The Bill - The Complete First Series
by Christopher Hodson, Derek Lister, James Hawes, John Dower, John Michael Phillips
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Eric Richard, John Salthouse, Jon Iles, Tony Scannell, Trudie GoodwinDirector: Christopher Hodson, Derek Lister, James Hawes, John Dower, John Michael Phillips
Brand: BCI
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; French (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 550 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-06-05
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Bci / Eclipse
Movie Reviews of The Bill - The Complete First Series
Movie Review: Don't even think twice about buying
Summary: 5 Stars
Don't listen to the misery guts giving this DVD a low rating. Incomprehensible accents? Well excuse the production team for allowing people to speak how they'd normally speak! If you're not British and you're not prepared to make a little effort to understand a dialect which you don't hear on a daily basis, then this show probably isn't for you anyway.
This is no American cop show. No, the production isn't glossy or technically brilliant. No, the actors aren't glamorous. No, the show doesn't tie up all "loose ends" into a nice bow for the benefit of viewers who sit with a clipboard ticking boxes. No, it's not always "fast paced." No, there aren't gun shots or car chases in every scene.
What we have, however, is gritty British TV drama at its finest. The early episodes of The Bill, back before it switched to the 30 minute soap format, were lovingly written, rough around the edges, edgy at times - and had a lot of soul. It wasn't all about the crimes and the villains - the original writers also got a lot of mileage from the interplay and relationships between the characters at Sun Hill police station.
Sure, there might have been the odd hole in the plot, the odd niggling doubt about this or that once the show's over. But what show could honestly claim to be free of that? Columbo, one of the greatest detective shows ever made, frequently had plot holes and story elements that weren't particularly believable, but who cares? It was still one of the greatest crime shows ever made - and so was The Bill.
I bought this on impulse simply because I saw it on sale in New York City. Never having really been a fan of the show before, I was amused to see this on the shelf and decided to give it a whirl. By the second episode I was hooked. It never gets boring, the episodes are the perfect length and apart from anything else, it's a joy to see such an upfront slice of London life all the way back in 1984. I was eleven years old when these were first shown and it really took me back.
This is worth buying just to hear the original theme tune again! I'd forgotten how good that analogue bass line sounded and that in its early days, the theme was just a rhythm track without the melody that was later added and became famous.
I'm really enjoying watching these episodes and can't wait to buy the second series. The original actors were fantastic and as always with The Bill, many of the extras will leave you wondering "now where have I seen *him* before?"
Great stuff.
Summary of The Bill - The Complete First Series
Studio: Bci Eclipse Comp Llc Release Date: 06/05/2007Drama DVD Video
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