The Bill - Season 8

The Bill

Season 8

1992 • 105 Episodes

The eighth series of The Bill, a British television drama, consisted of 105 episodes, broadcast between 2 January – 31 December 1992. The series was released on DVD for the first time on 6 June 2012, in Australia. It features the above artwork, which features images of PC Steve Loxton and DC Mike Dashwood.

Episodes

The Best Policy - The Bill

1. The Best Policy

January 2, 1992

D.C.I. Reid's influence in high places suddenly makes D.I. Burnside look vulnerable to criticism. CID investigate an armed robbery.

A Friend In Need - The Bill

2. A Friend In Need

January 7, 1992

P.C. Quinnan is the subject of a civil complaint. P.C.s Stamp and Stringer follow up on a fire at a home for ex-psychiatric patients, but find little care in the community.

Whose Side Are You On? - The Bill

3. Whose Side Are You On?

January 9, 1992

D.C. Lines investigates a mugging, and tries to get the victim charged with the murder of his assailant.

Lip Service - The Bill

4. Lip Service

January 14, 1992

D.C. Lines is enjoying an off-duty pint in his local pub and becomes involved in a bar brawl.

Illegals - The Bill

5. Illegals

January 16, 1992

D.C. Lines investigates when a cellarful of illegal immigrants is discovered. He enlists the help of Sgt. Boyden, who takes a fancy to one of the females. Lines warns him off.

Fair Play - The Bill

6. Fair Play

January 21, 1992

P.C. Quinnan investigates the illegal sale of steroids. P.C. Garfield is put on the spot when his old sparring partner is arrested.

Dinosaur - The Bill

7. Dinosaur

January 23, 1992

D.I. Burnside's unorthodox policing methods, which include flushing an informant's head down a toilet, set him on a collision course with D.C.I. Reid, who has already received several complaints about Sun Hill officers. Reid fears the worst when she is called in to Scotland Yard for an urgent meeting with MS15.

Joyride - The Bill

8. Joyride

January 28, 1992

A girl is seriously injured in a joyriding incident. Ch. Supt. Brownlow must decide whether he is prepared to risk a riot by sending officers into an estate to round up the culprits.

Not Waving - The Bill

9. Not Waving

January 30, 1992

A student nurse is sexually assaulted. D.I. Burnside arrests the obvious suspect, but he escapes from police custody.

Mates - The Bill

10. Mates

February 4, 1992

Sgt. Cryer is finding being non-operational tedious. He goes undercover as a punter in a brothel, but his presence on the operation antagonises Sgt. Peters. Cryer goes to sees Ch. Supt. Brownlow about giving up his job as duty sergeant and going back to the relief.

Lost Boy - The Bill

11. Lost Boy

February 6, 1992

D.S. Greig is led to a vice ring when searching for a missing thirteen-year-old boy. D.C. Dashwood and W.P.C. Ackland are brought into an operation against ponces running rent boys.

Chicken - The Bill

12. Chicken

February 11, 1992

P.C. Stringer tries to stop some children from playing 'chicken' on the railway line, but one of them is run down by a train. Sgt. Peters transfers upstairs to the post of duty sergeant, swapping roles with Bob Cryer, who returns to the relief.

Somebody Special - The Bill

13. Somebody Special

February 13, 1992

Acting D.I. Greig tries to recruit a hardened female thief as a snout, but finds her more than a match for him. D.C.I. Reid is promoted out of Sun Hill to MS15.

Previous Convictions - The Bill

14. Previous Convictions

February 18, 1992

Investigating an apparent accident in which a man's hand is crushed in a car-breaker's yard, Sgt. Maitland uncovers years of animosity, neglect and revenge.

Beggar My Neighbour - The Bill

15. Beggar My Neighbour

February 20, 1992

A tramp is attacked, leading the police into a web of crime.

It's A Small World - The Bill

16. It's A Small World

February 25, 1992

Thinking of leaving the force, D.C. Dashwood is tempted by a lucrative business opportunity with a firm of security consultants.

Licence - The Bill

17. Licence

February 27, 1992

A man convicted of strangling his wife has been released on licence, but the probation service fails to notify Sun Hill. His presence comes to light when his son causes a disturbance.

Comeback - The Bill

18. Comeback

March 3, 1992

The community police station run by P.C. Smollett is fire-bombed. The area car is stolen from P.C. Loxton and W.P.C. Datta, and it is written off in an RTA.

Fireproof - The Bill

19. Fireproof

March 5, 1992

D.I. Burnside leads an investigation into the firebombing of the community police station.

