★★★★★ "EDWARD KELLETT IS A MASTER STORYTELLER WHO VIVIDLY CAPTURES A REMARKABLE ERA OF BRITISH TELEVISION DRAMA" - Barry Appleton, "The Bill" writer.
REACHING A VERDICT VOL 3: REVIEWING THE BILL (1993-1994)
When Thames Television lost its franchise in 1992, "The Bill" was the only programme to avoid cancellation. For Michael Chapman and his team, their survival came with a new challenge: producing a continuous series to be broadcast three times a week, a first for any police procedural television drama.
The third edition of REACHING A VERDICT investigates how the writers, actors and production team rose to the challenge, creating some of the most memorable episodes of all time and pulling in their highest ever ratings.
Edward Kellett is back on the beat to explore how "The Bill" adapted to losing some of its most iconic officers, and examine the key storylines, themes and characters at the heart of 311 episodes packed with action, comedy, drama and tragedy.
REACHING A VERDICT: REVIEWING THE BILL (1993-1994) opens with a Foreword by Police Advisor Trevor Hermes and an Afterword by writer Eddy Canfor-Dumas. 252 PAGES, £14.99.
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REACHING A VERDICT VOL 2: REVIEWING THE BILL (1990-1992)
As “The Bill” entered a new decade, the programme makers once again faced the challenge of finding a new location for Sun Hill police station. But this time they had to do so without a break in the gruelling filming schedule and ensure that new episodes of ITV’s bi-weekly ratings smash were in constant production…
In this sequel to his acclaimed REACHING A VERDICT book, TV historian Edward Kellett returns to investigate how from this testing period, “The Bill” emerged a show better than ever, willing to experiment with longer storylines and unlock the full potential of the half-hour format.
Discover how the programme’s greatest writers, under the command of executive producer Michael Chapman, joined forces to create 314 episodes of drama tackling contemporary issues in Britain and ensuring "The Bill" took no prisoners in the 1990s.
REACHING A VERDICT: REVIEWING THE BILL (1990-1992) opens with a Foreword by producer Tony Virgo and an Afterword by legendary writer J.C. Wilsher. 248 PAGES, £14.99
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REPRINTING NOW: REACHING A VERDICT VOL 1: REVIEWING THE BILL (1983-1989)
This first volume of REACHING A VERDICT presents an insightful, thorough and fascinating analysis of the groundbreaking police programme that held a mirror up to society in 1980s London and changed the landscape of British television forever.
By revisiting all 188 episodes of that ratings smash that were broadcast in the 1980s, TV historian Edward Kellett has gained new appreciation for the qualities of "The Bill", which he considers to be "the single best storytelling format in the history of television"
This 260-page academic investigation assesses the scripts, themes, characters, performances, settings and direction of the series and will leave the reader wanting to rewatch all these episodes again to appreciate them in a completely new way.
REACHING A VERDICT: REVIEWING THE BILL (1983-1989) features a Foreword by production scheduler Nigel J. Wilson and an Afterword by script editor Tim Vaughan. 256 PAGES, £14.99
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