1988-1998: Change To The Half-hour Format
During 1988, the decision was made by Thames Director of Programmes to extend the show to a half hour episode twice a week. The programme was also moved to pre-watershed rather than post, significantly curbing bad language and violence. The new format aired on 19 July 1988.
During 1989, Peter Cregeen left ITV to work for the BBC and was replaced by Michael Chapman. Meanwhile, the owners of the set of Sun Hill Police Station set in Barlby Road, decided to renovate the building. This caused Thames Television to look for a new area to host the filming of the police station and selected a disused hospital in Clapham, but this did not go ahead. Instead, Thames settled for an old wine warehouse in Merton industrial estate, near Wimbledon, South London.
In 1993, the continued success of the programme led to ITV commissioning three weekly episodes which began at the start of the year.
In 1994, the show celebrated its 10th anniversary in October. The special anniversary episodes that week followed Detective Inspector Sally Johnson in court charged with manslaughter after a drug user had died during a police raid. In July that year, the creator and writer Geoff McQueen, died at the age of 46. In 1995, Detective Sergeant Don Beech joined the ranks of Sun Hill, later causing the removal of the CID team in 2000.
During 1997, The Bill underwent a series of changes. The Bill's ratings were challenged by BBC One who introduced a number of docusoaps such as Driving School. Michael Chapman, having been Executive Producer since 1989, handed over to Richard Handford. The new Executive Producer introduced a different title sequence, changing the previous theme music and removing the "plodding feet" at the end credits, with a new one hour long format introduced in August that year.
Read more about this topic: History Of The Bill
Famous quotes containing the words change, half-hour:
“Unfortunately, we cannot rely solely on employers seeing that it is in their self-interest to change the workplace. Since the benefits of family-friendly policies are long-term, they may not be immediately visible or quantifiable; companies tend to look for success in the bottom line. On a deeper level, we are asking those in power to change the rules by which they themselves succeeded and with which they identify.”
—Anne C. Weisberg (20th century)
“Then we grow up to be Daddy. Domesticated men with undomesticated, frontier dreams. Suddenly life—or is it the children?—is not as cooperative as it ought to be. It’s tough to be in command of anything when a baby is crying or a ten-year-old is in despair. It’s tough to feel a sense of control when you’ve got to stop six times during the half-hour ride to Grandma’s.”
—Hugh O’Neill (20th century)