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The Best Episodes of The Bill

Every episode of The Bill ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Bill!

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The daily lives of the men and women at Sun Hill Police Station as they fight crime on the streets of London. From bomb threats to armed robbery and drug raids to the routine demands

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    The Bill Season 9 Episode 36 - The Short Straw
    9.2/10(45 votes)

    S9:E36

    When her car breaks down on the way to the station, DC Viv Martella misses an important CID briefing about an obbo on a suspected armed robbery, and is furious when she is taken off the case by DI Frank Burnside. As CID and SO19 wait outside the target, Martella and PC Tony Stamp follow up a simple case to arrest a suspected bag snatcher. As they wait outside the suspect's house, a van pulls up, obscuring their view. Having missed the briefing, Martella fails to recognise the van's occupants as the armed robbers, and when she approaches their van she is shot and killed. Stamp is wounded, but manages to give a description of the van which is spotted by a traffic police motorcycle. As the India 99 police helicopter and SO19 cars pursue Martella's killers across London, PC Loxton and WPC Ackland disobey Ch. Insp. Cato's orders and pursue the suspect vehicle in the Area Car. The vehicle hits a bulldozer and explodes, killing all inside.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Russell Lewis

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  2. The Bill Season 11 Episode 116 - Bait
    9.2/10(25 votes)

    S11:E116

    The identity of the man trying to kill June Ackland may be revealed when an ex-Army officer is overheard boasting that he was paid to ""kill a copper"". CID link him to a young man who committed suicide in prison after Ackland arrested him for dealing drugs on the Jasmine Allen. WDS Jo Morgan realises that their witness, Mrs Cooper, is behind the plan as she turns out to be the mother of the dead boy. Mrs Cooper is arrested for conspiracy to murder, and she reveals that the assassin is lying in wait for Ackland at the safe house. As Ackland and an SO1 team head off to the safe house to draw the killer out, they are ambushed by a man on a motorbike just outside the station, and Jo Morgan is killed in a hail of gunfire as she rushes to warn them.

    Director:John Strickland
    Writer:Edward Canfor-Dumas

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  3. The Bill Season 6 Episode 41 - Trojan Horse
    9.1/10(38 votes)

    S6:E41

    P.C. Ken Melvin and P.C. Reg Hollis stop a young man for erratic driving, and a PNC check reveals the expensive car is stolen. Stamp and Quinnan arrive to transport the prisoner to Barton Street, and Melvin and Hollis volunteer to drive the car back to Sun Hill. As Melvin moves some of the building materials from the station renovations so he can park, the car explodes in a huge fireball. Hollis, Conway and Melvin are rushed to hospital - but Ken Melvin soon dies from his injuries. SO13 arrive at Barton Street to interview the car thief, who it turns out stole the car from an army major who was a likely terrorist target. Sgt. Cryer is outraged that the disaster could have been prevented as SO13 had the major under surveillance and could have stopped the car being stolen.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Pat Dunlop

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  4. The Bill Season 7 Episode 33 - Cry Havoc
    9.1/10(43 votes)

    S7:E33

    Quinnan and Stamp go to Whitegate Estate to arrest a man involved in a glassing the night before. When Peters tries to apprehend the assailant, he is stabbed and rushed to hospital.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. The Bill Season 16 Episode 71 - All Fall Down: Part I
    9.1/10(32 votes)

    S16:E71

    CIB sweep into Sun Hill and suspend the entire CID department with immediate effect, and all of their ongoing cases are subsequently transferred to uniform. Lennox is horrified when he discovers that Stanton is a CIB mole. As the disgraced detectives are interviewed to establish their connection to Beech, Meadows hurriedly calls in some favours at Scotland Yard. Mannion demands Brownlow resign to make a strong statement to the public and media, and after arguing the decision with Conway, he decides to make the tough decision after a heart to heart with Monroe. Meanwhile, Beech prepares to go into hiding, and radically overhauls his image in the hope that he is not recognized. He goes off to meet Maggie at a shopping centre, unaware Stanton is hot on his tail.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. The Bill Season 23 Episode 8 - School Of Hard Knocks
    9.0/10(21 votes)

    S23:E8

    With a gun to Harman and another on him, Nadir is forced to admit he is undercover. As Haskew, Shaw and Nadir dispute on whether or not Nadir is actually bent, Alvarez silences the room by shooting informant Eva Garcia. As Haskew drags Harman and Nadir to the drug deal, Nadir explains all to Harman, leaving her disgusted. With SOCA at the wrong location, the lorry is intercepted with it continuing in the wrong direction, but it is a bust. Nadir proves to Alvarez that the police are going to the wrong place to regain his trust, but he loses Haskew's when he tries to shoot him in attempt to stop Haskew killing Harman. A heart to heart between Nadir and Shaw sees them decide to elope with the cash, but not before CO19 storm the deal and engage in a firefight. As bullets fly and bodies drop, the Sun Hill team are left looking for their own in the casualties.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. The Bill Season 6 Episode 55 - What Kind of Man
    8.9/10(36 votes)

