The Bill - Season 1 Episode 1 | Funny Ol' Business - Cops & Robbers (1984)

[@davidthompson3798]

Last time I saw plod on the beat was the end credits of The Bill.

[@anneroy4560]

We have some walking the beat here in Cambridge UK ...

[@MarianneVigo]

We see them all the time in my village in southeast London 😊

[@exmoorfarmer4880]

Such innocent times compared to the mess today. Smart uniforms, no laptops or mobile phones and villains straight out of a Dickens novel. Awesome.

[@James_Doyle83]

And yet you comment on this video when you was saying no laptops no mobile phones ect if you feel that strong about it why have you got those devices yourself

[@serendpity3478]

What are you watching this on then - a cathode ray Phillips 24 inch?

[@garygallagher3428]

The acting, camera movement , naturalistic dialogue.Great TV.

[@gorillaau]

Shot on a portable camera, perhaps? It make it feel like the viewer were there. I haven't seen an episode this early. Hi from Australia. We had The Bill on our ABC at least weekly.

[@kerrydrew1719]

@@gorillaau I saw the pilot episode and every single episode since. I wish the producers hadn’t gone the route of a soap opera towards the end.

[@Alien_O1]

This was when the bill was good. 👍👍

[@Rhr118]

Yes, agree!

[@mark-s]

What year did it go off for you

[@kanton4108]

@@mark-s My guess is around 2002 when it became a soap. That's when the show's dynamic changed dramatically for me.

[@mark-s]

@@kanton4108 I was going to say around 2004 when they got other soap actors in

[@stumagoo2395]

As soon as it switched to twice weekly half hour episodes (I think from series 4 onwards) it lost its edge. From 1988 it became a post watershed soap opera and more akin to Emmerdale Farm than a hard hitting police drama.

[@tnetroP]

This takes me right back to the 1980's and a better time. My father was a policeman and loved this series.

[@robb8985]

My old man too. 👍🏻

[@eddieday-reilly5144]

I was 17 when the show first aired. Such a good show. I gave a ride in my Taxi to the guy playing Jim Carver ( he used to come to the coast at the weekend where he had a boat. ) A really nice guy to talk to....he gave a really good tip too

[@eddieday-reilly5144]

My ex father in Law was in the Police and was "the legs" of the WPC in the opening credits 😂

[@paula3124]

Was your ex father in law a woman? 🤔

[@David315842]

I'm real chuffed, the calendars all read May 1984 throughout the station, May 1984 was when I was born. It's interesting seeing London life as it was back in the day when I was a baby. :)

[@version736ha2]

how i remember it. Very different now...

[@David315842]

@@version736ha2 Indeed.

[@Rhr118]

Ha! I was trying to read them but couldn’t make out the date! Those were the days! I was at secondary school by them and The Bill became a popular programme to talk about at school the following day.

[@brigidsingleton1596]

What I recall best about 1984 was me working in East Sussex... I took a fall and fell in Battle and broke my arm... (interesting comment on the cast on my arm, of course!!) Thing was, it made me miss a few episodes of 'The Bill' working late in that county, so these decades later it's nice to catch up on a few of these 'oldies but goldies'*... Thankyou for these uploads, much appreciated. (*from an 'oldie but goldie' myself, now am 71!)!

[@David315842]

@@Rhr118 For secondary school students, I can imagine it must have been talked about quite a bit back in the day. :)

[@EgoChip]

It's strange seeing all of these characters so young.

[@animewatcher00]

I was born slightly after the 80s era of the show so i never really got the chance to see those episodes until much later on. The bill was the only show my parents would let me stay up late to watch during the week with them. Wonderful memories with them both, sadly my dad is no longer here

[@evie-roseclayton158]

I was 8 when this aired, I remember the real police being like this, real police that actually did their job, and instead of criminalising kids for being kids, a quick clip around the ear hole, took home to get another clip, and over and done with, lesson learned and no harm done. What a weird scene seeing police walking the beat preventing crime before it happens, rather than responding in a car, I really think bobbies back on the beat should never have stopped

[@grantwatt4559]

It's not a documentary old son, purely fictional play.

[@BenLaws-m9j]

You’re seeing things thru rose tinted glasses.

