| Sierra Oscar 5-2 | ||
| Sierra Oscar 5-4 | ||
| Sierra Oscar 1 | ||
| SO | 48 | |
| SO | 79 | |
| SO | 92 | |
| SO | 171 | |
| SO | 181 | |
| SO | 218 | |
| SO | 251 | |
| SO | 340 | |
| SO | 358 | |
| SO | 517 | |
| SO | 361 | |
| SO | 416 | |
| SO | 469 | |
| SO | 487 | |
| SO | 561 | |
| SO | 595 | |
| SO | 988 | |
Episode Count[]
| Ranking | Character | Played by | Number of Episodes | Running total | Previous year's ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P.C. Hollis | Jeff Stewart | 66 | ||
| 2 | P.C. Garfield | Huw Higginson | 65 | ||
| 3 | Sgt. Boyden | Tony O'Callaghan | 64 | ||
| 4 | P.C. Stamp | Graham Cole | 62 | ||
| 5 | P.C. Quinnan | Andrew Paul | 61 | ||
| 6 | W.P.C. Page | Lisa Geoghan | 58 | ||
| 7 | Sgt. Ackland | Trudie Goodwin | 52 | ||
| 8 | W.P.C. Blake | Lolita Chakrabarti | 51 | ||
| 9 | P.C. Harker | Matthew Crompton | 51 | ||
| 10 | P.C. McCann | Clive Wedderburn | 51 | ||
| 11 | D.C.I. Meadows | Simon Rouse | 51 | ||
| 12 | Insp. Monroe | Colin Tarrant | 45 | ||
| 13 | W.D.C. Rawton | Libby Davison | 44 | ||
| 14 | Sgt. Cryer | Eric Richard | 42 | ||
| 15 | P.C. Santini | Michael Higgs | 42 | N/A | N/A |
| 16 | D.C. Skase | Iain Fletcher | 41 | ||
| 17 | P.C. Ashton | Scott Neal | 40 | ||
| 18 | D.C. Carver | Mark Wingett | 39 | ||
| 19 | D.I. Deakin | Shaun Scott | 36 | ||
| 20 | D.C. Proctor | Gregory Donaldson | 33 | ||
| 21 | D.S. Boulton | Russell Boulter | 32 | ||
| 22 | W.P.C. Hagen | Samantha Robson | 29 | N/A | N/A |
| 23 | W.P.C. Keane | Andrea Mason | 29 | ||
| 24 | Ch. Insp. Conway | Ben Roberts | 28 | ||
| 25 | D.S. Daly | Ray Ashcroft | 27 | ||
| 26 | D.S. Beech | Billy Murray | 26 | ||
| 27 | Ch. Supt. Brownlow | Peter Ellis | 25 | ||
| 28 | W.P.C. Datta | Seeta Indrani | 16 | ||
| 29 | D.C. Lines | Kevin Lloyd | 13 | ||
| 30 | W.D.C. Holmes | Joy Brook | 9 | N/A | N/A |
| 31 | D.S. Greig | Andrew Mackintosh | 7 | ||
| 32 | P.C. Jarvis | Stephen Beckett | 7 | ||
| 33 | D.C. Lennox | George Rossi | 6 | ||
| 34 | D.C.I. Burnside | Chris Ellison | 4 | ||
| 35 | W.D.C. Croft | Kerry Peers | 4 | ||
| 36 | W.P.C. Fox | Caroline Catz | 4 |
Production/Storylines[]
In 1998, Michael Chapman, having been Executive Producer since 1989, handed over to Richard Handford, who had worked as Producer on many episodes earlier in the decade. He immediately made his mark by dropping the old theme music and 'plodding feet' ending which had both remained largely unchanged since 1983. Plans were also afoot to move the show back into its original one-hour format, which Handford concluded would help sharpen up the scripts and allow a more expansive, comprehensive story to be told than in the constraints of the effective 22 minute-long old format. He also stipulated some relaxation of the strict production rules that had been laid down by Geoff McQueen - villains and other people would occasionally be seen on screen without the presence of a police officer, and sometimes scenes would take place before the opening title sequence. The taboo on coverage of the police officers' private life was also lifted, though only when their private life impinged on their professional life or vice versa.
However, in the background of all this was the sad situation of Kevin Lloyd (DC 'Tosh' Lines). Though fit enough to write his autobiography the year before his death (The Man Who Loved Too Much), he lost his struggle with alcoholism, and this led to his departure from the series. His death not long afterwards left the entire cast shocked and saddened.
