The Bill: Season 14
The series began with the appointment of new executive producer Richard Handford, who replaced Michael Chapman after his 9-year reign came to an end in the previous series. The appointment preceded discussions with broadcaster ITV about returning to the format of hour-long episodes, which the show last used on a regular basis in 1987. The request was approved, and hour-long episodes began to air twice weekly beginnin
Season 14 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of The Bill Season 13.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Season overview
The series began with the appointment of new executive producer Richard Handford, who replaced Michael Chapman after his 9-year reign came to an end in the previous series. The appointment preceded discussions with broadcaster ITV about returning to the format of hour-long episodes, which the show last used on a regular basis in 1987. The request was approved, and hour-long episodes began to air twice weekly beginning in August, a format the series retained until moving to a later time-slot in 2009. Due to the rapid transition, several of the first hour-long episodes were originally written for the half-hour time-slot, and thus, some episodes contain two completely different stories, written by different writers, which jump from one to another.
Episode Guide
Season 14 Progress Shield
Square Peg Round Hole
Jan 1, 1998 · 22 min
When a raid on a known drug addict goes awry, Boulton is spiked by the desperate criminal's needle, leaving Sun Hill's tough guy frightened, angry, and in need of an HIV test.
You Pays Your Money
Jan 2, 1998 · 22 min
Ackland and Quinnan investigate when a family are strangely silent about the death of their landlord.
Hard Cash
Jan 6, 1998 · 22 min
Beech and Carver go in search of a haul of £30,000 in banknotes, missing from a six-year-old robbery.
Taking It Easy
Jan 8, 1998 · 22 min
When an old man loses his life savings in a mugging, Boyden and Stamp suspect it was something more than coincidence.
Villain
Jan 9, 1998 · 22 min
Boyden deals with a frail old man brought into custody accused of attempted murder.
Forgive & Forget
Jan 13, 1998 · 22 min
Boyden and Stamp attempt to contain a father who wants revenge for his murdered son.
Girl Power
Jan 15, 1998 · 22 min
When a young girl has to carry a knife to defend herself at school, Keane and Stamp know it is time to step in.
Puppy Walk
Jan 16, 1998 · 22 min
Stamp is cynical when he feels a woman with a sob story may be playing games, but Ashton is taken in by her charms.
Sprog
Jan 20, 1998 · 22 min
Stamp and Page are sceptical as Ashton suggests there is more to a burglary than appears.
Out On A Limb
Jan 22, 1998 · 22 min
It's a life or death situation for Skase and Proctor when an assassin comes looking for his money.
Way Out West
Jan 23, 1998 · 22 min
Jarvis is full of his secondment to the Diplomatic Protection Group, so Stamp and Quinnan hatch a mischievous plan to take him down a peg or two.
Storyboards
Jan 29, 1998 · 22 min
New PC Eddie Santini, tall, dark and handsome with a dubious past, causes a stir when he arrives to join the team at Sun Hill.
For Your Love
Jan 30, 1998 · 22 min
Rawton and Skase assist a woman receiving anonymous threats.
Soft In The Head
Feb 3, 1998 · 22 min
Ashton goes missing from the scene of an accident.
Friends In High Places
Feb 5, 1998 · 22 min
A car belonging to a rival Chief Superintendent's wife is stolen right from under Santini and Quinnan's noses.
Love's Labours Lost
Feb 6, 1998 · 22 min
Proctor and Skase investigate the stalking of Proctor's ex-girlfriend.
Opposites
Feb 12, 1998 · 22 min
A series of muggings on a local estate lead Proctor and Carver to the house of a rather unusual couple.
Solicitous
Feb 13, 1998 · 22 min
Meadows and Skase discover a modern-day Robin Hood who appears to be alive and well and robbing the rich in Sun Hill.
A Rainy Night In Sun Hill
Feb 17, 1998 · 22 min
Santini is irritated at being paired with Hollis on a cold, wet night in Canley.