The Paddy Factor - The Bill

20. The Paddy Factor

March 10, 1992

D.C. Carver and W.D.C. Martella have a car thief under observation, and see him shot as he gets into a car. The Anti-Terrorist Squad is called in, and the IRA is suspected.

The Wild Rover - The Bill

21. The Wild Rover

March 12, 1992

D.S. Roach ignores the Anti-Terrorist Squad, and investigates a possible IRA cell.

Coincidence - The Bill

22. Coincidence

March 17, 1992

A small boy known for lying claims to have been the subject of an attempted abduction in an adventure playground.

Going Soft - The Bill

23. Going Soft

March 19, 1992

A routine trip to a magistrate for a warrant turns into a nightmare for D.C. Dashwood when he is taken prisoner by two hooded burglars.

Re-Hab - The Bill

24. Re-Hab

March 24, 1992

Jack Meadows arrives to take charge of Sun Hill CID. He becomes involved with a father suspected of murdering his drug addict son.

Acting Detective - The Bill

25. Acting Detective

March 26, 1992

A woman who collapsed at an airport is found to be a mule, smuggling drugs in her stomach. D.I. Burnside, with only limited time to mount an operation, gets W.P.C. French to take the courier's place in an attempt to uncover the dealer.

Stopover - The Bill

26. Stopover

March 31, 1992

P.C. Smollett tries to offer a follow-up service to victims of crime. A woman whose husband is in prison, and who runs a guesthouse, keeps reporting an intruder on the premises. Smollett gives her support, but P.C. Garfield thinks he is wasting his time.

Suspects - The Bill

27. Suspects

April 2, 1992

D.S. Greig arrests a suspect for an armed robbery, but is proved wrong.

All The King's Horses - The Bill

28. All The King's Horses

April 7, 1992

A lorry overturns and sheds its load outside a school, burying a boy and girl and putting P.C. Loxton to the test.

Party Politics - The Bill

29. Party Politics

April 9, 1992

W.D.C. Martella celebrates her birthday. D.I. Burnside and D.S. Roach go to a party attended by a crooked businessman, who makes Burnside an offer he can't refuse.

Trials & Tribulations - The Bill

30. Trials & Tribulations

April 14, 1992

W.P.C. Marshall becomes a vital witness in a murder trial, and soon realises that someone is trying to intimidate her.

A Can Of Worms - The Bill

31. A Can Of Worms

April 16, 1992

A traffic accident draws attention to a minicab firm.

Timing - The Bill

32. Timing

April 21, 1992

D.C.I. Meadows tries to find the link between three arson attacks. D.S. Roach and D.C. Dashwood track down an escaped prisoner, but Roach seems more interested in his beautiful wife.

A Nice Little Line In Plastic - The Bill

33. A Nice Little Line In Plastic

April 23, 1992

P.C. Quinnan and W.P.C. Datta arrest a girl using stolen credit cards and uncover a major racket.

Trial & Error - The Bill

34. Trial & Error

April 24, 1992

An armed robber who put an innocent bystander in an wheelchair has his house firebombed by the victim's son. D.I. Burnside is determined to see justice done.

Owning Up - The Bill

35. Owning Up

April 30, 1992

P.C.s Loxton and Stringer follow up on a mugging but their case is nearly ruined when it collides with an investigation by D.S. Greig and D.C.I. Meadows. Can W.P.C. Ackland crack the case?

Up Behind - The Bill

36. Up Behind

May 5, 1992

It's Saturday night, but CID are at work trailing a known criminal believed to be responsible for a series of artifice burglaries involving pensioners.

Appearances - The Bill

37. Appearances

May 7, 1992

Following an argument with a drunken pub customer, a young barmaid is hit by a car and later dies. P.C.s Quinnan and Stringer have their suspicions about the customer. Could it be manslaughter?

Principled Negotiation - The Bill

38. Principled Negotiation

May 12, 1992

D.I. Burnside and D.S. Roach look favourably on an ex-villain with a loan-shark problem, but they expect favours in return.

Sign Of Our Times - The Bill

39. Sign Of Our Times

May 14, 1992

An armed robber admits to D.C. Lines that redundancy and the repossession of his house made him take to crime to solve his problems.

Priorities - The Bill

40. Priorities

May 19, 1992

P.C.s Stringer and Loxton attend to a theft at an old people's home and begin to suspect that the ex-policeman who runs the home is ill-treating residents.

