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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Danielle Kate Wroe

Police drama The Bill could return to screens in early 2023

Fans of The Bill were excited to hear the series was set to return to screens, so they’ll be buzzing to learn there could be a second reboot in the pipeline. Last year, a trio of actors from the original show joined together with writer Simon Sansoem to revive the police drama, which aired on ITV.

Now, according to reports, UKTV is in the early stages of developing a new version of the show - and it could be ready as soon as early 2023.

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A TV insider told the Sun : “In the minds of many producers and execs, The Bill is a drama which is just sitting, waiting, to be rebooted. It’s a simple format but one which attracted a loyal army of followers who would be delighted to see it return.

“No doubt any new incarnation would be tweaked to make it attract a whole new generation to the show.”

Ben Roberts and Peter Ellis in The Bill (Thames Television)

The Bill originally launched in 1983 on ITV, but it was axed in 2010 after 2,425 episodes. The show, set in fictional Sun Hill, became the longest-running police procedural drama in Britain.

Its cast quickly became primetime celebrities, including the three actors looking at reviving it in 2022 — Mark Wingett, who played DC Jim Carver, Trudie Goodwin, known to viewers as Sgt June Ackland and Graham Cole, whose character was PC Tony Stamp.

The award-winning show also helped to launch the careers of a string of actors who took small parts on the show when they were starting out.

That list includes Keira Knightley, David Tennant, James Mcavoy, Sean Bean and even David Walliams and Paul O’Grady.

We’re wondering who might have a cameo role if the show really does return.

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