Woodentop was a pilot episode for the long-running British police drama The Bill, which aired on ITV from 1984 to 2010. The episode was part of the Storyboard series of one-off plays, and was broadcast on 16 August 1983. It introduced the viewers to Sun Hill police station and its officers, focusing on PC Jim Carver's first day on the job. The episode was written by Geoff McQueen, who created The Bill, and directed by Peter Cregeen.
The episode was praised for its realistic and gritty portrayal of policing, using hand-held cameras, natural lighting and authentic dialogue. It also featured strong performances from the cast, especially John Salthouse as Carver and Trudie Goodwin as WPC June Ackland, who would become one of the show's longest-serving characters. The episode dealt with various aspects of police work, such as dealing with a dead body, a domestic dispute, a juvenile offender and a possible rape case.
Woodentop was a successful pilot that led to the commissioning of The Bill as a full series, which premiered on 16 October 1984. The series retained many of the elements and characters from Woodentop, but also made some changes and inconsistencies. For example, Sun Hill police station was relocated from Wapping to East London, and some of the officers' ranks and names were altered. Woodentop remains an important and influential episode in the history of British television drama, and a landmark in the genre of police procedural.
The episode was praised for its realistic and gritty portrayal of policing, using hand-held cameras, natural lighting and authentic dialogue. It also featured strong performances from the cast, especially John Salthouse as Carver and Trudie Goodwin as WPC June Ackland, who would become one of the show's longest-serving characters. The episode dealt with various aspects of police work, such as dealing with a dead body, a domestic dispute, a juvenile offender and a possible rape case.
Woodentop was a successful pilot that led to the commissioning of The Bill as a full series, which premiered on 16 October 1984. The series retained many of the elements and characters from Woodentop, but also made some changes and inconsistencies. For example, Sun Hill police station was relocated from Wapping to East London, and some of the officers' ranks and names were altered. Woodentop remains an important and influential episode in the history of British television drama, and a landmark in the genre of police procedural.