    S6:E55

    P.C. Quinnan investigates a burglary at a school. He thinks a man with a dog talking to the children might be talking to in connection with the Canley Fields murders. Sgt. Penny is after him to serve warrants. The suspect opens up to Sgt Penny who looks shell-shocked after the interview.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. The Bill Season 9 Episode 57 - Punch Drunk
    8.9/10(34 votes)

    S9:E57

    Called to attend to a pub brawl, PC Tony Stamp and PC Dave Quinnan are stunned to find one man unconscious and the other Sun Hill's own DS Ted Roach. Roach is taken back to the station, and while DI Frank Burnside manages to pursuade the victim to drop the charges against him, nothing can be done when Roach headbutts Insp. Andrew Monroe during a heated argument. Ch. Supt. Brownlow calls in MS15 to investigate him, but Roach turns in his warrant card and walks out of the station.

    Director:Michael Simpson
    Writer:Edward Canfor-Dumas

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  9. The Bill Season 15 Episode 79 - Lock In
    8.9/10(27 votes)

    S15:E79

    Jim Carver wakes up to find himself in bed lying next to the dead body of Clare Sullivan, an aged prostitute. He is utterly distraught, and, not knowing what to do, he takes JohnJo's clothes and leaves the scene. Vicky Hagen and Reg Hollis discover the body while searching for Jim. Jim's warrant card is found at the scene, and Jim's tie is around Clare's neck. Ex-Sun Hill DCI Frank Burnside is assigned to the case - something he does not relish as he is also Jim Carver's best friend. Jim meanwhile, is suicidal, considering throwing himself in the Thames, and then falling at the knees of a priest, confessing to his ""crime"". Eventually he finds himself eating a discarded pizza from a skip. He takes a swig from a bottle of wine, then catches a glimpse of his reflection. He regards his reflection for a moment, shaking his head - then tips the rest of the wine away. Frank eventually locates Jim at a hostel. He is arrested on suspicion of murder and taken back to Sun Hill.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. The Bill Season 16 Episode 23 - The Trial
    8.9/10(36 votes)

    S16:E23

    Santini goes on trial at the Old Bailey accused of the murder of Jessica Orton, but tries to talk to CIB and implicate Quinnan and Rawton. A prison guard tells Santini that Sherman's drugs charges are being dropped in favour of conspiracy to murder Santini and Fox, who turns up dead in her hotel room after an apparent suicide. With Ferguson executed and Timpney taken on side by Sherman's heavies, Santini's trial starts falling apart. Hagen is discredited by her Sun Hill colleagues when she lies under oath and breaks down in the witness box after being caught out. With Santini found not guilty, he is warned by his recently released cellmate that he is in grave danger from Sherman's heavies.

    Director:John Howard Davies
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. The Bill Season 16 Episode 70 - The River
    8.9/10(28 votes)

    S16:E70

    After Beech hands himself into CIB, Stanton is horrified when Beech convinces Hodges to ensnare Fallon, along with two Drugs Squad officers on Fallon's payroll, in exchange for a full confession of his crimes. He meets with DI Tasker and DS Garrard to arrange a double cross, working out that Fallon must have been who gave him up to AMIP. After being caught with a phone whilst attending the funeral of Boulton, Hodges threatens to pull the deal, until Beech falsely offers up the Drugs Squad DCI. Stealing the money for a drug deal, Beech attends a warehouse with Fallon, who tries to kill him. When Tasker and Garrard rescue Beech, they tie up Fallon and his associates, before Beech turns on his rescuers. When shots ring out, CIB and SO19 storm in, with Hodges and Stanton left furious when Beech is nowhere to be seen.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. The Bill Season 23 Episode 67 - Russian Roulette
    8.9/10(82 votes)

    S23:E67

    A masked kidnapper threatens to kill Monica if Phil does not return with the money Louis Dreyfuss owes his boss. He is driven to the casino to remove the ransom money from the safe - but stupidly tries to make his escape. Samantha is shocked to learn of his involvement in the case but allows her old partner to carry on with his undercover operation to the point of handing over the money - not realising Phil's philandering ways have made him more than one new enemy.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. The Bill Season 5 Episode 47 - FAT'AC
    8.8/10(48 votes)

    S5:E47

    Yorkie is on hand at the scene of a fatal accident. Everyone is being held up and Yorkie is stressing out. Petrol is leaking from crushed car which has dead occupants. Sgt. Penny, when he finally arrives, tells Yorkie off for not blocking off the road. When Yorkie goes to move a bus on, he discovers the bus driver is the husband of the driver of the crushed car. Yorkie is in shock and Viv is worried about him. Cryer seems to be the only one who understands. Yorkie is talking about giving up.