[@evie-roseclayton158]

@ Nostalgia maybe, I remember it being the good days when things was simpler and police was hated but respected

[@grantwatt4559]

@evie-roseclayton158 yeah they used to turn up at your old mahs front door, when the noise got too loud from the knees up in the front room, Chas and Dave working those pearly kings and Queens into a frenzy! "Gawd, luv a duck! Mrs Clayton, we ain't never not heard noise like that before nor never! Nahr keep it dahrn! we're trying to capture Jack the Ripper here! "

[@dudeyfeb88coach]

Dream on they've been saying that for years

[@donny121able]

I used to sit with my Mum and brother when I was Eight to watch this. Great memories.

[@alexojideagu]

Many Brits don't realise the Bill is older than EastEnders

[@jamesmaclennan4525]

The funny thing being that going by the maps Sun Hill is Walford's Nick

[@williammohan9784]

Hard to believe that officers used to look this smart as opposed to the laundry bags with human heads attached that swan around the streets of London today. At my old nick Kings Cross, we had as Special Constable Kim Tallyforth who was in show business and she had the dark haired WPC from this episode in for a day to see how we worked.

[@animewatcher00]

And the less equipment that was carried and used by officers compared to now is hard to believe also

[@williammohan9784]

@@animewatcher00 indeed. We had a 8 inch truncheon that fitted into a long pocket on the right hand side in our trousers. The WPCs had an even smaller truncheon which they carried in their shoulder bags. No body armour, no sprays or extendable truncheons which they have today. And i tend to think we got the job done so much better then than they do today.

[@version736ha2]

@@williammohan9784 1 million % you did. Not all the public liked you but in the main people knew the Police were in control and there to protect the law abiding from the toerags

[@williammohan9784]

@@version736ha2 cheers for that mate. Yep we were not popular with certain sections of the community, but you know what, on our relief, which is what the shift was called, we always prided ourselves on answering every call, going to all burglaries or break ins, dealing with disturbances or car thefts. Each relief would try its best to not leave any calls for their incoming relief to deal with at the end of the shift. I remember on night duty at Kings Cross, being sent to Old Street at 5 in the morning to help search a premises that had been broken into and the keyholder was on scene. It was considered unprofessional and to a certain extent lacking in honour to leave a lot of calls for the next relief. Different times now of course when they seem to spend their entire shift on computers looking at peoples twitter and facebook feeds. Yes May and Cameron really did a job on the British Police

[@Rhr118]

I remember getting into trouble for wrapping the truncheon rope around my belt so that the top of it showed out of the pocket!! It was deemed aggressive 😳😀😀😀

[@johnholt890]

Probably one of the reasons I joined the job and had a brilliant 30 years!

[@BugPowderDust]

Fantastic, I see you're uploading many of these in order, much appreciated!! That's my binge watching sorted for the foreseeable 😂

[@TENGILL]

Same here mate!

[@Alex.P1]

I love how they read out the guy with the fishhooks home address in front of the bloke who tried to rob him 😂

[@MegaSkypes]

Superb ❤ I have been a Bill fan from start to finish 🎉 Love it 🥰

[@neilmckay8649]

For me it became just a drama, the police element became irrelevant, like the loss of Farm in Emmerdale Farm.

[@AFExploration]

my youth, thanks for the memorys, now to binge watch loads of them

[@lachlanmaccormack5427]

Loved this Series, they all were so young !

[@paulneedham9885]

So we’re all of us 40 years ago

[@JJ-Malone]

I noticed He was called Tommy Burnside in this episode. Apparently they changed the character to Frank Burnside after a few episodes because there was a real cop called Tommy Burnside. And didn't want any confusion lol. That's so weird. Then again so many actors played criminals to then come back in later episodes and be a police officer with a different name lol

[@TheGuvOfWythenshawe]

Burnside! Absolute legend!

[@mark-s]

I never knew Burnside was in the first episode 😊

[@animewatcher00]

One of the best characters always. Wouldn't be allowed to have a character like him now considering some of the stuff Bunside came out with

[@Rhr118]

Galloway reminds me of the DI in Rowan Atkinson’s The Thin Blue Line!😂😂

[@TheGuvOfWythenshawe]

@@mark-s he was originally known as Tommy Burnside but had to be renamed as Frank Burnside as there was apparently a real life Tommy Burnside serving with the Metropolitan Police in 1984

[@TheGuvOfWythenshawe]

@@animewatcher00 the woke brigade would certainly have a field day! 😅

[@AlexHitchins]

This has made me happy. Thank you.

