Episode:278

278

Episode No.		Series
1935	2005x004	20

Original Airdate

13 January 2005

Written By

Harold Jordan

Directed By

Nigel Keen

Episode Chronology:

Episode 278 is the 1935th episode of The Bill.

DSs Nixon and Hunter plan to rescue Abi from Hugh Wallis before they can proceed with their marriage plans. New Police Community Support Officers Laura Bryant and Colin Fairfax are assigned to Sun Hill. PC Harman abuses her position as Family Liaison Officer when she consoles a distraught husband whose wife has gone missing.

The arrival of the PCSOs had been trailed in a speech by Supt Okaro to a local community meeting, and a poll on TheBill.com in February 2004 asking visitors whether they wanted to see the introduction of PCSOs, or new characters for CID or Uniform. In the event, Sgt Smith's description of the PCSOs as "jumped up traffic wardens" proved prescient. Certainly, the producers didn't seem to know what to do with the characters, who were invariably, and implausibly, paired with constables. One of the new characters was written out almost immediately in a plotline contrived to facilitate a major set redesign, while the other was promoted to the rank of constable with unseemly haste.

This episode sees the introduction of Sun Hill's first Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). The PCSO scheme was introduced in 2002, and PCSOs have been described as the "eyes and ears" of the Metropolitan Police by Commissioner Sir John Stevens. PCSOs differ from regular constables in that they do not have powers of arrest.

First regular appearance of PCSO Laura Bryant (Melanie Kilburn).

Credits[]

Main cast

DS Samantha Nixon - Lisa Maxwell
DS Phil Hunter - Scott Maslen
Sgt Dale Smith - Alex Walkinshaw
PC Gabriel Kent - Todd Carty
PC Honey Harman - Kim Tiddy
Insp Gina Gold - Roberta Taylor
DC Jim Carver - Mark Wingett
Acting DC Gary Best - Ciaran Griffiths
PC Steve Hunter - James Lloyd
PCSO Laura Bryant - Melanie Kilburn
PCSO Colin Fairfax - Tim Steed

Guest cast

Dr Hugh Wallis - Robert Gwilym
Abigail Nixon - Georgia Moffett
Scott Burnett - Matt Bardock
Billy Toolan - Martin Beaumont
Neville Lewis - Martin Chamberlain
Jamie Lewis - Alex Barrett