The original cast of The Bill has (virtually) reunited to celebrate the show’s arrival on streaming service UKTV Play.
Chris Ellison (DI Frank Burnside), Mark Wingett (PC Jim Carver), Graham Cole (PC Tony Stamp), Eric Richard (Sgt Bob Cryer) and Trudie Goodwin (WPC June Ackland) discussed what they’ve been doing during the UK lockdown, their experiences filming the show and what a modern day revival could look like.
While The Bill has been off the air for almost a decade now, the bond between the cast remains strong, as they joked about Mark Wingett’s trumpet-playing ability and Graham Cole’s gardening.
Ellison said: “It was a lovely cast to join because they were all very friendly. There were no stars at The Bill, there were no egos. It was happy family people, a happy time for all of us.”
They also spoke about how The Bill functioned as a career launchpad for many actors who went on to become huge stars, including Keira Knightley.
Richard said: “So much talent came through that door. Every episode was a play within itself, therefore you rarely had continuing characters. So, therefore, every week you had to have two or three completely fresh casts.”
Goodwin, who played WPC June Ackland, reflected on how the depiction of female police officers was different when she began in the role.
She added: “It was all about, did you have your handbag or not? WPC’s had to carry handbags! And so, you’d be chasing a villain and you’d have a handbag over your shoulder and you’d have a skirt on which meant you couldn’t really climb fences.”
You can check out the full discussion below…
The Bill will be available to stream on UKTV Play from 1st May. If you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV Guide.
from Radio Times https://ift.tt/3cRAmqY