[@colinayki2350]

Smart uniforms and the contemporary challenges of policing nicely displayed. Sometimes I need a translation into my version of English - home counties dialect! So many loose threads, a typical style of the early 80s. Many thanks.

[@kennymoore7332]

frank burnside, what an actor you are chris ellison

[@geoffpoole483]

He's a walking cliche; a Poundshop Jack Regan.

[@stumagoo2395]

@@geoffpoole483 John Thaw playing Jack Regan was in a different league, especially when you consider that Thaw was a quiet, shy, family man who was never comfortable in the limelight. I read somewhere that several attempts were made by ITV to get Thaw to reprise his role as Jack Regan (but as a private detective going it alone), but John still resisted.

[@lindylast9288]

Loved this show and it has never shown up on free to air. When I was a child I got to watch Dixon of Dock Green if I was good but by the time the bill started I was my own boss😂 March ‘84 I had my first baby. Breast feeding and the Bill perfect match!!!

[@philt5782]

When coppers were coppers

[@terrybutler1231]

Lovely to hear Bill Reynolds - that brought back a lot of memories😅

[@RockyScorcese]

Never realised Burnside was around from the very beginning!

[@robbroy]

Faaaantastic thankyou so much for bringing these back to life ❤❤❤

[@mrjohnop9657]

Takes me back to when I served in the Royal Marines in the 70,s I came out of the Marines and joined the police force in the early 1980's

[@one4all126]

Unreal to think that June and Jim get it together so many years later after he gets demoted back down to PC

[@deemanloveit8360]

I never knew the police used to investigate crime😮

[@stumagoo2395]

There was no internet social media back then so they didn't have a choice.

[@beanbison]

Being called Lad by Sarge well that's authentic at that time!

[@paultanker5606]

G'day to you, Brilliant thanks for this, we didn't see the first few episodes so a nice treat for us! Armadale West Aust .

[@shankill178]

Before machete wielding kids were a thing. 😢

[@paulneedham9885]

That’s because we weren’t inundated back then

[@geetee7154]

This brilliant, many thanks for uploading, how times have changed, the cars, the people & the area where filmed would be unrecognisable today 👍

[@noka79]

Back when we had a country and a decent life..

[@dukedepommefrite]

Rose tinted glasses

[@danielfield2570]

Crime, including violent crime, was higher back then. Child mortality was higher, Life expectancy was shorter, Air was full of lead and significantly more pollutants. Real wages, people going to university and getting a secondary school education were lower. But yeah sure, the U.K. only ever gets worse.

[@ImCastorTroy69]

@@danielfield2570 "The Bill" were not arresting british pensioners for online posts regarding illegal migrants

[@Jeremy-f3s]

Last I checked England still exists and you seem to be forgetting Margaret Thatcher was PM in 84 so your country was in a mess.

[@paulbata9649]

@@Jeremy-f3s she cleaned it up

[@TheKingofDirk]

I'd heard the legends that there was once a race of proactive police in these isles that wouldnt have even noticed someone praying silently in their head at a bus stop.

[@paulsinclair3401]

Wow, bobbies on the beat going two by two? Now there's a novelty! I'm amazed that nobody's thought of that! 🙄

[@blackpoolacer]

Series 1,2 and 3 were the best. Shame Galloway left after series 3.

[@bodnica]

Galloway was my fav

[@hegedusuk]

On yer bikes!

[@chrisgibson2314]

Modern day HR would be turning grey overnight 😂

[@Richard-zt2zo]

Thanks for posting this

[@harrisonj0679]

To young to remember this but I think the gist is police responded and investigated crime at some point long ago 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@coldwhite4240]

Great to see early episodes of The Bill in original form in good quality, not wobbly VHS rip or some sort of distorted framerate or resolution. My only quibble is that originally, British TV shows were in series. On British TV and radio, "season" traditionally means something different - a themed set of programmes on a particular topic, eg: "Mozart season" for a series of dramas and documentaries about the composer. It's only in recent years that the American use of "season" has started to be used for series of British TV shows, especially the ones syndicated internationally. So these original shows from the 1980s should be Series 1, Series 2, etc. Also, the episode should come after the series number in the title, eg: Series 1 Episode 1 or S1E1. That makes archiving and sorting the names easier.

[@kennymoore7332]

pure pure class, thank you for this. my youth is coming back lol

[@garyhunt8067]

Detective Inspector Galloway was my favourite

[@stumagoo2395]

I remember he was also in the well remembered Play for Today episode "Abigail's Party", wearing a beard and having floppy hair.

