Taking A Stand

A powerful and disturbing episode, this one. The Bill at its raw best.

THE BILL
TAKING A STAND: Episode 048
Tuesday 20th July 2010, 21.00 to 22.00, ITV1
Repeated on ITV3 on Monday 26th July at 23:00

Sergeant Callum Stone (Sam Callis) and P.C. Kirsty Knight (Sarah Manners) are called to the home of elderly widow Jill Peters (Claire Bloom). Her neighbour David Townsend (Robert Morgan) has reported a disturbance.

When Sergeant Callum Stone and P.C. Kirsty Knight arrive Mrs Peters is extremely anxious and is reluctant to let them in. She eventually opens the door and claims to have been the victim of a burglary. Having looked around the house and spoken to Mrs Peters P.C. Kirsty Knight believes that there is more to this case than just a burglary and gently pushes her about what has occurred.

Mrs Peters admits she was raped and is persuaded by P.C. Kirsty Knight to accompany them back to the station to give evidence. D.C.Terry Perkins (Bruce Byron) interviews Mrs Peters about the attack but she only seems comfortable to talk about it with P.C. Kirsty Knight at her side. Mrs Peters is adamant that she doesn’t want to be examined by a doctor for DNA samples leaving the team struggling to build a case.

CID take on the case and the team focus on witness statements and interview a woman, Carol Hill (Sara Stephens), who claims she saw a man near Mrs Peters house on the night of the attack.

Her description of the man matches the appearance of Mrs Peters’ neighbour David Townsend, leading them to believe that Mr Townsend may have had more to do with it then he’s letting on.

D.C. Terry Perkins feels that Mrs Peters is holding back and they decide to bring P.C. Kirsty Knight back on to the case, although she is uncomfortable and does not feel equipped to deal it. However she is given little choice by Sergeant Callum Stone and convinces Mrs Peters to persevere suggesting that they work their way through it together.

As the investigation continues, it soon becomes apparent that Carol Hill hasn’t been completely honest about what she saw the night Jill was attacked. What did she really see? What exactly was David Townsend’s involvement? And will Mrs Peters finally agree to give DNA evidence?

Away from the case, Sergeant Callum Stone is struggling at work. He finally calls his mother who has been trying to get hold of him. She breaks some bad news about his father. Will Stone decide to reconcile with his estranged father before it’s too late?

THE BILL is a talkbackTHAMES production and a direct commission by ITV. This episode was written by Emma Goodwin, directed by Richard Signy and produced by James Hall.

The Calling

After ANOTHER week off The Bill returned...

THE BILL
THE CALLING: Episode 047
Tuesday 13th July 2010, 21.00 to 22.00, ITV1
Repeated on ITV3 on Monday 19th July at 23:00

It’s the morning after the night before and P.C. Kirsty Knight (Sarah Manners) and P.C. Leon Taylor (Dominic Power) wake up in bed together.

After the harrowing events of the previous day P.C. Leon Taylor is still suffering from flashbacks. They both decide to put it down to a drunken mates one night stand after a traumatic day.

Inspector Smith (Alex Walkinshaw) tells Sergeant Stone (Sam Callis) to keep an eye on P.C’s Kirsty Knight and Leon Taylor after their shocking day. P.C. Leon Taylor and P.C. Nate Roberts (Ben Richards) are sent out on a call for a missing woman who is seven months pregnant.


P.C. Leon Taylor and P.C Nate Roberts discover an abandoned car and find the pregnant woman, Jane Connor (Leah Muller), badly injured on the side of a road next to it. C.S.E. Eddie Olusunje’s (Jason Barnett) examination reveals an apparent carjacking and he tells the team that one of the carjackers is likely to have head injuries.


The team scour hospital records to check for anyone recently admitted with head injuries that would be consistent with a car crash. They track down Jodie Knox (Georgia Brown) who they suspect of being the passenger in the carjacking and arrest her.