Users - The Bill

41. Users

May 21, 1992

W.D.C. Martella arrests a woman for drug dealing. D.I. Burnside suspects that she is using teenage girls as couriers by offering them free holidays in Spain, but she is being exploited by a bigger dealer.

Man Of The People - The Bill

42. Man Of The People

May 26, 1992

P.C. Stringer wins the election for the post of Federation Rep, beating the incumbent P.C. Hollis by fifty-eight votes to two. Ch. Supt. Brownlow decides to eat in the canteen with the other ranks, much to their discomfort.

Runaway - The Bill

43. Runaway

May 28, 1992

D.S Roach investigates the beating of a teenage girl, and tries to establish if his suspect is also responsible for a number of murders being investigated by AMIP.

Exposures - The Bill

44. Exposures

June 2, 1992

A young model claims that she was sexually assaulted during a photographic session. W.D.C. Martella discovers that every picture tells a story.

Better The Devil - The Bill

45. Better The Devil

June 4, 1992

P.C. Stringer gets involved with a bizarre household, and discovers a horrifying case of parental cruelty in the attic. W.P.C. Marshall goes on attachment to the Domestic Violence Unit at Stafford Row.

Prisoners - The Bill

46. Prisoners

June 9, 1992

Sgt. Boyden and P.C. Hollis are hoping for a quiet night in the custody suite at Sun Hill, but that's not how it turns out.

World To Rights - The Bill

47. World To Rights

June 11, 1992

W.P.C. Marshall, on attachment to the Domestic Violence Unit at Stafford Row, makes an error of judgement and is attacked by a woman's husband.

Do The Right Thing - The Bill

48. Do The Right Thing

June 16, 1992

P.C. Stringer is mugged by a gang, and determines to get his own back. P.C. Quinnan and W.P.C. Datta follow a cheque card fraudster.

Hiding To Nothing - The Bill

49. Hiding To Nothing

June 18, 1992

P.C. Stamp is ambushed by a gang of youths on a local estate. In trying to assist him, W.P.C. Ackland crashes the Area car, much to P.C. Loxton's delight.

Punching Judy - The Bill

50. Punching Judy

June 23, 1992

A woman lies critically injured in hospital, beaten up by her husband. D.S. Greig and D.C.I. Meadows interview the husband. W.P.C. Marshall decides to quit the Domestic Violence Unit.

Vicious Circles - The Bill

51. Vicious Circles

June 25, 1992

P.C. Hollis arrests a woman for being drunk in charge of a baby, and finds himself drawn into a complicated family set-up.

Up All Night - The Bill

52. Up All Night

June 30, 1992

P.C. Garfield pursues a burglar and is beaten up. Sgt. Boyden's inaction brings hostility from the relief and trouble for D.S. Roach.

Part Of The Furniture - The Bill

53. Part Of The Furniture

July 2, 1992

D.C. Dashwood is to be transferred to the Art and Antiques Squad. D.S. Roach hands him a burglary at an infants' school as a wind-up, but it develops into a case that allows Dashwood to show the others a thing or two.

Snakes & Ladders - The Bill

54. Snakes & Ladders

July 7, 1992

It's P.C. Garfield's first day back after the attack. The relief place bets on the likelihood of Garfield punching Sgt. Boyden, but Garfield eventually takes his revenge.

Street Cleaning - The Bill

55. Street Cleaning

July 9, 1992

Sgt. Cryer gets the relief to put the Garfield-Boyden conflict behind them and get back to work, to sort out the takeover of genuine beggars' pitches by violent professional thieves.

Hands Up - The Bill

56. Hands Up

July 14, 1992

Conway decides he needs to get back on the beat, and arrests a drunk for criminal damage.

A Scandalous Act - The Bill

57. A Scandalous Act

July 16, 1992

P.C. Garfield brings in a teenaged girl arrested at a drugs party, and she accuses him of sexually assaulting her.

Raiders - The Bill

58. Raiders

July 21, 1992

A ram-raid ends in tragedy when a boy is killed. But what was his part in the affair?

Talk Out - The Bill

59. Talk Out

July 23, 1992

A middle-aged couple arrive at the front desk and report their neighbour missing, but W.P.C. Ackland isn't sure that they are telling the whole truth.

True Confessions - The Bill

60. True Confessions

July 28, 1992

D.S. Roach is put under pressure when a suspect retracts a confession and accuses the police of oppression.

Private Enterprise - The Bill

61. Private Enterprise

July 30, 1992

D.C.I. Meadows tackles CID about passing intelligence to the collator; but D.S. Roach is reluctant to share information relating to his current operation.

