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1* ArchivePanic: With [[LongRunners over 2,400 episodes]] having been made over the course of 27 years, any first time viewer who is tempted to start watching the series from the very beginning may find themselves facing a daunting task ahead of them.
2* CompleteMonster: See [[Monster/TheBill here]].
3* DiagnosedByTheAudience: Reg Hollis had many traits of Aspergers or high functioning autism, though a full diagnosis was never confirmed.
4* EnsembleDarkhorse:
5** You guessed it, Jo Masters.
6** Burnside was a relatively minor character during his original guest appearance, albeit one who acted as antagonist for the regulars. Chris Ellison's performance was so good that he was invited back to become a regular in season four, and if you ask the person in the street about their memories of ''The Bill'', invariably they'll involve him.
7* HarsherInHindsight:
8** Kevin Lloyd's character, DC Tosh Lines, was written out (Lloyd had been sacked for drinking problems) as having accepted a job at the coroner's office. The actor died a week later.
9** Any time DI Neil Manson worked on a child abuse case - Andrew Lancel would later be tried (and acquitted in 29 minutes) for child sexual abuse.
10* HilariousInHindsight:
11** Eddie Santini and Rosie Fox are depicted as having an ArchEnemy relationship, with Santini's drunken sexual assault of her instigating one of the most deadly, hate-filled feuds on the shows entire run. The actors of both characters (Michael Higgs and Caroline Catz) had a real life RomanceOnTheSet whilst the storyline was being filmed and married not long afterwards.
12** An episode shows Chief Inspector Philip Cato taking down neo-nazi flyers, arresting the person responsible and expressing vocal disgust for their racism. The actor, Philip Whitchurch, would later portray the head of a violent neo-nazi gang in ''Series/WakingTheDead'', alongside DS John Boulton's actor Russell Boulter.
13* MoralEventHorizon:
14** Eddie Santini crossed it either with his drunken sexual assault of Rosie Fox or with his refusal to simply apologise and move on afterward.
15** Don Beech was already well on his way with all of his corruption (evidence tampering, witness intimidation), but when he [[KillerCop murdered]] John Boulton, he most definitely crossed this line. At times afterwards he did seem genuinely remorseful about what he had done, but it was too late, the line had well and truly been crossed and there was no going back.
16** Tom Chandler crossed it onscreen with the rape of Debbie [=McAllister=], though offscreen he had been guilty of this for decades.
17** David Kent crossed it by seducing June Ackland after finding out she was the mother of his adopted brother Gabriel, whose identity he had stolen, intending to make her believe she had committed incest. He would only get worse afterward (raping and later murdering Kerry Young, leaving Andrea Dunbar to die in the 2005 fire).
18* NeverLiveItDown: One of his early episodes established that Jack Meadows was demoted back to DCI after failing to supervise a corrupt officer under his command. This "career glitch" (as Chief Superintendent Brownlow once called it) would occasionally pop up again in later years whenever Meadows tried to seek promotion. His inability to supervise corrupt officers also became something of a running theme, with him becoming increasingly more paranoid as people like Don Beech, Zain Nadir and Sergeant Stone ran rampant under his command...
19* RetroactiveRecognition: A virtual who's who of the British TV acting scene.
20** A young Creator/SeanBean appeared in the 1984 episode "Long Odds".
21** Derek Hammond from "Lost" (1985) is played by Creator/NormanLovett, who would later be best known for playing the first Holly in ''Series/RedDwarf''.
22** A pre-''Series/{{ER}}'' Creator/AlexKingston appeared in several episodes between 1988 and 1995.
23** Creator/DexterFletcher appeared in the 1989 episode "The Strong Survive".
24** [[Series/ThePaulOGradyShow Paul O'Grady]] appeared in a few late 80s and early 90s episodes.
25** Creator/MarkStrong appeared in 1990's "A Clean Division".
26** Creator/RudolphWalker appeared in 1990's "Burnside knew my Father".
27** Creator/AndySerkis appeared in a 1990 episode and a 1993 episode.
28** Creator/RobertCarlyle appeared in 1991's "The Better Part of Valour".
29** Creator/PetePostlethwaite appeared in the 1992 episode "Principled Negotiation"
30** A teenage [[Film/LoveActually Martine McCutcheon]] appeared in the 1992 episode "A Scandalous Act".
31** Creator/RalphIneson appeared in "Give 'em an Inch" (1993), "Street Life" (1995) and "Unlicensed" (1998).
32** A teenaged [[Music/TheSpiceGirls Emma Bunton]] appeared in 1993's "Missionary Work".
33** A pre-''Series/GameOfThrones'' Creator/ConlethHill appeared in the 1993 episode "Hard Evidence".
