The Bill Wiki
The Bill Wiki
Advertisement

LogoTheBill-old

The Bill in 1989


Episode Count[]



Ranking Character Played by Number of Episodes Running total Previous year's ranking
1 Sgt. Peters Larry Dann 53 103 4
2 Sgt. Penny Roger Leach 52 111 10
3 P.C. Melvin Mark Powley 50 85 13
4 Sgt. Cryer Eric Richard 49 118 1
5 P.C. Edwards Colin Blumenau 47 112 5
6 P.C. Stamp Graham Cole 47 70 19
7 W.P.C. Ackland Trudie Goodwin 45 105 11
8 D.I. Burnside Christopher Ellison 44 67 16
9 D.C. Lines Kevin Lloyd 44 55 22
10 W.P.C. Martella Nula Conwell 44 102 6
11 D.C. Carver Mark Wingett 40 107 3
12 P.C. Hollis Jeff Stewart 39 86 18
13 W.P.C. Brind Kelly Lawrence 38 52 20
14 Insp. Frazer Barbara Thorn 38 N/A N/A
15 Ch. Insp. Conway Ben Roberts 37 N/A N/A
16 D.C. Dashwood Jon Iles 37 105 2
17 D.S. Roach Tony Scannell 37 99 9
18 P.C. Garfield Huw Higginson 31 N/A N/A
19 P.C. Haynes Eamonn Walker 26 54 8
20 P.C. Ramsey Nick Reding 26 49 15
21 Ch. Supt. Brownlow Peter Ellis 24 62 21
22 D.S. Greig Andrew Mackintosh 24 N/A N/A
23 P.C. Able Mark Haddigan 23 N/A N/A
24 P.C. Smith Robert Hudson 20
25 P.C. Turnham Chris Humphreys 20 N/A N/A
26 W.P.C. Marshall Lynne Miller 19 N/A N/A
27 W.P.C. Ford Vikki Gee-Dare 16 17 23
28 W.P.C. Datta Seeta Indrani 10 N/A N/A
29 P.C. Frank Ashley Gunstock 2 42 17
30 P.C. Quinnan Andrew Paul 2 N/A N/A
31 P.C. Young Colin Alldridge 1 N/A N/A

Production/Storylines[]

By then promoted to Executive Producer, Peter Cregeen departed to the BBC and was replaced by by Michael Chapman, who had produced both Woodentop and the first series of The Bill. Meanwhile, the owners of the Barlby Road site, excited by the ensuing property boom, announced they wished to redevelop the site and thus Sun Hill had to move yet again. A deal to move into a disused hospital in Clapham fell through, and eventually Thames settled on an old wine warehouse in the Merton industrial estate, near Wimbledon in South London, where The Bill remains to its end in 2010.

The transfer was a logistical nightmare, having to occur simultaneously with ongoing production. Another unit was created to produce a backlog of 20 episodes to cover the delays. One solution was found to incorporate the move as a renovation, and as a result in the summer of 1989 episodes were shown with overalled electricians, carpenters and painters beavering away in the background. Mark Powley who played PC Ken Melvin, decided to leave the series the next year, and the occasion of his leaving was seized upon by the scriptwriters to deliver a spectacular stunt which also justified further renovation a terrorist car-bomb explosion, meant for the car owner not Sun Hill, which took his character's life in the episode Trojan Horse.

In that year Edwards, Smith and Ackland found more resistance than they bargained for when they enforced a Place of Safety Order at a gypsy encampment (The Mugging And The Gypsies); CID were called in to close down a pirate radio station (The Chain Of Command); and Haynes went undercover, facing danger beyond the call of duty (Duty Else Where). Sgt Cryer received a tip-off about a drug-dealer and plunged Sun Hill into a major operation (Cock Up); Smith went undercover in an operation against football hooligans (In The Frame); and Roach crossed the path of an ex-commander and was forced to rake through the ashes of his past (Conscience).