Under questioning, Jodie admits she was in the car and reluctantly gives the name of Ashley Johnson (Joshua Osei) as the driver. She claims he made her take part in the carjacking by telling her to run out in front of the car to make the driver stop.

Jodie’s story is confirmed when Ashley’s home is searched and Jane Connor’s credit cards are found. P.C Leon Taylor and Sergeant Stone find Ashley on the estate and arrest him. But P.C. Leon Taylor, still wound up from what he witnessed the day before, is gunning for a fight and Sergeant Stone has to stop him hitting Ashley in the interview room.

Due to lack of evidence, Ashley is released from custody and P.C Leon Taylor drives him home, only to find that Ashley’s mother has packed his bag and kicked him out. The tension between P.C Leon Taylor and Ashley comes to a head and Ashley hits P.C Leon Taylor is the face and runs off.

Back at the station, Sergeant Stone provides support for an upset P.C. Leon Taylor, who is clearly struggling to deal with the horrific case from the day before. Inspector Smith sends P.C. Leon Taylor home but, determined to resolve the case, P.C. Leon Taylor ignores Inspector Smith’s orders and heads to Ashley’s mother’s house where she reveals that Jodie had been to visit her earlier that day.

Things begin to fall into place for P.C. Leon Taylor. Was Ashley really involved in the carjacking? Has Jodie set him up in order to cover for someone else?

THE BILL is a talkbackTHAMES production and a direct commission by ITV. This episode was written by Julie Dixon, directed by Richard Signy and produced by James Hall.

Last Day Of Filming

Solace

THE BILL
Solace – Episode 46
Tuesday 29th June 2010, 21.00 to 22.00, ITV1
Repeated on ITV3 on Monday 5th July, at 23:00

P.C. Kirsty Knight (Sarah Manners) and P.C. Leon Taylor (Dominic Power) discover the body of a young woman in a holdall on a rubbish dump. The body is that of Luisa Dias (Deborah Pucci) a 28 year old Venezuelan woman.

Tests reveal that she had been drowned the night before. P.C. Kirsty Knight and P.C. Leon Taylor visit the flat Luisa shared with her boyfriend Dominic Fisher and their son Paulo (Rudy Talboys).They find the door open and there are signs in the bathroom that this is where Luisa was killed, however there is no sign of either Dominic or Paulo.

Whilst the team are searching Dominic Fisher’s home a young man turns up trying to gain access to the flat but flees when confronted by P.C. Leon Taylor. The man turns out to be Luisa’s brother, Roberto Dias (Carlos Moreno).

Roberto is unaware that Luisa is dead. When the team tell him the news he is distraught, he claims that he was waiting outside Dominic Fisher’s flat for Luisa the night before as she had planned to leave Fisher but was worried about his reaction. Roberto waited for two hours but when Luisa called him to assure him she was fine, he left.

P.C. Leon Taylor and P.C. Kirsty Knight believe Roberto’s account of events and know that they need to find Paulo as soon as possible. A fixer on Dominic Fisher’s phone tracks him down to somewhere on the Larkmead Estate, however the estate is massive and finding Fisher’s exact whereabouts proves to be difficult.

D.I. Neil Manson (Andrew Lancel) eventually gets through to Fisher on the phone but is extremely concerned when Fisher admits to killing Luisa and although Paulo is alive and with him, Fisher sounds on the edge.

There’s a breakthrough in the case when P.C. Kirsty Knight and P.C. Leon Taylor speak to Fisher’s grandmother (June Bailey) who gives them the address of her former home on the Larkmead Estate where she raised Dominic Fisher. P.C Kirsty Knight and P.C. Leon Taylor rush to the address to be faced with a traumatic scene.

At the end of a truly harrowing day P.C. Kirsty Knight and P.C. Leon Taylor find solace in one another and head off in a taxi after spending the evening drinking together.

THE BILL is a talkbackTHAMES production and a direct commission by ITV. This episode was written by Greg Evans, directed by Paul Wroblewski and produced by Sylvie Boden.

