Die Hard fans of ITV’s The Bill are quaking in their boots as the show is put on hold during this years’ I’m A Celebrity run.
ITV have already axed popular dramas Kingdom and Heartbeat this year and with The Bill off air now until mid December, fans fear its fate will be the same.
One source told The Mirror: “Morale among the cast and crew is at an all-time low.
Caroline Quentin is reportedly considering joining ITV crime drama, The Bill.
The Blue Murder actress would play Sun Hill’s Borough Commander for six weeks, in an effort to boost rating for the show.
A show source told The Mirror: “Caroline Quentin has been asked to come in to try and boost the show’s popularity.
Lucy Speed has claimed that she doesn’t miss Eastenders and won’t be returning to the show.
Lucy used to play Natalie Evans on the show and was married to the, now deceased, Barry Evans.
“I don’t think I’d like to reprise Natalie,” she told Inside Soap. “I’ve been acting for 27 years so I’m really just used to moving on.
Graham Cole, former star of The Bill, has publicly criticised the new style show and the decision to let him go.
Despite having appeared on the show for 22 years, bosses dropped Cole’s character PC Tony Stamp this June.
Cole told The Mirror: “As the longest-serving actor, I was one of the biggest earners and it’s no secret that costs had to be cut.
Louisa Lytton will soon be heading to America to begin filming for the next American pie movie, but she insists that she won’t be going off the rails when she gets there.
The former Eastenders actress told Now magazine:
“I doubt I’d ever go off the rails. I’ve got good friends and family around me to keep me grounded, and I think I’m past that now.
“I appreciate it all so much I wouldn’t do anything to screw it all up.”
The Bill are hoping to reinstate themselves as a gritty police drama with scenes like the one above. The chase scene ends in the crash (pictured above) and a subsequent rescue features Sgt Callum Stone (Sam Callis) and PC Nate Roberts (Ben Richards).
Bosses paid £500,000 to stage the fireball stunt, they have also returned to ITV with a new theme tune and a later 9PM time slot.
Ali Bastian has promised that The Bill will be “grittier” when ti moves to its new post watershed time slot.
Speaking to We Love Telly! magazine, she explained: “We can tackle gritty storylines that we haven’t been able to before, which everyone is really excited about.
“And it’s gone high definition so it’s looking really good – which is helpful because there’s more landmarks and stunts in it. There’s new music, too.”
Long running police soap, The Bill, will soon have a new theme tune after 25 years of the familiar opening and closing music.
The show is also moving to a 9pm time slot and the show’s producers say the new music will relect the show’s more “gritty” image and storylines.
Executive producer Jonathan Young told the Press Association, “We want the new theme music to get the audience to concentrate a bit more and focus.
“It will be something that slows you down and prepares you for something a bit more emotional.
“We haven’t sought to totally reinvent The Bill, 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… Read more & comment »
Stars of ITV’s The Bill insist that the show isn’t in trouble and will cope well after it is cut to only one episode a week. In fact some of the actors on the show believe it will turn out to be a good move for the show as a whole.
Cat Simmons, who plays DC Kezia Walker in the cop drama told MSN: “The silver lining of the whole debacle is that The Bill has been kept on and they are moving the show to once a week. I believe the budget is gonna be bigger, the show is gonna be better.”
ITV are cutting police drama, The Bill, to just one episode per week later this year.
The show currently airs twice a week in an 8PM time slot but will soon be moved to a later slot of 9pm. This will allow more gritty storylines and action packed episodes according to show bosses.
Peter Fincham, ITV’s Director of Television, said “I’m delighted to announce The Bill’s transition to a weekly 9pm drama on ITV1. It’s a fantastic opportunity to take the series to another level, marking a new era for one of the most established brands on British television.”
Bill Ward, who played Corrie bad boy Charlie Stubbs, is to guest star in four special episodes of The Bill that are set to go out this Christmas.
He’s set to play Rob Towler, a criminal with a romantic connection to Sun Hill’s very own DC Stevie Moss, played by Lucy Speed.
“One of my first parts in television was on The Bill and it’s good to be back playing a completely different character this time around,” Bill told ITV.com.
Keira Knightley In The Bill
What do Kiera Knightley, Paul O’Grady, Michelle Collins and Ray Winstone have in common? They, among many other stars, have all appeared in one of the country’s most loved television shows, The Bill.
With exclusive interviews with guest actors, behind the scenes secrets, and fascinating insights from cast past and present, The Bill Made Me Famous is an intriguing look into the history of television’s longest running police drama.
Former Eastenders star, Shaun Williamson, is set to make a guest appearance on ITV1 police drama, The Bill.
The actor who once played Barry Evans of Albert Square, was offered a full time role on the show, but turned it down as he would be starring alongside his former on screen wife, Lucy Speed.
He told The Sun: “We decided it would confuse people.”
Radio One DJ, Scott Mills, is said to have landed bit parts in both The Bill and Channel 4 soap, Hollyoaks.
Speaking to The Sun, Mills admitted: “I loved my part in The Bill very much, although I would like to catch some actual criminals next time.
“And I really wanted to keep the uniform – but had to give it back!”
Scott’s episode of The Bill is due to air in September, he is also rumoured to be appearing in Hollyoaks before the end of the year.
George Galloway is said to be considering suing ITV drama, The Bill. He claims that the character of a corrupt politician in an epsiode last November was based on him.
“He is in talks with his lawyers this week,” a source close to Galloway told the Daily Record. “The legal action is based on an episode of The Bill where a politician with uncanny similarities to George turned out to be venal and corrupt – and that there was a clear inference.” Read more & comment »
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