Boulton was pricked by a drug addict's needle (Square Peg, Round Hole); bullying amongst girls raised its ugly head (Girl Power); and Ashton's persistence came up trumps when he exposed a blackmail scam (Puppy Walk). Proctor and Skase were held hostage (Out on a Limb); Quinnan and Stamp decided to surprise PC Jarvis whilst he was on diplomatic duty (Way out West); and Santini made his debut (Storyboards). Ashton disappeared after an accident reminded him of his first day on the beat when he witnessed a boy fall to his death (Soft in the Head); Hollis drove Santini around the bend (A Rainy Day in Sun Hill); DC Croft left the station (The Parent Trap); and Beech finally crossed the line by lying in court in exchange for £20,000 paid by a gangland boss (Good Faith).
McCann tried to track down a missing parrot (A Little Bit of Paradise); Conway found himself being blackmailed after a drunken night out (Powder My Nose); Sergeant Cryer's efforts to save a dying girl resulted in a complaint being made against him (Shattered); and Ashton tried hard to impress Page (Scent of Compassion). Deakin investigated a male rape (Manhunt); Carver and Boulton uncovered an illegal immigration scam (Sale or Return); a 14 year old girl had a crush on Skase (Wannabe); and PC Vicky Hagen joined under a cloud as she was suspected of grassing on a colleague (Big Brother).
Jarvis and Hagen nearly came to blows, but eventually reconciled as Jarvis transferred permanently to the Diplomatic Protection Group (Volcano); Boyden got very friendly with PC Ashton's mum (Money Talks); Beech wangled a trip to the seaside (Brighton Rocks); and Boulton got revenge on an ex-colleague during a training course (Under the Grill). Carver was shocked to learn that a friend of his was a flasher (One of Us); Rawton and Deakin investigated the mysterious disappearance of a woman campaigning to free her husband from jail (Watching the Detectives); and Tosh Lines made his final appearance (A People Person).
Hollis surprised everyone by getting a result, admittedly by default, when he arrested a notorious cat burglar (Three Cheers) and received a commendation (Up for Trouble). A bereaved husband told Page that he had shot a man but refused to reveal his whereabouts (The Bus Driver's Prayer); Hollis came under suspicion of being a burglar (Stop); and Garfield teamed up with a journalist when the wreckage of a World War II Spitfire was unearthed (Deep Secret). Boyden was held at gunpoint in the station (Bang); Datta transferred to a Domestic Crimes Unit (The Whip Hand); and Page appeared to find love but her boyfriend turned out to have dodgy connections (Tainted Love). DS Greig discovered his tenure was due (Cooking); Hollis tried to use a caravan as a mobile police station (King of the Road); and Boulton was kidnapped by a villain hell-bent on revenge (Shoot the Messenger).
The new 1 Hour format was formally reintroduced in August with a hugely exciting and popular strand involving sexual harassment and assault: Santini took more than a professional interest in new recruit PC Fox and ended up sexually assaulting her (Deep End); he then tried to patch things up (The Party's Over) and was unable to leave Fox alone at a charity paintball game (Bang Bang You're Dead). Fox then made a formal complaint but withdrew it on the understanding Santini would leave her alone, but he didn't keep his side of the bargain and was punched by PC Quinnan (Team Spirit). Fox subsequently transferred away from the station.
When answering an emergency call PC Stamp knocked down and killed a pedestrian (Urgent Assistance); misguidedly he attended the teenager's funeral and was berated by the boy's girlfriend (Taking Sides). He appeared in court on a charge of causing death by dangerous driving (Deadly Impact). Although found not guilty the agony continued for Stamp when he faced an internal police enquiry (Big Day). He was eventually reconciled with the boy's girlfriend (Making Up).
DC Kerry Holmes made her debut (The Cross); and after 5 years Frank Burnside made a sensational but somewhat mysterious reappearance when discovered in Manchester apparently a fully fledged villain (Cast No Shadow). It was later revealed that Burnside had been working undercover and was now a DCI (Betrayal). Alienated PC Santini tried in vain to save a driver's life (All for One); DC Skase moonlighted as a bodyguard (Trial Run); DCI Meadows and Chief Inspector Conway tried, in vain, for promotion (Section F); and Beech was reunited with an old flame who tried to bribe him (Rate for the Job).
New DC Duncan Lennox set tongues wagging with his extravagant lifestyle (The Fat Lady Sings); Boulton became close to an offender profiler (Heat and Light and Ticking Clocks); and Hollis suffered shell shock when a telephone box exploded (Live and Ticking). Rawton played a lonelyheart trying to trap a killer (All the Lonely People); gangster Jimmy Smith once again relied on DS Beech 'to sort out a little business', this time hindered by a suspicious Burnside (The Personal Touch); and Santini arranged for football star Emmanuel Petit to visit a badly injured child in hospital at Christmas (Christmas Star).
Episodes[]
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