun and The Times.) The Bill is still filmed on location in London, although the set of Sun Hill Police Station is now located on an industrial estate in Merton, South West London. The series is filmed using a hand held camera, to give it a "fly on the wall" feeling.

In this episode, Long Odds, series regular Litten recognises the picture of a man wanted for armed robbery but, instead of telling Cryer, he goes straight to Galloway - and is reprimanded by both men. Meanwhile a couple of thugs (one of them is shown below and elsewhere on this page) are robbing local shopkeepers.

And Edwards pursues a mugger into a dangerous building, the floor collapses, and he lies buried until help arrives. This episode of The Bill was filmed in the summer of 1984 and is one of the original 50 minute stories from the program's first season.

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CHARACTERS: Gary Olsen Eric Richard John Salthouse Tony Scannell Jon Iles Colin Blumenau Ray Armstrong Michael N. Harbour Tessa Bell-Briggs Neil Conrich Trevor Cooper Shirley Cain Tony Hippolyte Sean Bean Cheryl Hall Edward O'Connell Lorna Barton John Lyons

PC Dave Litten Sgt. Bob Cryer DI Roy Galloway DS Ted Roach DC Mike Dashwood PC Francis "Taffy" Edwards DCI Kirk DI Wheeler WPC Picton Det. Sgt DS Danes Mrs Taylor Desmond Holt Horace Clark Sadie Boy Mugger Girl Mugger Fire Officer

PRODUCTION CREDITS: Produced by Directed by Written by Running time Episode H4 - First aired in UK 6 November 1984 (Season #1)

Thames Television (ITV) John Michael Phillips Geoff McQueen 50 minutes

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