34** A pre-''Series/GameOfThrones'' Creator/AidanGillen appeared in 1993's "Play the Game".
35** Creator/RossMcCall featured in three mid-1990s episodes.
36** Creator/RussellBrand made his television debut in 1994's "Land of the Blind".
37** Creator/IdrisElba appeared in the 1994 episode "Pig in the Middle".
38** A ten-year old Creator/KeiraKnightley appeared in 1995's "Swan Song".
39** A pre-''Series/GameOfThrones'' Creator/MichelleFairley appeared in 1995's "No Choice".
40** Creator/SimonMerrells appeared in the 1995 episode "Kid".
41** Creator/LucyDavis appeared in the 1995 episode "Charity and Beating".
42** Creator/DavidTennant appeared in 1995's "Deadline". Funnily enough, his future wife Creator/GeorgiaMoffett had a recurring role as Abigail Nixon.
43** Creator/MartinFreeman made his television debut in 1997's "Mantrap".
44** Creator/JamesMcAvoy made his television debut in 1997's "Rent".
45** Billy Murrary (DS Don Beech) may now be better known for the ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'': ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' trilogy.
46** Six guest roles between 1992 and 2001 were played by Creator/AndreeBernard, who would later be best known for playing Liz Burton in ''Series/{{Hollyoaks}}''.
47** Kate Ferne from "Rough in the Afternoon" is played by Creator/BarbaraNew, who would later be best known for playing Mabel Wheeler in ''Series/YouRangMLord''.
48** Marion Draper from "Having What It Takes" is played by Creator/DianeLangton, who would later be best known for playing Nana [=McQueen=] in ''Series/{{Hollyoaks}}''.
49** A car driver from "Traffic" is played by Creator/DerekRoyle, who would later be best known for playing the second [=LeClerc=] in ''Series/AlloAllo''.
50** Marie Summers from "The Night Watch" and "A Case to Answer" is played by Creator/EmmaChambers, who would later be best known for playing Alice Tinker in ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley''.
51** Paul Morgan from "Runaway" is played by Creator/JamesFleet, who would later be best known for playing Hugo Horton in ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley''.
52** A manageress from "Friday... and Counting" is played by Creator/JuliaDeakin, who would later be best known for playing May Skinner in ''Series/OhDoctorBeeching'' and Marsha Klein in ''Series/{{Spaced}}''.
53** Janet Simmons from "Runaround" is played by Creator/LindaRobson, who would later be best known for playing Tracey Stubbs in ''Series/BirdsOfAFeather''.
54** Maggie from "The Drugs Raid" and Mrs. West from "Dead Man's Boots" is played by Creator/LizSmith, who would later be best known for playing Mrs. Cropley in ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley'' and Nana in ''Series/TheRoyleFamily''.
55** A solicitor from "The Assassins" is played by Creator/OwenBrenman, who would later be best known for playing Nick Swainey in ''Series/OneFootInTheGrave''.
56** Mason from "User Friendly" is played by Creator/RobinParkinson, who would later be best known for playing the third [=LeClerc=] in ''Series/AlloAllo''.
57** Four guest roles from between 1990 and 1995 are played by Creator/TerryJohn, who would later be best known for playing Percy in ''Series/OhDoctorBeeching''.
58** Four guest roles from between 1988 and 1993 are played by Creator/TrevorPeacock, who would later be best known for playing Jim Trott in ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley''.
59** Before his BreakoutRole in ''Series/LittleBritain'', Creator/DavidWalliams played an animal rights activist in a 2002 episode.
60** Creator/AaronTaylorJohnson appeared in a 2003 episode.
61** Creator/FreemaAgyeman appeared in three episodes in 2004 and 2006.
62** Creator/JoelFry appeared in five episodes between 2006 and 2009.
63** Creator/JacobAnderson appeared in the 2007 episode "Code of Silence".
64** Creator/FinnJones appeared in an episode in 2010.
65* SeasonalRot: The show's transition to CrimeTimeSoap from 1999 onwards was not taken well by old fans of the show. The later seasons were widely regarded as having inferior storylines and characters, as well as implausible plots that broke the suspension of disbelief. An equally sore point for the fandom was the show losing much of the hard edged realism of it's earlier years during this time, which was part of what made the show so acclaimed.
66* ShipsThatPassInTheNight: Virtually every romantic storyline between any two of the police officers.
67* SpiritualSuccessor: The series was very much a spiritual successor of ''Series/TheSweeney'' (it shared production personnel with it in the early days). And of ''Series/ZCars'' and ''Series/DixonOfDockGreen'', to a lesser extent.

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