Show Of Force

THE BILL
Show of Force: Episode 016
Thursday 29 October 2009, 21.00 to 22.00, ITV1
Repeated on ITV1 on Friday 30 October at 22:35 and ITV3 on Monday 2 November at 23:00

After repeated calls from concerned shop owner Angie Burgess (Charlotte Palmer), Inspector Smith (Alex Walkinshaw) leads his troops in a raid on the Manley Road estate which has become a hotbed of criminal activity.

The key objective is to bring down the central drug dealer, Dave Clayton (Jimmy Akingbola), who is destroying the local community.

While some officers raid flats to retrieve stolen goods and small time drug dealers, others force their way into brothels. However, Smithy and his team need to get Clayton if they’re to clean up the estate for good.

Following surveillance, the officers know that Dave has taken delivery of a large quantity of drugs but when Smithy goes to arrest him at his flat, the drugs have vanished. Has the raid all been for nothing?

In an attempt to gain the help and trust of the local community, Smithy holds a meeting with the hostile residents. The only person to make a stand is shopkeeper Angie who tells the residents they need to stand up to Dave and help the police.

Dave and his younger brother Benny (Eric Abrefa) enter the meeting and silence fills the room. Angie says she’s not afraid of him and will do what she can to get him off the estate as her mortified teenage daughter Steph (Lia Saville) runs out of the meeting.

The investigation takes an unexpected turn when CCTV footage reveals that it was Angie who stole the drugs from Dave’s flat. Smithy confronts Angie and she admits she took matters into her own hands and got rid of the drugs to stop Dave dealing.

As Angie explains her actions, Smithy gets word that her daughter has been found stabbed in an alleyway. Evidence strongly suggests that the suspect is Benny, but when Smithy arrests him, the Inspector is convinced he’s covering for someone else.

Can Smithy and his officers uncover the suspect and regain control of Manley Road in the process?

After an exhausting day, Smithy is stunned when P.C. Tony Stamp (Graham Cole) tells him that he has accepted a new job offer as Advanced Driving Police Instructor at Hendon and is set to leave Sun Hill…

THE BILL is a talkbackTHAMES production and a direct commission by ITV. This episode was written by Julian Perkins, directed by Paul Wroblewski and produced by James Hall.

U-Turn?

The following was reported in the Scottish Sun (19.10.09)

STV Chief executive Rob Woodward, defending his decision to drop ratings winners such as The Bill: “Our documentaries on Susan Boyle, John Hartson, the Made in Scotland and Scotland Revealed series all out-performed the network.”

Programmes chief Bobby Hain, in the same article: “Would we consider The Bill in the future? Yes, we’re open-minded.”

Confused? or should be watching for a u-turn?