Unwarranted
Feb 19, 1998 · 22 min
While in a rush to catch a crook, Ashton trips and falls foul of the law.
A Bit Of Respect
Feb 20, 1998 · 22 min
Ackland sets out to trap a man who wants to take the law into his own hands.
The Parent Trap
Feb 24, 1998 · 22 min
Croft is puzzled by a couple who want their daughter arrested.
Sudden Death
Feb 26, 1998 · 22 min
Ackland and Quinnan are on the case when a man falls from his bedroom window. But was it an accident or office politics?
Back Up
Feb 27, 1998 · 22 min
Carver is let down by an unreliable snout, and needs Beech to get him out of a tricky situation.
A Little Help
Mar 3, 1998 · 22 min
Rawton and Skase realise they may be onto a serial attacker.
Guiding Hand
Mar 5, 1998 · 22 min
Page and McCann investigate what appears to be a straightforward case of attempted child abduction.
Good Faith: Part I
Mar 6, 1998 · 22 min
A clever lawyer runs rings around Beech in court in a case involving a notorious robber.
Good Faith: Part II
Mar 10, 1998 · 22 min
The tit-for-tat violence escalates between rival gangs in Sun Hill.
Good Faith: Part III
Mar 12, 1998 · 22 min
Beech's involvement with rival racketeers becomes more complicated.
No Doubt About It
Mar 13, 1998 · 22 min
A hungover Garfield injures a member of the public during the pursuit of a burglar, but Monroe is sceptical of Garfield's motives when he names a potential suspect.
One Of The Gang
Mar 17, 1998 · 22 min
Meadows and Daly get a tip-off about a gang of young muggers, but their information comes from an unlikely source...
Without A Prayer
Mar 19, 1998 · 22 min
Garfield and Keane try to discover the cause of death of a woman found dead in a church hall.
Lucky Find
Mar 20, 1998 · 22 min
When a girl goes missing by the river, Deakin sees an opportunity to nail an old adversary.
A Little Bit Of Paradise
Mar 24, 1998 · 22 min
McCann is sent in search of a valuable exotic bird.
Daydream Believer
Mar 26, 1998 · 22 min
Rawton and Daly investigate an assault on a resident of an old people's home.
Powder My Nose
Mar 27, 1998 · 22 min
Conway is the target of a blackmail attempt following a drunken night out.
Bad Feelings
Mar 31, 1998 · 22 min
Boulton is after a villain known to have an eye for the ladies.
Like Family
Apr 2, 1998 · 22 min
Quinnan and Blake search for a missing French au pair who has been moonlighting as a stripper.
Shattered
Apr 3, 1998 · 22 min
Cryer attends the death of a teenage girl and is subject to a complaint by the grieving father.
Home Movie
Apr 7, 1998 · 22 min
Boyden uncovers an illicit pornographic video operation.
The Scent Of Compassion
Apr 14, 1998 · 22 min
Ashton's sense of compassion is crucial in solving a cruel assault case.
Rebel Without A Licence
Apr 21, 1998 · 22 min
A speeding Pontiac and three ageing James Deans give Stamp and McCann a headache.
Sale Or Return: Part I
Apr 23, 1998 · 22 min
Boulton and Carver head for the river, chasing a particularly slippery customer.
Sale Or Return: Part II
Apr 24, 1998 · 22 min
Boulton and Carver continue thier investigation into illegal immigration and find their case complicated by an attractive woman.
Target Man
Apr 24, 1998 · 22 min
While football fever grips Sun Hill, Deakin hopes to get his man by following a tip-off. With Hollis to help him, how can he fail?
Mixed Feelings
Apr 28, 1998 · 22 min
Page tries to trace the mother of an abandoned baby, while Boulton and Rawton investigate an apparently racially motivated attack.
Wannabe
May 1, 1998 · 22 min
Skase is sceptical of a 14-year-old girl so smitten with him that she accuses her parents of being drug dealers.