[@kerraptregolls4929]

I used to work in a pub part time and this double glazing guy is exactly as I remember the one that used to drink in the pub!

[@leemillard5514]

Quit ironic that Gary Olsen plays a copper, just like he did in party party 🤣

[@garybrockwell2031]

Great memories 😁🇬🇧💪

[@underwaterbubbles]

Never realised that the Chief Super, June and Reg were in it from the very start along with Jim Carver. Me old son.

[@alexojideagu]

Not me. Also Many Brits don't realise the Bill is older than EastEnders

[@mmuzzwell3654]

Best gig Phil Collins ever had.

[@mutepint9153]

These days they patrol sunni hill

[@newsbender]

Haha, brilliant!

[@stephenpowell5912]

Great TV from 1983-2010

[@newsbender]

Well until about 2001

[@philipfieldhouse9229]

I'd just left the Met when this first appeared. Couldn't believe how realistic it was for a tv show.

[@annemodistach3849]

I used to watch every episode at 7.30 on Saturday night in Australia.

[@christopherelworthy9640]

The Bill was brilliant when it kicked off. I think when it went to the 1/2 hour format and became 'soapyfied' was when it headed 'down'

[@stumagoo2395]

100%, they also switched it to pre watershed and toned it all down. The first 3 series were the closest thing to The Sweeney, except shot on video tape and missing Jack Regan.

[@bigbowlowrong4694]

After watching Threads I keep expecting a thermonuclear exchange to begin😆

[@Harold-ph1kk]

19:32 That stupid grin is absolutely hilarious 😂😂 and his stupid games too. No wonder the constables were actually refraining from laughing.

[@paulgarside8824]

DS Tommy Burnside in those days. Personally I think he suited Frank more. Also loved Galloway’s Cortina. My Dad had an identical one, T reg as well.

[@chrisrevill8717]

His name change to Frank Burnside happened because there was a real life Tommy Burnside in the Met, the same as when Ken Haines became Harry Haines in 1993, Burnside's replacement.

[@bishbashbosh-j6z]

If I recall (i was only 14|) the early series of the Bill used to be on quite late, 9pm ? as they were adult themed (same with Crimewatch) but I used to sneak in and watch it before bed. Later series were soapy in comparison but the early eighties were the best of times....

[@jasonmugridge]

Oh yes Crimewatch, and why isn’t that still on the TV these days 🤔

[@stumagoo2395]

Yes, I'm sure the first 3 series were broadcast post watershed (9pm). When they switched it to pre watershed for the half hour episodes, it became far more toned down.

[@1337flite]

They all look like children except Sgt Cryer, who looks pretty much the same as he did 20 years later.

[@nezperce2767]

Pretty good times well done

[@helentucker6407]

Cool! Episode 1 ! Nice 👍 👍

[@deadsoulrob]

always wanted to check the bill out, glad to see this!

[@dominewimbury2039]

It would be better with the Thames identity at the start

[@robertwilliams9234]

Didn’t realise it was this old

[@Smmmile]

If you look carefully, you'll see a young Auditing Britain outside the yard taking pictures from his pram.

[@newsbender]

Surely he was still in Asgard in 1984?

[@Harold-ph1kk]

And the little lad 25:09 wanting to know so badly what they were doing!😂😂😂😂

[@OilBaron100]

Brings back memories....

[@RaymondFunnell-bs1wl]

Nice to hear the voice of Bill Rennals and Ray Moore is mentioned who later died of throat cancer. R I P Ray

[@octaviusfooks7194]

27:12 - Just gone up to Series 9 and, my God, Burnside looked so young

[@lablackzed]

One of the best police series that and the sweeny and Z cars along with Dicken of dock green yep i am old.😂😂👍🇬🇧

[@roberteustace4152]

There was a pilot episode to this series...it was called woodentops. That's a nickname to just qualified constables.

[@bluedriver10]

Filmed round the ocean estate stepney e1

[@peckerdecker]

fantastic thanks for sharing happy new year 2025 everyone

[@bardo0007]

I remember that guy with the long nose, they showed it on TV here in Norway , we used to import BBC and ITV series, always high quality and good actors. In the early 80's I visited London and lost my wallet with £50 in it. I went to the local police station to report it and the guys looked just like in here. I remember I talked to a female officer and a man , went back to the hotel. The next day they called me and found my wallet empty ! But with my ID in it.

