Witness Statements: Making The Bill

by Oliver Crocker

A new unofficial guidebook by Oliver Crocker (All Memories Great & Small, The Bill Podcast) taking fans behind the scenes of the first three series of the long-running police procedural series "The Bill", including the pilot episode ‘Woodentop’. Over 40 cast and crew have shared their memories of working on all 35 of the original hour-long episodes, detailing how this groundbreaking series was created. These in-depth interviews also reveal how these innovative creatives, many being interviewed for the very first time, began their careers in television production.

The first book to be published about "The Bill" in over a decade, features memories from cast members Colin Blumenau (P.C. Taffy Edwards), Ralph Brown (P.C. Pete Muswell), Graham Cole (P.C. Tony Stamp), Neil Conrich (Det. Con. Pete Sanders), Nula Conwell (W.P.C. Viv Martella), Larry Dann (Sgt. Alec Peters), Peter Dean (Sgt. Jack Wilding), Peter Ellis (Chief. Supt. Charles Brownlow), Chris Ellison (Det. Sgt. Burnside), Trudie Goodwin (W.P.C. June Ackland), Ashley Gunstock (P.C. Robin Frank), Robert Hudson (P.C. Yorkie Smith), Jon Iles (Det. Con. Mike Dashwood), Lawrence Lambert (Guest Star), Mark Powley (P.C. Ken Melvin), Cory Pulman (Guest Star), Eric Richard (Sgt. Bob Cryer), John Salthouse (Det. Insp. Roy Galloway), Sonesh Sira (P.C. Dinesh Patel), Mark Wingett (P.C. Jim Carver) and Barbara Young (Guest Star).

From behind the scenes: Barry Appleton (Writer & Technical Advisor), Philip Blowers (Designer), Derek Cotty (Production Manager), Peter Cregeen (Producer/Director), Chris Dingley (Camera Operator), Marilyn Edwards (Stage Manager), Peter Errington (Floor Manager), Michael Ferguson (Director), Ellie Gleave (Production Assistant), Lionel Goldstein (Writer), Ginnie Hole (Writer), Paul Langwade (Sound), Julian Meers (Floor Manager), Isobel Neil (Production Assistant), Pat O’Connell (Casting Director), Edwin Pearce (Writer), Jonathan Posner (Location Manager), Garance Rawinsky (Location Manager), Christopher Russell (Writer), Bruce Sabin (Camera Operator), Jennie Tate (Costume Designer), Nigel Wilson (Stage Manager) and John Woods (Director).

Witness Statements also features eighteen rare and previously unreleased behind the scenes photographs, plus viewing figures for selected episodes published for the first time!

Paperback

About the author

Oliver Crocker is a ghostwriter and TV historian. He is the author of the bestselling All Memories Great & Small, endorsed by the James Herriot estate, and two Witness Statements: Making The Bill guidebooks, featuring memories from 100 cast and crew. In 2023, Oliver ghostwrote actor Larry Dann’s acclaimed autobiography Oh, What A Lovely Memoir. As a television researcher, his credits include ITV’s This Morning and BBC’s Something for the Weekend. Since 2017, he has interviewed hundreds of special guests as producer of The Bill Podcast, played over 500,000 times in 50 countries. He also writes articles for Best of British magazine. Oliver lives near Cambridge with his wife Tessa and their ginger cat Fawkes.

Reviews

[Ben Peyton · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to know anything, I mean anything, about TV’s The Bill, ask author Oliver Crocker.

Not only does he host the superb The Bill Podcast which features interviews with cast and crew from every era of this great show, but now he’s brought us a fascinating insight into the groundbreaking show’s first few series.

Oliver’s writing is easily accessible and showcases his passion for The Bill to perfection. His painstakingly accurate attention to detail sets him apart and his words fly off the page and are a joy to read.

Witness Statements is a must have book for those interested in The Bill or behind the scenes of iconic television shows.

Bring on the next book and do check out Oliver’s other works and his wonderful Podcast.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watching the very early days of The Bill is like walking into a room midway through someone else’s conversation, only in this case, you are not ignored you are included. The Bill was a game-changer in television production when it was brought to the screen for the first time in 1983 as a pilot called Woodentop. It was a police show unlike any other and was definitely one of the first of what we now know as the ‘Police Procedural’, and whilst these have evolved over the years, The Bill’s early years remains true to the docudrama style of the genre.

Reading Oliver Crocker’s latest book Witness Statements was an eye-opener for me. I am very familiar with the first few years of The Bill, but more in terms of the finished product. Witness Statements taught me a whole new side to the beginnings of this unique drama. The book is a joy to read for a TV nerd like myself, full of wonderful cast anecdotes about their time on the show, full of fond memories and life-long friendships made. But the most striking read is the memories of the crew. Their interviews contain a world of insight and information about 1980s TV production techniques and values. You gain a special insight into the groundbreaking techniques introduced, often on the fly, in order to cope with the “fly on the wall” documentary style of filming required to fit in with Geoff McQueen’s original ideas.