One Small Step
May 5, 1998 · 22 min
Ashton, on his first solo outing, is distracted by a decoy while a nearby shop is burgled.
Big Brother
May 7, 1998 · 22 min
Boyden introduces the relief to new Area Car driver Vicky Hagen, but her reputation takes an immediate blow when Jarvis reveals she grassed on a friend of his at another station.
Volcano
May 8, 1998 · 22 min
Despite knowing the animosity between Jarvis and Hagen, Cryer pairs them in the area car on her first day, but Jarvis dubs her a "stupid cow" on the radio after she loses a suspect
Brighton Rocks: Part I
May 14, 1998 · 22 min
Beech wangles an expenses-paid trip to Brighton with Skase, but his night does not go as planned.
Brighton Rocks: Part II
May 15, 1998 · 22 min
Skase persuades Brighton C.I.D. to help track down the missing Beech.
The Hare & The Tortoise
May 19, 1998 · 22 min
Stamp and Hagen clash over what makes a good area car driver.
The Better Man
May 21, 1998 · 22 min
Daly and Carver try to get evidence against a young drug addict suspected of brutally assaulting a police officer.
Red Herrings
May 22, 1998 · 22 min
Carver and Proctor respond to a tip-off about the theft of some fish.
Under The Grill
May 26, 1998 · 22 min
Boulton is less than thrilled to be placed on an interviewing course with Hollis, but gets the chance to exact revenge on an ex-colleague.
The Stork
May 28, 1998 · 22 min
Keane and Garfield look into allegations that a New Age cult leader is encouraging under-aged girls to engage in sexual activity.
One Of Us
May 29, 1998 · 22 min
Carver is shocked when a woman names his friend from a neighbouring station as a flasher.
Room To Manoeuvre
Jun 2, 1998 · 22 min
Boulton and Hollis find themselves in pursuit of the same villain.
Watching The Detectives
Jun 5, 1998 · 22 min
Rawton and Deakin investigate the mysterious disappearance of a woman who has been campaigning to free her husband from jail.
A People Person
Jun 9, 1998 · 22 min
Tosh Lines and June Ackland investigate the death of an old acquaintance.
Spray
Jun 16, 1998 · 22 min
Harker rushes to the aid of a woman in danger, but gets himself into trouble over his use of CS spray.
Three Cheers
Jun 19, 1998 · 22 min
Hollis goes from a hero to a laughingstock when he arrests a notorious cat burglar before receiving an official complaint for throwing his lunch into a nearby garden. When the burg
Up For Trouble
Jun 23, 1998 · 22 min
Hollis is due to collect his commendation, but his colleagues know he doesn't deserve one.
The Bus Driver's Prayer
Jun 25, 1998 · 22 min
Page is shocked when a man shows up at the front desk armed with a gun, claiming to have shot a man and left him for dead.
Loving Memory
Jun 26, 1998 · 22 min
Cryer re-opens an unsolved case in response to an attempted suicide.
Stop
Jul 1, 1998 · 22 min
Boulton suspects that Hollis is involved in a series of burglaries.
Deep Secret
Jul 2, 1998 · 22 min
Garfield teams up with an attractive young journalist when the wreckage of a World War II Spitfire is discovered in Sun Hill.
The Whip Hand
Jul 9, 1998 · 22 min
Datta pairs with Quinnan to investigate a case of domestic abuse, and receives a surprise offer from Monroe.
Bang!
Jul 10, 1998 · 22 min
Harker and Keane's failure to properly search a prisoner leads to them being held at gunpoint in custody with Boyden.
Unlicensed
Jul 14, 1998 · 22 min
Skase and Rawton investigate a woman's claims that she is being harassed by a former lover.
Vacant Possession
Jul 16, 1998 · 22 min
Boyden and Page investigate a death from asphyxiation and try to establish whether the paving stone placed on his chimney was an act of murder.