Racial violence left Edwards injured, and Ackland's involvement in a case of euthanasia brought back painful memories of her own recent bereavement (Sunday Sunday); Sun Hill officers joined forces with Scotland Yard for a series of raids (Suspicious Minds); and a protection racket in a brewery put Roach at risk (Luck Of The Draw). Roach's transvestite informant Roxanne (played by Paul O'Grady aka Lily Savage) put him on the trail of credit-card thieves (No Strings); Martella was held hostage at knife point by a prisoner wanting her to bring him drugs (The Visit); and an odd couple, a mystery envelope and an unusual hotel played unexpected roles in a watching-and-waiting game (Free Wheel).

PC Melvin went on secondment to CID (Only A Bit Of Thieving); a scuffle in a market led to a disagreement between Cryer and Frazer, whilst Brind found out the truth behind a respectable marriage (You'll Be Back); and an unexpected official inspection did nothing to lift spirits at Sun Hill (Fort Apache - Sun Hill). The station had a bomb scare whilst Brind had a scare of a different kind when she answered a call to a luxury flat (Somewhere By Chance); Marshall contemplated her future as a Collator (A Quiet Life); and Brownlow called for an economy drive at Sun Hill (Overspend).

Mrs Lines, Tosh's wife, caused a disturbance at a bank and before Tosh could reach her and the kids, an armed raid was in operation, resulting in PC Ramsey being shot (Don't Like Mondays); Cryer and Frazer had to keep Sun Hill going, but Haynes and Lines found it hard to come to terms with recent events (Pickup); and Stamp got into trouble when clipping the ear of a pick-pocketing youth (Kidding). Roach went for a promotion board at New Scotland Yard and got involved in a brawl before the interview ruining his chances (Taken for a Ride); on his last day at Sun Hill, Smith arrested a teenager for drugs and was surprised by a kissogram in the shape of PC Brind (Leaving); and Frazer encouraged Haynes to go for promotion (Pressure).

Garfield went undercover as a take-away pizza boy (A Little Knowledge); whilst dealing with a fatal traffic accident, Peters and Brind discovered nearby allotments were being used for purposes other than gardening (Pathways); and Penny, Melvin, Able and Turnham were put through an MS15 interrogation when a drunk was found dead in the front interview room (Seen To Be Done). Sun Hill welcomed its newest recruit PC Norika Datta (Exit Lines); Dashwood and Lines investigated the disappearance of a private detective (Zig Zag); and Dashwood and Ackland joined a party of tourists on a walking tour of London to catch a thief who was working with the tour guide (Tourist Trap).

Frazer volunteered for a riot control training course (Just A Little Runaround); Sun Hill held its annual Open Day (Visitors); and when Burnside was knocked unconscious by a security guard he had previously put in jail, he discreetly arranged his revenge (Private Wars). Frazer set up an exercise to improve the statement-making technique of PCs Able and Garfield (By The Book); Conway lectured staff on their public image whilst Edwards contemplated a move back to Wales (Beer and Bicycles); and Frazer was denied promotion and explained her frustrations as a female officer (Speaking Freely). On his first day at Sun Hill, PC Dave Quinnan impressed Stamp with his detection of a stolen diamond's whereabouts (Chinese Whispers); and Sgt. Peters did his best to deal with the regular Saturday-night chaos in Sun Hill (Saturday Night Fever).

Episodes[]

