The Bill series 6
The sixth series of The Bill, a British television drama, consisted of 104 episodes, broadcast between 2 January and 27 December 1990. The series was first released on DVD as part of the Collection 5 and Collection 6 DVD boxsets in Australia, made available on 9 April – 8 October 2008, respectively. The series was later reissued as two-half series boxsets in Australia, released on 7 March 2012. The above artwork is taken from the most recent Australian release. It features images of DC Tosh Lines and DI Frank Burnside. The original Collection boxsets contained sole images of PC Reg Hollis and DS Ted Roach. In the UK, the first nine episodes were released on DVD under the title Volume 7, on 2 September 2013.
Series 6 marked a significant period of change on the series, the most notable being the move to its third and ultimately final set at Merton, accounting for the move with a station fire plot, the first of three on the series. PC Ken Melvin was killed as a result of a car bomb as one of several high profile exits, with original characters PC Taffy Edwards and Sergeant Tom Penny departing after six years: Penny’s exit came as part of a plot that was split into two, giving evidence in the case of rival station Barton Street custody sergeant assaulting a prisoner, the same station’s officers later arresting Penny for drink driving to end his career prematurely. Other multi part plots, rarely seen on the series prior to this year, saw the hunt for a child serial killer as well as an affair between pilot star WPC June Ackland and the show’s first DCI Gordon Wray.
A number of audio commentaries for Series 6 episodes have been recorded with cast and crew, including stars Larry Dann, Chris Humphreys, Jon Iles and Lynne Miller, writers Russell Lewis, Garry Lyons and J.C. Wilsher, camera operator Alison Chapman and producer Tony Virgo.
Cast changes
Arrivals
- Insp Andrew Monroe
- DCI Gordon Wray
- PC Barry Stringer
- PC Steve Loxton
- PC Ron Smollett
- DAC Trevor Hicks
- WPC Delia French
- Sgt Joseph Corrie
- DCI Kim Reid
- Sgt John Maitland
Departures
- PC Timothy Able – Unexplained
- PC Francis "Taffy" Edwards – Transferred to a Welsh police force
- Insp Christine Frazer – Took a leave of absence to write a thesis on women in the police
- PC Ken Melvin – Killed in a car bomb attack
- Sgt Tom Penny – Resigned after being arrested for drink driving
- PC Richard Turnham – Transferred to MS11
- DCI Gordon Wray – Transferred after having an affair with WPC June Ackland