    Director:John Bruce
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. The Bill Season 5 Episode 59 - Don't Like Mondays
    8.8/10(39 votes)

    S5:E59

    PC Edwards and PC Smith are called to a disturbance at a local bank, where they are surprised to find Tosh Lines' wife and children causing a commotion as there is no money left in their account. Edwards makes a discrete call to Sgt. Peters, who suggests to Tosh that he head down to the bank and sort things out. As PC Ramsey and WPC Ackland also arrive, the bank is raided by an armed gang. Tosh Lines arrives and charges towards the bank, but as PC Ramsey runs to stop him, he is shot in the chest by one of the robbers. Ch. Insp. Conway negotiates with the gang as armed PT17 officers surround the building. Sgt. Cryer offers to drive the getaway car, but disconnects the ignition when he leaves it at the bank entrance. PC Smith and the other hostages are released, but PC Edwards is taken hostage. He manages to makes a run for it and the PT17 officers open fire on the car.

    Directors:Terry Marcel, Antonia Bird
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. The Bill Season 6 Episode 87 - Blue Murder
    8.8/10(24 votes)

    S6:E87

    The police are out on the streets of Sun Hill enforcing a crackdown on prostitution. P.C. Stamp nicks an underage tom named Suzanne, and W.P.C. Ackland cautions a would-be punter who mistakes her for a prostitute. An armed robbery at a local building society soon takes precedence. A security guard has been shot and wounded, and Ch. Supt. Brownlow, pending the arrival of PT17, authorises AFOs (Authorised Firearms Officers) Sgt. Cryer and P.C. Stamp to attend. P.C. Quinnan and W.P.C. Marshall locate the fleeing suspects and pursue them into a building site, but they come under fire from the shotgun wielding bandit. Cryer and Stamp arrive, and Cryer shouts a warning, but is forced to shoot and kill the robber (Skene) when he points the shotgun at Quinnan. It it later discovered by the S.O.C.O. that the shotgun was empty. Cryer's colleagues, including the police investigating the shooting are sympathetic and supportive of him, but Cryer seems deeply affected by the fact that he has taken a

    Director:Stuart Urban
    Writer:Russell Lewis

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  16. The Bill Season 12 Episode 153 - Merrily On High
    8.8/10(20 votes)

    S12:E153

    The Assistant Commissioner has declared Sun Hill Police Station an alcohol-free zone - terrible news for Ch. Supt. Brownlow and Ch. Insp. Conway who hope to enjoy a ""liquid lunch"" when they take the A.C. to a posh French restaurant. It's even worse news for the detectives in C.I.D., who have decided they are not going to give up their Christmas party without a fight. D.C. Skase shows D.C. Croft how a police officer can get ""donations"" for the party from the local publicans, but as they return, Hicks, Brownlow and Conway arrive back from their lunch for a tour of the station. They are forced to pretend Skase is a prisoner, and an unhappy Rod is locked in the cells for several hours. An elderly man is arrested after a road rage incident in a supermarket carpark, but the police manage to reunite him with his estranged family for Christmas.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. The Bill Season 13 Episode 135 - P.C.
    8.8/10(24 votes)

    S13:E135

    Loxton carries out an illegal stop-and-search of a black man, unaware that he is an off-duty police officer. This episode is sometimes referred to, misleadingly, as "P.C., Part One" as it is the first part of a two-part story, with "No Trace" as the second part.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. The Bill Season 13 Episode 142 - The Same Stripe: Part II
    8.8/10(21 votes)

    S13:E142

    Ackland's trusted informer disappears without trace.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. The Bill Season 14 Episode 100 - Betrayal
    8.8/10(26 votes)

    S14:E100

    Boulton and Carver return to Sun Hill with Burnside in handcuffs, but upon their arrival, are pursued by two armed gunman who try to make sure that Burnside doesn't spill the beans on Hyde's operation. Meadows discovers that Burnside has been working under cover with the Yard, and decides that they must work together to get a result. Burnside manages to set up a meeting with a major Russian drugs importer, just as Michael Hyde planned to do. However, when his brother, Mark, works out what Burnside is up to, a standoff involving Burnside and his girlfriend ensues, and tragedy strikes. Burnside is then offered a job with crime OCCU, and informs Meadows they will be seeing more of each other.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. The Bill Season 14 Episode 117 - The Personal Touch
    8.8/10(29 votes)

