Is there any freason why The Bill cannot be taken over by the BBC when it finishes later this year? It is apparently ending as ITV say the viewing figures have fallen; is it any wonder when they have messed about with the programme so much in the last few years from changing its running time and viewing dates to messing about with the way it is filmed? The cast and writers have all coped valiantly with what have been troubling times - take the way that Jeff Richards (PC Reg Hollis) was discarded after years of excellent acting for example. I for one will sorely miss The Bill and loath ITV for the way the have treated this always excellent (in my view) programme.
Unfortunately all that matters to ITV are the viewing figures as Advertising is the key issue here. The more popular the programme the more viewers there are to watch the ads in between. Many programmes have fallen by the wayside because of declining viewers to the detriment of the 'Fans'
I know he is no longer with us, but my husband used to have regular chats with Kevin
LLoyd who played Tosh Lines. He had many personal problems but my husband said
he was always really friendly, even doing a specially signed photo for my daughter
when she was little. Blimey I suddenly feel old, she is 30 now!
It was Jeff Stewart who played Reg Hollis They reckong it's got too expensive per episode. I suppose they want to buy in cheap American imports to repeat over and over and over.........
When the Bill first started it was a great cop show wih self contained stories each episdode, some excellent characters. Over the years they turned it into a bl33ding soap and it has to compete with the other soaps. It has always amazed me that any of the soaps get the audiance they do but I guess the public get what they want.The Bill didn't come up to scratch as a soap why don't they turn it back into a cop show? Perhaps another station may do just that.