New Look

A MAJOR milestone in the history of The Bill was reached last night with the broadcast of the first ‘new look’ episode on ITV1 – the first episode not to be screened in Scotland.

Good news is that ITV3 programme schedules have been rejigged so that Scottish viewers will have a chance to see the new episodes. Last night’s, Live By The Sword, will be broadcast next Wednesday at 11pm, part of a double-header with tonight’s ITV1 episode, Die By the Sword.

Thereafter, ITV3 will broadcast the previous Thursday’s ITV1 episode of The Bill on a Monday at 11pm.

Just for the record, a number of the series dropped by STV (including The Bill, Midsomer Murders, Benidorm, Lewis and Wycliffe) used to attract between 500,000 and 600,000 viewers.

Many of their replacements are managing only 200,000 viewers – a discrepancy of between 300,000 to 400,000. That’s two thirds of the audience gone... but STV bosses insist that’s fine, apparently it’s part of a long-game. Time will tell.

Anyway, this is how the launch of the ‘new look’ episodes of The Bill was announced to the rest of the UK’s viewing public.

TRANSMISSION ANNOUNCEMENT: A VIEW FROM THE FRONTLINE – NEW AT 9

The Bill moves to new 9pm timeslot with double-episode special

Top crime drama, The Bill, is to move to its new weekly 9pm time slot at the heart of the ITV1 schedule from Thursday 23rd July, as the BAFTA award-winning series is repositioned as a post-watershed drama for the first time in its 25 year history. As a one-off special to herald the start of the ‘new’ show, a second episode will be screened at 9pm on Friday 24th July.

The new-look continuing series will be shot in high definition, with a musical score and new title credits and theme music. Subtle echoes of the original theme music will remain, but the entire show has been given a new lease of life.

“We haven’t sought to totally reinvent The Bill,” commented executive producer Johnathan Young, “but we have wanted to create a more immersive experience for our viewers. We’re digging deeper into characters to tell stronger and more challenging stories which really examine the true causes and effects of crime. The later timeslot allows us to produce darker, grittier and more hard-hitting drama, through the eyes of our existing characters. The heart of the show will remain the same, but it will look very fresh.”

Sergeant Callum Stone (Sam Callis) and P.C. Ben Gayle (Micah Balfour) will be the first characters to tread Sun Hill streets in the new timeslot, so leading the action into the first big storyline, ‘Live by the Sword’. When a 15 year old boy is critically injured – ultimately, fatally – following a knife attack on an estate, investigations begin into identifying the killer. Featuring guest actors Julia Ford and Andrew Tiernan, the episode kicks off with high-octane energy, and sets the pace for the series. The second-part of the storyline – ‘Die by the Sword’ – airs on the consecutive night.

Viewers will get the first taster of the new-look show through a national ITV marketing campaign – including billboard posters and on-air trails – in coming weeks.