History of The Bill - 1984-1987: "The Originals"

1984-1987: "The Originals"

The first episode of The Bill was broadcast at 21:00 hours, on 16 October 1984. From the pilot episode, the actors who portrayed, Carver, Ackland, Litten and Morgan (renamed to Edwards) were retained. The character of Detective Inspector Roy Galloway was also retained from the pilot, but was recast to be played by John Salthouse. Several new characters were introduced, such as Sergeant Bob Cryer, Detective Sergeant Tommy Burnside (later changed to Frank) and Chief Superintendent Charles Brownlow.

Early episodes of The Bill had a duration of fifty minutes, with some of thirty-five being produced over the first three series of The Bill. The fifty minute episodes were broadcast post watershed, allowing the programme to include scenes of nudity, drug use, violence and swearing.

The Bill's production base changed from the first two series where it was filmed in Wapping, east London, due to an industrial dispute at an adjoining premises. During March 1987, filming for the third series went ahead in Ladbroke Grove, west London. In 1989, the location changed to Merton, South London, a production base they continue to use currently.

The early series was considered to be realistic of how the police operated, with Geoff McQueen's focus on the mundane and the ordinary aspects of a police station, such as filling in forms and paperwork. The investigations displayed in each episode would vary from muggings and domestics, to bomb scares and armed robbery.