Sucking Eggs
Jul 17, 1998 · 22 min
Beech and Carver investigate the theft of a grandfather clock.
Tainted Love: Part I
Jul 21, 1998 · 22 min
Page is on top of the world as she moves out of the section house and finds a boyfriend, unaware he has a criminal history.
Tainted Love: Part II
Jul 23, 1998 · 22 min
Boulton asks Page to spy on her own boyfriend.
Tainted Love: Part III
Jul 24, 1998 · 22 min
Feeling she has wrecked Boulton's operation, how can Page continue her relationship with Danny?
Cooking
Jul 28, 1998 · 22 min
Greig's request for tenure is rejected. He distracts himself by pairing with Deakin to investigate allegations by a prisoner that his recently released cellmate is dealing drugs.
Fighting Chance
Jul 30, 1998 · 22 min
Garfield and Quinnan fear for the safety of a boxer who has disappeared, abandoning his young son.
King Of The Road
Aug 4, 1998 · 22 min
Hollis suggests using an old caravan as a mobile police station.
Wrong Place Wrong Time
Aug 6, 1998 · 22 min
Hagen and Harker have to contend with an unreliable witness.
One Man Two Faces
Aug 11, 1998 · 22 min
McCann and Santini fall out over a vicious assault on a black youth.
Too Little Too Late
Aug 20, 1998 · 22 min
Skase and Daly investigate an assault outside a gay club, but a key witness is reluctant to come forward.
Deep End
Aug 25, 1998 · 22 min
New W.P.C. Rosie Fox is partnered with P.C. Eddie Santini to investigate when the body of a junkie is washed up on the banks of the Thames. Santini and Fox argue over their cases,
The Party's Over
Aug 27, 1998 · 22 min
P.C. Santini tries to apologize to W.P.C. Fox for going too far against her wishes the night before but she tells him to stay away from her. Santini obtains Fox's address from CAD
Bang Bang You're Dead
Aug 28, 1998 · 22 min
W.P.C. Fox takes the day off with a migraine but turns up for the relief's paintball charity challenge, where Santini continues to bully and humiliate her. Her request not to be pa
Team Spirit
Sep 1, 1998 · 22 min
W.P.C. Fox makes an official complaint about P.C. Santini.
Urgent Assistance
Sep 15, 1998 · 22 min
P.C. Stamp is involved in a serious accident in which he kills a pedestrian while reversing the area car down a one-way street in response to a call for urgent assistance. Tensions
Taking Sides
Sep 22, 1998 · 22 min
Stamp attends the funeral of the pedestrian he knocked over, but he receives a less than warm reception. Later, he and Quinnan arrest the driver of a cut-and-shut limousine and end
Deadly Impact
Sep 29, 1998 · 22 min
It's Stamp's big day in court, and despite the fact that Quinnan has been called as a prosecution witness against him, his barrister is confident he will be found not guilty. When
Big Day
Oct 6, 1998 · 22 min
Beech and Conway attend a police event to receive medals for long-standing service and excellent conduct. Beech is surprised to find that an old flame of his has defected to C.I.B.