Intervention

THE BILL
Intervention – Episode 45
Tuesday 22nd June 2010, 21.00 to 22.00, ITV1
Repeated on ITV3 on Monday 28th June, at 23:00

D.I. Neil Manson (Andrew Lancel) finally tells the team about his son Jake’s Leukaemia and apologises for his recent absence and lack of concentration at work.

Reports come in of an abandoned car that has traces of blood leading from the scene, there’s no sign of any victims and the vehicle hasn’t been reported as stolen. The car is registered to Mr AJ Kapur (Alex King). P.C Benjamin Gayle (Micah Balfour) and P.C. Nate Roberts (Ben Richards) visit Mr Kapur’s home where they are told by his wife Nalira (Shelley King) and daughter Arshia (Meneca Das) that Mr Kapour boarded a flight to India earlier that day. The family seem unconcerned and don’t wish to pursue the case any further.

D.S. Max Carter (Christopher Fox) is not convinced by the Kapur’s account of events and demands the team look into the case further. D.C. Grace Dasari (Amita Dhiri) discovers that Mr Kapur hasn’t boarded a plane that day and also discovers that the Kapur family business was featured in the press as one of the country’s top businesses six weeks ago.

D.S. Max Carter’s suspicions are confirmed when CCTV reveals that the vehicle following Mr Kapur’s car is on false plates. D.S. Max Carter and D.C. Terry Perkins (Bruce Byron) visit the family home to re-question Nalira and Arshia. When they arrive, Mr Kapur’s accountant Roland Haines (Michael Webber) is there, he is also adamant that they should hand the money over to the kidnappers with no questions asked.

Mrs Kapur eventually breaks down and tells them that Mr Kapur has been abducted and is being held for ransom. Arshia is furious with her mother for involving the police and is insistent that they will deal with it on their own. D.S. Max Carter tells her they have to get involved and sets up traces on all of the family phones.

A call comes through from the kidnappers demanding that the ransom money is dropped at a nearby shopping centre. The family want to play it straight and hand the money over but D.S. Max Carter is insistent that they put a tracker in the holdall with the money.

The team surround the shopping centre but the cash drop goes wrong when Arshia panics. D.S. Max Carter suggests that Grace gets involved posing as Arshia’s sister Faiza, but will the gang call back and will they get a second opportunity to deliver the ransom money?

D.C. Terry Perkins forces D.S. Max Carter to speak to D.I. Manson about his cocaine habit, he requests some time off but has he told D.I. Manson the full story?

THE BILL is a talkbackTHAMES production and a direct commission by ITV. This episode was written by Steve Bailie, directed by Paul Wroblewski and produced by Sylvie Boden.

Ultimatum

THE BILL
Ultimatum – Episode 43
Tuesday 25 May 2010, 21.00 to 22.00, ITV1
Repeated on ITV3 on Monday 31 May (TBC) at 23:00

The team are following Nigel Wren (Celyn Jones) who has been grooming young girls online. They track his conversations in a chat room and discover that he is posing as a thirteen year old girl Ginni. D.S. Max Carter (Christopher Fox) is keen to arrest Wren but D.C. Grace Dasari (Amita Dhiri) is hesitant and insists they get further evidence to ensure a conviction.

P.C.’s Kirsty Knight (Sarah Manners) and Leon Taylor (Dominic Power) are sent undercover to observe Wren’s movements. They trail Wren as he leaves for work giving D.C. Jacob Banks (Patrick Robinson) and D.C. Terry Perkins (Bruce Byron) time to gain entry to Wren’s home allowing them to set up cameras and put a trace on his internet activity.

Max’s behaviour continues to be erratic. Mickey (Chris Simmons) is angry when Max forces him to crash their car into Wren in an attempt to stop him returning home too early and discovering the team. Max’s reckless tactics work and the team have enough time to set up the observation equipment in Wren’s home. The trace on Wren’s computer picks up a conversation between him and a young girl Kelli Sutton (Poppy Lee Friar) they are alarmed when Wren makes an arrangement to meet Kelli under the guise of Ginni.