Getting Through - The Bill

62. Getting Through

August 4, 1992

The night shift is saddled with a feud between two men who come to the front desk with allegations of GBH against each other.

Last Night Of Freedom - The Bill

63. Last Night Of Freedom

August 6, 1992

Someone is stabbed on a stag night, but the likely suspect can't remember a thing about it.

Cutting Loose - The Bill

64. Cutting Loose

August 11, 1992

Burnside and Lines are returning a chief suspect to prison when they are ambushed by a gang of masked men, who spring him.

Soft Targer - The Bill

65. Soft Targer

August 13, 1992

P.C. Smollett discovers that a local villain is driving people out of their flats and reletting them to squatters. At Sun Hill, a civilian typist is discovered to be having an affair with a known villain.

I've Never Been To Harrogate - The Bill

66. I've Never Been To Harrogate

August 18, 1992

D.S. Greig and D.C. Woods investigate the mysterious collapse of an old lady who has been burgled.

Human Resources - The Bill

67. Human Resources

August 20, 1992

Two con men are preying on women through the small ads in the local paper. Lack of personnel for D.S. Roach's operation places W.D.C. Martella in danger.

Exit - The Bill

68. Exit

August 25, 1992

A loan shark is attacked. D.S. Greig has a vital witness who is young, blonde and pretty, but she keeps stringing him along, and then disappears.

Loyalties - The Bill

69. Loyalties

August 27, 1992

Acting on information from a snout, D.I. Burnside mounts a raid on crack-houses. When details of the raid are leaked, D.C.I. Meadows challenges Burnside over the trustworthiness of his team.

Snapshot - The Bill

70. Snapshot

September 1, 1992

A complaint over loud music quickly escalates into an armed siege, as a man waves a gun at P.C.s Stamp and Quinnan.

Letting Go - The Bill

71. Letting Go

September 3, 1992

Reg is playing with a train set before going out. He is looking for a place to live as he is moving out of the section house but ends up moving to a different corridor instead. Greig and Tosh investigates a stabbing in a station car park. The case is being dropped but Greig goes to see the widow and finds a new lead. June and Reg act as back up to bailiffs trying to evict a family. The case is turned over to Tosh.

Travelling Light - The Bill

72. Travelling Light

September 8, 1992

Viv helps Donna dress up for a reconstruction of a murder case. They find a man who spoke to the dead woman and gives them a new lead. The ex-boyfriend of the murder victim asks to see Burnside protesting his innocence.

Radio Waves - The Bill

73. Radio Waves

September 10, 1992

Monroe talks to Conway about a problem with a car chase. Tony and Dave were chasing joy riders with Ron in the back. Norika and George help catch the children who were joy riding. CID think they might be part of a gang knocking off car stereos. The fathers have a fight in custody after their children were interviewed.

A Blind Eye - The Bill

74. A Blind Eye

September 15, 1992

Viv brings in an elderly mugging victim who helps make an identikit picture. Boyden gets spoken to by Monroe about working with the relief. Tony assists George with a disturbance when there is another mugging which turns out to be a misunderstanding. Tony see what he thinks is a mugger getting beaten up but the suspect turns out to be an off-duty copper.

Sympathy For the Devil - The Bill

75. Sympathy For the Devil

September 17, 1992

Tosh is at the building society waiting for an armed robber. Dave and Barry assist CID and they catch an old age pensioner. Steve goes to a disturbance behind a pub. He finds an attacked man. He thinks it might be racially motivated. It turns out to be a revenge attack.

Force Is Part of the Service - The Bill

76. Force Is Part of the Service

September 22, 1992

Brownlow and Conway have a meeting with councillors about the changes in the police force. Conway gives them a tour of the station. Steve brings in a man suspected of street robbery. The man accuses Steve of harassment. Reg tells Steve the bad news that he brought in the wrong man. The man makes a complaint against Steve and Brownlow wants it sorted honestly. Steve is trying to get George to back up his story.

On the Record, Off the Record - The Bill

77. On the Record, Off the Record

September 24, 1992

CID investigates a break-in at a warehouse which resulted in the theft of personal CD players. Steve spots the van used in the robbery. After talking to a worker with form, fingers start pointing at the security guard. Jim gets spoken to by Meadows about complaints. He gets into further trouble after arresting a man on information received.

Stoning the Glasshouse - The Bill

78. Stoning the Glasshouse

September 29, 1992

Bob visits a friend who is the head of a neighbourhood watch. His son is stealing to support his drug habit. Bob's friend thinks the police are turning a blind eye towards the Cockcroft Estate. Conway gets a report on the Cockcroft Estate and a visit from the head of the Cockcroft Action Committee complaining of harassment.