[@KnightsOfTheBase2025]

great times!

[@neilmckay8649]

As a young teenager this programme made me seriously think about becoming a copper but eventually the programme just became a Soap, like Emerdale Farm changing to Emmerdale, the context became irrelevant and so did the programme

[@stephenlaine6840]

the very first episode of the bill 😂,it was called wooden tops, the name change to the bill was about 87,

[@yonpaget]

This was the first official episode of the Bill first aired in 1984. Wooden top was a one off drama for a series called Storyboard in 1983.The reception for it was good so they commissioned The Bill on the back of it! These days woodentop is regarded as the pilot episode!

[@stephenlaine6840]

@yonpaget no they didn't, wooden tops run from 84-87, then they changed the name to the bill because people liked it.

[@yonpaget]

Stop talking nonsense

[@stephenlaine6840]

@@yonpaget no in 88 it change its name I believe, because 88 when it went twice a week for 30 mins episode, And for some reason now every time Google it all that's coming up is the wooden tops from 1955,

[@workonesabs]

I've got the first episode on DVD where it all started. from Woodentop. Weird watching the first episode, knowing all the names and their futures. When it was aired, until each character as introduced as name you didn't know who they were...

[@wendyo2561]

Funny how you watch this and think, oh forgot about that guy. All so young.

[@stumagoo2395]

Galloway and Ted Roach were my favourite characters - both characters could be tough, but also funny at the same time.

[@alexandradane3672]

From the days when we had a Police FORCE , smartly dressed Officers and Gentlemen who commanded respect by dint of duty and example.

[@slytheringingerwitch]

I was obsessed with the Bill when it first came out. It sucked when they ended up doing it as half an hour before the watershed episodes though. It should never have been messed with.

[@woodyforest7308]

How much the UK has changed

[@martin-d4h]

Hardly anyone is overweight, wonder if the police had weight regulations back then ? they had height regulations.

[@Rhr118]

Yup, height and weight had to be proportional or you didn’t get in. Period.

[@swanvictor887]

....and they were Actors.

[@poppyland74]

@@swanvictor887 but there were regulations that the actors matched - got it.

[@MickAngelhere]

No coppers were four feet tall back then

[@YesterdayMachine]

Not the only thing that's missing - the original pilot 'Woodentop' is missing as well. Can't say it's not part of the proper series as characters from that episode are referenced in Episode 1. 'Funny Ol Business' is clearly set a little time after 'Woodentop' and without it you don't know who or what they are talking about in certain scenes.

[@TheBillOfficial]

You can watch the pilot episode here! 👉🏻 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJ3FZKOXmMt5f7c

[@YesterdayMachine]

@@TheBillOfficial Thanks, but I have the Series 1-3 DVD box set.

[@dylanpriest5742]

​@@TheBillOfficial The end credits must be on every series somehow! It kept showing the logo of 'The Bill', and 'Subscribe'.

[@mattelliott3685]

Wasn't there a late night version of The Bill first? I vaguely remember Chris Ellison in a less PG police drama?

[@AHelm-fr2we]

I used to live in Mit ham when this was aired and knew the location in Merton on the borders to Wimbledon where the "Station" was..... I believe they put a Screw Fix or something like that there after.......

[@pduffy421]

wow more than 40 years ago when I was 13/14!!!!

[@SmilingStoic]

No need to go after the poor guy who makes the crim's shoes, what a bizarre threat!

[@kennymoore7332]

reg is class lol

[@bonjovi1612]

Joined the Met in ‘86 on the strength of this program. Wasn’t much different at the start tbh.

[@andreacrashe9894]

*Carvers second day on the beat... and he learned how the 'D's played silly buggars...!!.nz*

[@deniseg-hill1730]

When the police actually went after criminals.

[@prash_t]

They were actually running to the scene.

[@cocoomalov3r]

great page thats me binge watching for the next few days

[@kennymoore7332]

same here mate

[@martinsmith6049]

When they weren't two tier.

[@MrAlexeiGil]

The title of this episode is actually "funny ol business, cops and robbers"

[@IguanaGuyReptilesGaming]

I Miss watching the Bill

[@Paddynevs2012]

ITV BRING THIS BACK

[@bishbashbosh-j6z]

no more Police stations left mate, and I've not seen a copper or a bill walk the beat, what would they show ?

[@mikespikeey4625]

Season 1 pilot episode was story board and woodentops 16 aug 1983