The team are still unsure whether or not they should pick Nigel Wren up immediately or to let him meet Kelli and catch him “in the act”. They are concerned for Kelli’s safety but Max is adamant they let Wren meet Kelli and demands they continue the ‘obbo’ on Wren.

When they go to Kelli’s home Sergeant Masters and the troops discover that she has been looking up train times to Waterloo, they rush into action and are deployed to Waterloo. They find Nigel Wren and arrest him but there is no sign of Kelli, will the team find her before it’s too late?

Mickey sees him drop a wrap of cocaine whilst on duty. Max claims he confiscated the cocaine the night before but they refuse to believe a word he’s saying. Max is given an ultimatum by Terry What will his decision be?

THE BILL is a talkbackTHAMES production and a direct commission by ITV. This episode was written by Tom Needham, directed by Robert Del Maestro and produced by Ciara McIlvenny.

Walk On My Grave

THE BILL
Walk On My Grave - Episode 42
Tuesday 18th May 2010, 21.00 to 22.00, ITV1
Repeated on ITV3 on Monday 24th May at 23:00
Part 2 of a 2 part story (Part 1: ‘Deadly Consequences’ TX 11/05/10)

D.C. Grace Dasari (Amita Dhiri) and D.I. Neil Manson (Andrew Lancel) attend the funeral of eleven year old Matty Wallace along with Matty’s grandmother Ruth Pearce (Diana Kent) and step father Craig Gant (Jai Armstrong). Neil is unaware that D.S. Max Carter (Christopher Fox) has ordered an ‘obbo’ on Craig Gant and his associates at the funeral.

Whilst looking into the murder of Craig’s stepson Matty, Max discovers that Craig has a criminal record for handling stolen goods but believes there is more to it. Suspicious of Craig, he wants delve deeper into his background and along with D.C. Terry Perkins (Bruce Byron) attends the funeral to observe Gant and fellow mourners.

Neil is furious when he realises what Max is doing and, out of respect to the grieving family, orders him to stop immediately. But Max is insistent that they continue to investigate Craig’s background, convinced that he is involved in a recent lorry hijacking in which the driver was badly beaten. Terry recognises one of the mourners as Alan Ferguson who is known to the team for GBH and robbery.

Grace is offended when Neil summons her to his office – he’s angry that she didn’t inform him about the ‘obbo’ and warns her not to jeopardise her position as the Family Liaison Officer. Max later puts Grace in an awkward position when he tells her to find out from the dead boy’s grandmother, Ruth Pearce, if she knows what Craig’s been up to.

The team soon discover that a Peter Hampton (Chris Corrigan) who attended the funeral with Alan Ferguson has recently been released from prison and is currently working at Stanbeck International Containers under his brother’s name.

Max is convinced that Peter Hampton is informing Alan Ferguson and Craig Gant of the contents and locations of the lorries in order for them to be hijacked. Along with D.C. Mickey Webb (Chris Simmons), Max confronts Peter Hampton and threatens to inform the company of his real identity unless he calls Crime Stoppers with information on the next planned hijacking.

As they leave Mickey tells Max that he was too harsh on Peter Hampton and that he’s had enough with his threatening tactics. Mickey later discusses Max’s attitude with Banksy and Terry. Max’s behaviour is explained when he snorts cocaine at work.

Neil continues to be distant from the team as his son Jake (Lloyd Howells) continues his chemotherapy for leukaemia. Banksy tries to persuade him to tell the team what is going on with Jake but Neil refuses insisting that he will deal with it alone.

Mickey isn’t surprised when information comes in from Crime Stoppers regarding a lorry hijack scheduled for later that day, Max briefs the team and surveillance operation is planned. Will Max’s suspicions about Craig be confirmed?
THE BILL is a talkbackTHAMES production and a direct commission by ITV. This episode was written by Steve Trafford, directed by Robbie Del Maestro and produced by Ciara McIlvenny.