Making Up
Oct 13, 1998 · 22 min
Hagen goes undercover as a prostitute to trap a solicitor who has been selling forged passports to his clients, and a violent thug whom he helped escape bail. Skase takes a number
The Cross
Oct 20, 1998 · 22 min
Boulton is paired with new DC Kerry Holmes to investigate a gang who have been purchasing bikes with cheques stolen in an armed robbery. Boulton is keen to speak to Michael Duggan,
Cast No Shadow
Oct 27, 1998 · 22 min
Boulton investigates when a young girl is approached and attacked on the way home from school. Her father, a property developer, has been having trouble with a gang involved in a p
Betrayal
Oct 29, 1998 · 22 min
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
All For One
Oct 30, 1998 · 22 min
Santini is first on the scene of a serious car accident, and becomes a bit of a local hero when he bravely dives into the river to secure the car, which is teetering on the edge. H
Trial Run
Nov 3, 1998 · 22 min
Skase calls in sick so he can moonlight as a bodyguard. He is charged with providing protection for the two teenage sons of a very wealthy Asian aristocrat. During a shopping trip,
Section F
Nov 6, 1998 · 22 min
Meadows and Conway are both up for promotion against each other, and with an impending inspection from Area, both are out to impress. However, there are some comic and some life-th
Bad Chemistry
Nov 10, 1998 · 22 min
Holmes investigates when a woman is attacked in her flat and left for dead in a particularly violent domestic violence case. She initially suspects that the woman's landlord, Jamie
Dog Eat Dog
Nov 13, 1998 · 22 min
Cryer attends the scene when a prostitute is slashed across the face with a machete and subsequently hospitalized. The prime suspect, Alvin Morton, was released from prison just te
Indiscretion
Nov 17, 1998
Skase attends the scene of a fire at a 'sex cinema' club, where a reportedly angry punter set alight to the club after being refused entry. However, it later transpires that the cu
The Rate For The Job
Nov 20, 1998
Meadows asks Deakin to have more of a 'hands-on' approach after a row erupts between Beech and Daly. All three of the CID sergeants, meanwhile, are having problems. Daly's operatio
For Interest Only
Nov 24, 1998
Brownlow is angered when a local journalist approaches him following the publication of an article in the CPS journal regarding an unsolved case from twenty years previously. The c
The Fat Lady Sings
Nov 27, 1998
Quinnan ignores a plea for help from a mysterious opera singer whilst out on patrol, but later regrets his actions and ignores a number of shouts whilst trying to find her. Meanwhi
Too Many Cooks
Dec 1, 1998
Monroe is called to deal with a complaint against an officer from Stafford Row, where the victim has accused him of offering acquittal in return for sex. Meanwhile, Brownlow attend
Team Play
Dec 4, 1998
Rawton and Lennox investigate when a nurse is violently attacked at the nurse's home where she is living. Initially, only one witness is able to place anyone near the scene of the
Heat & Light
Dec 8, 1998
Boulton and Holmes investigate the latest in a long line of arson attacks. When forensic evidence places teen tearaway Adam Marrs at the scene of a previous fire, he is questioned
Ticking Clocks
Dec 10, 1998
Boulton and Holmes deal with the abduction of a newborn baby from his hospital bed. CCTV of the abductor reveals little clues as to her identity, so Boulton asks Deakin if he can h
Strange Bedfellows
Dec 11, 1998
Burnside arrives at Sun Hill with a well-known villain in tow - convicted child sex offender Carl Jones. Jones has been granted early parole on the basis that he reveals the locati
Live & Ticking
Dec 15, 1998
Hollis spots a gang of youths hanging around a phonebox acting suspiciously. When he goes to investigate, the phone box explodes as the result of a volatile homemade bomb being pla
All The Lonely People
Dec 17, 1998
Rawton goes undercover as a lonely heart to find a possible serial killer who has claimed three victims. The only person who can identify the possible culprit is a flakey chef whos
The Personal Touch
Dec 18, 1998
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
Time Gentlemen Please
Dec 21, 1998
Daly and Rawton go undercover as the landlord and landlady of a local pub while investigating a gang who have operating a protection racket on the local pubs and clubs. Daly befrie
Puzzled
Dec 22, 1998
Quinnan investigates when his vet is forced to treat a dog that has been injected with heroin. Quinnan catches the owner in possession of cannabis, but he refuses to reveal how the
Christmas Star
Dec 24, 1998
Santini and Page investigates when a young girl is knocked down in a hit-and-run incident. Santini manages to trace the owner of the car, but he denies all knowledge of the inciden
S.A.D.
Dec 31, 1998
The relief return to work after the Christmas break, and find themselves with little to do. Meanwhile, Boyden receives a welcome visitor in the form of Mrs. Bourne, who has cooked