Information AboutWoodentop (the Bill) |
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"Woodentop" is a forerunner to the long running British Police television series '' The Bill '', first broadcast in 1983 . Based in the fictional London suburb of Sun Hill , the episode follows new PC Jim Carver on his first day at Sun Hill police station. The day was notable for the discovery of a dead woman in her bathtub, as well as Jim receiving a severe reprimand for clipping a child around the ear.http://thebillbios.billfans.com/history_intro.htm Minor inconsistencies in the cast elude to the fact that The Bill was not a pre-planned continuation of Woodentop. Examples of this include the recasting of DI Roy Galloway , and the renaming of PC Taffy Morgan. The inconsistency is due to the show originally being broadcast by Thames Television as part of the ''Storyboard'' series of one-off plays. However, it was later decided that the show was unique, and had the potential to appeal to a mass audience. Thames therefore commissioned a further eleven episodes to be broadcast the following year, in a series entitled The Bill. PLOT reports for duty at Sun Hill police station.]] The episode documents PC Jim Carver's first day at Sun Hill Police Station, where he is partnered with experienced WPC June Ackland . The day is an eventful one; the pair's first assignment together leads them to discovering a decomposing woman's body in her bath. Later whilst on patrol Jim encounters a rude youngster ( Gary Hailes ) and influenced by comments made by older officers at the station decides to clip him round the ear. This action results in him receiving a reprimand at the station from Sergeant Wilding. Fortunately for Carver, the boy's father approves of his son's treatment, and thus no further action is taken. PC Reg Hollis is also mentioned in this episode. Whilst not appearing on screen, an attempt is made to contact him by radio. When he fails to answer the call, the officer in CAD makes the assumption that he has wandered out of radio range.http://thebillbios.billfans.com/history_intro.htm INCONSISTENCIES WITH THE BILL Woodentop has an unusual place in the history of ''The Bill''. Although The Bill is clearly a continuation from this episode, the main series contradicts it in a number of ways. For instance, in Woodentop Litten has completed his secondment to CID and is close to securing his place in the detective branch, whereas in The Bill he doesn't gain his CID secondment until halfway through Series One. In addition many central characters in Woodentop - such a Sergeant Wilding and Inspector Deeping - vanish between the pilot and the series. There are also discrepancies with the naming of some of the characters. In the 2003 'live' episode of ''The Bill'' (made to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of broadcast) had Carver and Ackland again discussing events from the pilot. Carver incorrectly refers to the character of Taffy by the surname ''Morgan'', whereas it's ''Edwards'' in The Bill itself. CREDITS Production Team Original broadcast: 16 August 1983
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