84 - 5 - 1989x001 - Getting It Right - 03-Jan-1989
85 - 5 - 1989x002 - A Reflection of Glory - 05-Jan-1989
86 - 5 - 1989x003 - One To One - 10-Jan-1989
87 - 5 - 1989x004 - The Mugging and The Gypsies - 12-Jan-1989
88 - 5 - 1989x005 - The Chain of Command - 17-Jan-1989
89 - 5 - 1989x006 - Life and Death - 19-Jan-1989
90 - 5 - 1989x007 - Hothead - 24-Jan-1989
91 - 5 - 1989x008 - Steamers - 26-Jan-1989
92 - 5 - 1989x009 - Duty Elsewhere - 31-Jan-1989
93 - 5 - 1989x010 - Saturday Blues - 02-Feb-1989
94 - 5 - 1989x011 - N.F.A. - 07-Feb-1989
95 - 5 - 1989x012 - The Price You Pay - 09-Feb-1989
96 - 5 - 1989x013 - The Key of The Door - 14-Feb-1989
97 - 5 - 1989x014 - Cock-Up - 16-Feb-1989
98 - 5 - 1989x015 - Repercussions - 21-Feb-1989
99 - 5 - 1989x016 - A Death In The Family - 23-Feb-1989
100 - 5 - 1989x017 - In The Frame - 28-Feb-1989
101 - 5 - 1989x018 - A Good Result - 02-Mar-1989
102 - 5 - 1989x019 - Conscience - 07-Mar-1989
103 - 5 - 1989x020 - Sunday, Sunday - 09-Mar-1989
104 - 5 - 1989x021 - Climate - 14-Mar-1989
105 - 5 - 1989x022 - Bad Company - 16-Mar-1989
106 - 5 - 1989x023 - Suspicious Minds - 21-Mar-1989
107 - 5 - 1989x024 - Intuition - 23-Mar-1989
108 - 5 - 1989x025 - Loss - 28-Mar-1989
109 - 5 - 1989x026 - Procedure - 30-Mar-1989
110 - 5 - 1989x027 - Luck of The Draw - 04-Apr-1989
111 - 5 - 1989x028 - No Strings - 06-Apr-1989
112 - 5 - 1989x029 - Fool's Gold - 11-Apr-1989
113 - 5 - 1989x030 - The Visit - 13-Apr-1989
114 - 5 - 1989x031 - One For The Ladies - 18-Apr-1989
115 - 5 - 1989x032 - No Shelter - 20-Apr-1989
116 - 5 - 1989x033 - Out To Lunch - 25-Apr-1989
117 - 5 - 1989x034 - Free Wheel - 27-Apr-1989
118 - 5 - 1989x035 - Only A Bit of Thieving - 02-May-1989
119 - 5 - 1989x036 - Communications - 04-May-1989
120 - 5 - 1989x037 - Silver Lining - 09-May-1989
121 - 5 - 1989x038 - Suffocation Job - 11-May-1989
122 - 5 - 1989x039 - Mickey Would Have Wanted It - 16-May-1989
123 - 5 - 1989x040 - Blood Ties - 19-May-1989
124 - 5 - 1989x041 - You'll Be Back - 23-May-1989
125 - 5 - 1989x042 - Fort Apache - Sun Hill - 25-May-1989
126 - 5 - 1989x043 - Waste - 30-May-1989
127 - 5 - 1989x044 - The Strong Survive - 01-Jun-1989
128 - 5 - 1989x045 - Loving Care - 06-Jun-1989
129 - 5 - 1989x046 - Back On The Streets - 08-Jun-1989
130 - 5 - 1989x047 - FAT'AC - 13-Jun-1989
131 - 5 - 1989x048 - Somewhere By Chance - 15-Jun-1989
132 - 5 - 1989x049 - A Quiet Life - 20-Jun-1989
133 - 5 - 1989x050 - Tom Tiddler's Ground - 22-Jun-1989
134 - 5 - 1989x051 - Make My Day - 27-Jun-1989
135 - 5 - 1989x052 - Provocation - 29-Jun-1989
136 - 5 - 1989x053 - Overspend - 04-Jul-1989
137 - 5 - 1989x054 - Between Friends - 06-Jul-1989
138 - 5 - 1989x055 - Traffic - 11-Jul-1989
