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Weekly Archive > DVD of the Day > 06/29/07
Behind the Badge
by peter clines
The Bill: The Complete First Series
Devised by Geoff McQueen
Written by Barry Appleton, Geoff McQueen, and John Xershaw
 
 
Taking its title from a British nickname for the police (the Old Bill), The Bill is one of ITV ’s longest running television shows, still going strong after 23 years. This first season of the show chronicles the day-to-day lives of the constables and inspectors (beat cops and detectives) of London’s Sun Hill Police Station, most notably by-the-book veteran Sergeant Cryer (Eric Richard), WPC Ackland (Trudie Goodwin), the acerbic Detective Inspector Galloway (John Salthouse), and rookie Constable Jim Carver (Mark Wingett, who continued to play this role for over two decades). At heart, The Bill is essentially an ongoing, oddly engaging character piece, with a realistic, sometimes harsh view on how the new constables and hardened veterans deal with the ongoing pressures, privileges, and responsibilities of their job. The 12 episodes in this set deal with everything from drug deals and suicides to civilian complaints and departmental feuds, but the plots takes a back seat to the reactions and interactions of the police force members as they struggle through each day. The special features give some quick character overviews and also discuss the “documentary” feel of the show, but don’t really touch on the writing of the actual scripts.
The Bill: The Complete First Series
Brentwood Home Video
Not rated; 500 min.
$34.98
Buy it now
Peter Clines has had a lifelong love affair with the movies. He grew up in New England, where he studied English literature and education, and now lives and writes somewhere in Southern California. If anyone knows exactly where, he would appreciate a few hints.
The Bill: The Complete First Series courtesy Brentwood Home Video
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