Jim Carver was a character in The Bill from 1983 until 2005, returning briefly in 2007.
Profile
Earnest, intense and scrupulously honest Jim Carver had all the makings of a first class officer. He arrived at Sun Hill as probationer, wearing a uniform and, becoming a DC in 1988. Tenure meant that he had to return to uniform in 1999, a move he regarded as a demotion. His inability to cope led to a serious drink problem, which nearly cost him his job when he showed up drunk to give testimony in court and then let slip the route of a convoy of confiscated drugs, which was then ambushed. Things got even worse after he woke up next to a dead prostitute and was arrested for her murder. He was sent to rehab and despite the reservations of many of his colleagues upon his return, Carver managed to overcome his demons and become a respected member of the team.
Carver was an intuitive operator, but his hunches were often sound because he had an interest in, and awareness of, people. However, he was always a man who took things to heart and was often upset by the occasionally, moral grey areas in which he found himself working. Injustice angered him and occasionally he found his colleagues' coldness shocking. Jim's love life had never been much to speak of (his girlfriends tended to be the 'lame duck' type and usually let him down), but after working for almost two decades he found the ideal partner in June Ackland, his sergeant. But the course of true love never runs smoothly and when Jim found himself staring down the barrel of a loaded pint glass he realised it was time to do some soul searching. With June away on holiday, Jim woke up in the loving arms of a woman he was helping out in his role as Family Liaison Officer. One wedding later - Jim had a new wife - and a very unhappy colleague in June Ackland. After heartache following his split with June, Jim had high hopes for his marriage to Marie and struggled to come to terms with the fact that she was an alcoholic with a violent temper. They divorced, and before long Jim found himself back with June. This coincided with a happy time for the Sun Hill officer - he was glad when he moved again from uniformed work into CID, because life was more interesting for him there.