The main reason there is so much information given is Crocker, himself. He has the gift of making people comfortable and making the interview process relaxed and fun, and in that situation, coupled with his genuine enthusiasm, people are happy to open up. Not one person involved with The Bill from the start has a bad memory. Everyone loved their time on the show and Crocker brings this to the fore with his conversational writing style. I felt I was in the room with them, hearing them speak first hand. You are part of the family as you read, making the experience all the more enjoyable. There is a wealth of information to be had and it is conveyed in an easy, open style, which makes the production side of things easy to understand for the casual reader. This book was truly worth the time, price and wait.

[George Fairbrother · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witness Statements is a wonderful insight into the making of one of the most innovative and successful British television dramas of all. The amount of research and attention to detail is staggering, and the first person accounts from those in front and behind the camera give the book a great sense of momentum and immediacy. As a reader, you feel right there during production.

When The Bill hit the screens in the 1980s, it was almost like the actors had come from nowhere, although many had enjoyed successful and diverse careers beforehand. This gave the series a heightened sense of realism, which was the intention, and this was only enhanced by some groundbreaking documentary style camerawork. Recollections in Witness Statements remind us that making things look so spontaneous and natural actually took a lot of planning, thought and experience. It is fascinating to actually get up close to the creative process, particularly as recounted by the more experienced actors like Eric Richard (Sergeant Cryer) and John Salthouse (DI Galloway) and it gives us a whole new respect for their talent and commitment. Their dependable onscreen personas carried over into the creative side, as they mentored some of the younger actors in the early stages of their careers.

Oliver is a highly accomplished and obviously trusted interviewer, as is evident from his series of podcasts interviewing many of the actors, writers and crew also featuring in Witness Statements. This experience and good judgement is reflected in the structure of the book, in that he had the confidence to keep himself out of the way, allowing the interviewees the space to speak for themselves, directly to the reader.

It is a wonderful companion to the podcast series, but can be equally enjoyed on its own.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so overjoyed to discover Witness Statements, the first book written about The Bill in over a decade. And it was so worth the wait! This book is full of information, from the very people who created the first three series of The Bill. Over 40 members of cast and crew have shared their memories for this book. This book gives a fascinating insight into not only the making of the first three episodes of The Bill but also of British television during this era. I would highly recommend to other readers.

[Sebastien · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've been lucky enough to experience the first three series of the ground breaking British police procedural, The Bill, and you want something to give you an idea of what it was like making the show, then Oliver Crocker has the perfect book for you- Witness Statements: The Making of the Bill Series 1-3! Jam-packed with interviews with cast and crew that worked on the show, some of which you may have already heard recounted on the Bill Podcast (hosted by none other than the wonderful author of this book, Mr. Oliver Crocker himself), there is a wealth of information about the show's early beginnings. Every interviewee has a good story to tell, and the interviews with the various writers, directors, producers, production managers and more paint a lovely picture of the familial feelings everyone working on the show had together, something many lamented losing after the third series ended.
Whether you're a die hard fan that needs to have everything and anything connected to the Bill, or a more casual viewer who wants a taste of what it was like to work on telly during the mid to late 80s, this is the perfect book for you!

[Rob Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witness Statements gives us a different take on the making of the early years of classic cop show The Bill.

In this excellent book, the cast and crew speak about their time making the original three series together with anecdotes about their lives and careers before joining the show. This gives a breath of fresh air to the history of the series compared to previous behind the scenes books that focus on the same characters and storylines time and time again.

It was great to finally get the low down on the 'missing' uncompleted series one episode referenced in a 1994 behind the scenes book and the excerpts with John Salthouse finally give us insight into his time on the show and his ultimate departure from the role of D.I. Galloway.

If you're a fan of the The Bill then this is the book for you - I can't wait for the next volume!

[Stewart Cotterill · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid viewer of The Bill from the late 1980s onwards this book is a fascinating look into the early years of its production.

I’ve always said that if you want to understand the social history of the UK from the mid 1980s onwards then you could do worse than watch The Bill as it dealt with many issues.

This book is a must for fans of The Bill or for those who want to have a snapshot of how TV was produced in the 1980s.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and highly readable account of the production of the first three series of The Bill. I felt that the focus on both production staff and cast made the book all the more interesting. An excellent book written in an engaging and entertaining manner by Oliver Crocker.

If the reader wants more information I can also highly recommend the Bill Podcast which interviews those involved in the show throughout the years.