139 - 5 - 1989x056 - The Sacred Seal - 13-Jul-1989
140 - 5 - 1989x057 - Subsequent Visits - 18-Jul-1989
141 - 5 - 1989x058 - User Friendly - 20-Jul-1989
142 - 5 - 1989x059 - Don't Like Mondays - 25-Jul-1989
143 - 5 - 1989x060 - Pickup - 27-Jul-1989
144 - 5 - 1989x061 - Kidding - 01-Aug-1989
145 - 5 - 1989x062 - Black Spot - 03-Aug-1989
146 - 5 - 1989x063 - Taken For A Ride - 08-Aug-1989
147 - 5 - 1989x064 - Time Out - 10-Aug-1989
148 - 5 - 1989x065 - Leaving - 15-Aug-1989
149 - 5 - 1989x066 - Street Games and Board Games - 17-Aug-1989
150 - 5 - 1989x067 - Pressure - 22-Aug-1989
151 - 5 - 1989x068 - A Little Knowledge - 24-Aug-1989
152 - 5 - 1989x069 - Pathways - 29-Aug-1989
153 - 5 - 1989x070 - Seen To Be Done - 31-Aug-1989
154 - 5 - 1989x071 - Tulip - 05-Sep-1989
155 - 5 - 1989x072 - Nothing But The Truth - 07-Sep-1989
156 - 5 - 1989x073 - It's Not Majorca - 12-Sep-1989
157 - 5 - 1989x074 - Mending Fences - 14-Sep-1989
158 - 5 - 1989x075 - Exit Lines - 19-Sep-1989
159 - 5 - 1989x076 - That Old Malarkey - 21-Sep-1989
160 - 5 - 1989x077 - Greig Versus Taylor - 26-Sep-1989
161 - 5 - 1989x078 - Tottering - 28-Sep-1989
162 - 5 - 1989x079 - I Counted Them All Out - 03-Oct-1989
163 - 5 - 1989x080 - Zig Zag - 05-Oct-1989
164 - 5 - 1989x081 - A Matter of Trust - 10-Oct-1989
165 - 5 - 1989x082 - Tourist Trap - 12-Oct-1989
166 - 5 - 1989x083 - The One That Got Away - 17-Oct-1989
167 - 5 - 1989x084 - Found Offending - 19-Oct-1989
168 - 5 - 1989x085 - All Part of The Job - 24-Oct-1989
169 - 5 - 1989x086 - In The Cold - 26-Oct-1989
170 - 5 - 1989x087 - Just A Little Runaround - 31-Oct-1989
171 - 5 - 1989x088 - A Fair Appraisal - 02-Nov-1989
172 - 5 - 1989x089 - Visitors - 07-Nov-1989
173 - 5 - 1989x090 - Private Wars - 09-Nov-1989
174 - 5 - 1989x091 - Feasting With Panthers - 14-Nov-1989
175 - 5 - 1989x092 - By The Book - 16-Nov-1989
176 - 5 - 1989x093 - Beer and Bicycles - 21-Nov-1989
177 - 5 - 1989x094 - Grace of God - 23-Nov-1989
178 - 5 - 1989x095 - Just Another Day - 28-Nov-1989
179 - 5 - 1989x096 - Gone Fishing - 30-Nov-1989
180 - 5 - 1989x097 - Early Bird - 05-Dec-1989
181 - 5 - 1989x098 - Just For The Crack - 07-Dec-1989
182 - 5 - 1989x099 - Woman In Brown - 12-Dec-1989
183 - 5 - 1989x100 - Speaking Freely - 14-Dec-1989
184 - 5 - 1989x101 - The Return of The Prodigal Son - 16-Dec-1989
185 - 5 - 1989x102 - Chinese Whispers - 21-Dec-1989
186 - 5 - 1989x103 - Powers of Exclusion - 26-Dec-1989
187 - 5 - 1989x104 - Saturday Night Fever - 28-Dec-1989

Template:EpisodeList-1989/051-100 Template:EpisodeList-1989/101-150


Preceded by:
1988 Episodes (Series 4)
1989 Episodes (Series 5)
(Episode Chronology)
Succeeded by:
1990 Episodes (Series 6)


Advertisement