    S14:E117

    Beech is approached by gangster Jimmy Smith for a favour after his house is ransacked. However, when Jimmy's girlfriend is also attacked and ransacked in her home, Burnside arrives from crime OCCU to take on the case. The latest burglaries are the work of a violent gang who have been operating up and down the country. The gang's vehicle is linked to David Evans, currently serving a prison sentence in Strangeways. Smith gets his son to plug Evans for information, and two members of the gang are identified. When Jimmy's girlfriend approaches Beech to say she has been having an affair with a member of the gang, Beech goes as far as secretly attacking Burnside in an attempt to cover up evidence.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. The Bill Season 15 Episode 74 - Up In Smoke: Part I
    8.8/10(32 votes)

    S15:E74

    DCI Meadows and DC Skase are furious when PC Jim Carver turns up drunk to give evidence in a court case - evidence which is so unreliable the judge throws the case out of court. As his colleagues begin to realise the extent of Carver's problems, Insp. Monroe decides to put him on an easy task - escorting a convoy of confiscated drugs to a Home Office depot for destruction. As Carver enjoys a sly drink with depot floorman Vernon Liggett, he accidentally mentions the convoy's destination. The next day, he and Stamp drop behind as Carver dashes out to be sick. When they catch up, the convoy is under attack from four armed men. With little regard for his own safety, Carver dashes forward and tackles one of the men, who abandon their assault, although an SO19 officer is shot during the raid. Despite his heroics that day, Carver is in trouble for breaking procedure, and it could be far worse as there could be an inquiry into how the convoy route was known.

    Director:Baz Taylor
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. The Bill Season 16 Episode 72 - All Fall Down: Part II
    8.8/10(32 votes)

    S16:E72

    Beech manages to evade Stanton yet again, but she takes Maggie Lyons in for questioning. Beech recruits a crooked lawyer to represent her and perform other useful services for him. Beech obtains a false passport and buys a quantity of diamonds with the money he stole from Howard Fallon, as he prepares to flee the country with Maggie. Sun Hill officers continue to be interviewed by CIB, and although no firm connection with Beech can be established, it's the end of the line for Deakin and Daly, while a furious Holmes requests an immediate transfer. Meadows manages to survive the cull due to his contacts in the Yard, much to the dismay of Deakin. Maggie changes her mind about following Beech, and he boards a flight to Australia alone, while Stanton vows to make Beech pay for Boulton's death.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. The Bill Season 18 Episode 18 - The Bill Season 18 Episode 18
    8.8/10(34 votes)

    S18:E18

    Superintendent Tom Chandler reads out the names of the dead and injured whilst trying to maintain dignity in the face of the public and the press. Sergeants June Ackland, Matt Boyden and Craig Gilmore are left discussing the unenviable task of speaking to the families and loved ones of their fellow officers. The boys make their excuses and a grief stricken June is left with to make the calls on her own. DC Danny Glaze convinces himself that if he'd spoken out against DS Vik Singh's indiscretions in the first place, none of this would have spiraled out of control like it has. He's determined to track down their prime suspect Jeff Simpson and enlists DC Duncan Lennox, saying he's determined to prove him guilty with or without Duncan's help. They search but Simpson knows they can't pin anything on him and arrogantly waits for them on the bonnet of Duncan's car. Meanwhile DC Mickey Webb's grief becomes unbearable. Superintendent Tom Chandler quietly suggests to DCI Jack Meadows that Mickey

    Director:Declan O'Dwyer
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. The Bill Season 24 Episode 33 - Shockwave
    8.8/10(25 votes)

    S24:E33

    Two explosions happen whilst Emma and Sally are out on patrol. With many casualties Callum takes control of the situation. Emma learns from Jack about another possible bomb and as she tries to evacuate a building it goes off.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. The Bill Season 6 Episode 42 - Rites
    8.7/10(34 votes)

    S6:E42

    It's the day of P.C. Ken Melvin's funeral, but the men and women of Sun Hill still have a job to do. P.C. Stamp volunteers to do a reading at the church service. W.D.C. Martella is annoyed when D.I. Burnside keeps CID out on an obbo when the funeral service is about to start. Two old friends turn up at the church: P.C. Taffy Edwards, now in the Wales Police, and Yorkie Smith, now working for a security firm. The funeral goes off without a hitch, as Sun Hill pays its last respects to one of its officers.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"The Short Straw" is the best rated episode of "The Bill". It scored 9.2/10 based on 45 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Russell Lewis, it aired on 3/26/1993. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Bait".