Tip-Off - The Bill

79. Tip-Off

October 1, 1992

Tosh is asked for by a burglar whom he put inside. He gives Tosh information that there might be a bank robbery. CID catches the robbers after the job but when Tosh tries to arrange protection for his informant he is too late as the man has had his face slashed. Reg talks to Donna for an article in the station newspaper.

Open to Offers - The Bill

80. Open to Offers

October 6, 1992

Monroe and the relief go to a pub where some men are damaging it. One of the men tries to blackmail Dave over some moonlighting Dave did to get off the charge. Monroe thinks the men might be involved in protection. Dave tells both Sgts Boyden and Maitland who advises him to tell Monroe. Dave asks Barry's advice as Fed Rep. Barry asks Reg's advice as he was previous Fed Rep.

Playing God - The Bill

81. Playing God

October 8, 1992

CID are tied up with a court case. A burglary suspect of Ted's may have to be released as he is at court. Tony brings in an old lady who has been abusive in the street. Dave and George find a man in the street who might have killed his wife who had terminal cancer.

Crack of Doom - The Bill

82. Crack of Doom

October 13, 1992

There is a search of people looking for crack. A man has a scuffle with another man and claims a piece of crack was planted on him. Tony discovers the man, an ex-boxer, lives over the road from the crack house and CID ask if they could use it as a base for an obbo.

Spit and Polish - The Bill

83. Spit and Polish

October 15, 1992

Steve is late for shift. Just as Steve is about to arrest a fine defaulter Dave is nearly run over by a speeding BMW. Steve really wants to arrest the fine defaulter, who has already left by the time he gets back, but Dave wants to deal with the driver. They find the body of the car owner's lover in the boot of the car.

Overdue - The Bill

84. Overdue

October 20, 1992

Burnside talks to a snout in a bus queue about a delivery. Woods and Carver observe the delivery and CID raid the premises. The cartons contain bricks and motor parts instead of the stolen goods expected. Burnside goes to a promotions board and is passed over.

We Should Be Talking - The Bill

85. We Should Be Talking

October 22, 1992

George is following a silver car that might have been involved in a ramraid. While checking in with the station, his radio goes dead. Sgt. Cryer discovers the radio link is down. June is investigating a failure to stop and enlists the help of people on the estate to help find a hurt kid.

Reasonable Grounds - The Bill

86. Reasonable Grounds

October 27, 1992

Norika goes to see a man about a missing child. Barry has to tell a man his brother is dead after complaining of having to let a suspected burglar go with a caution. the man takes off as soon as he sees Barry.

Discipline - The Bill

87. Discipline

October 29, 1992

An obbo on a club nearly goes wrong when a fight starts outside it. The man who started the fight turns out to be a D. S. suspended from the Drug Squad.

Minefield - The Bill

88. Minefield

November 3, 1992

Sgt. Maitland finds himself in the wrong when he discovers a serious procedural error meant that a dangerous and possibly psychopathic man has been arrested twice for the same offence and released.

Gamers - The Bill

89. Gamers

November 5, 1992

Tosh investigates a fire bombing of an Asian shop. Dave and Cathy investigates an Asian lady accused of shoplifting. Cathy thinks there is something going on. Her husband is gambling. Dave and Sgt. Boyden join the game.

Occupational Hazard - The Bill

90. Occupational Hazard

November 10, 1992

When sex appeal doesn't get him what he wants, Harry Osborne turns vicious. W.D.C. Martella has to pick up the pieces.

Just Send Some Flowers - The Bill

91. Just Send Some Flowers

November 12, 1992

W.D.C. Martella investigates a burglary that occurred during a funeral. D.C. Carver links it to previous burglaries and an employee with a criminal record who claims to be innocent.

Waifs and Strays - The Bill

92. Waifs and Strays

November 17, 1992

A missing girl's blood-stained book leads D.C. Lines to uncover the family's dark secrets and come up with an unexpected result. P.C. Hollis has to deal with a lost dog. P.C. Loxton discovers the dog has been beaten and decides to keep it.

Happy Families - The Bill

93. Happy Families

November 19, 1992

What's a smart girl like Sharon doing with a villain like Daniel Batt? D.I. Burnside thinks it's all to do with female hormones, but W.D.C. Martella isn't so sure.

Well Out of Order - The Bill

94. Well Out of Order

November 24, 1992

Meadows and Burnside want to go in force to the Tankeray estate to root out the criminal element, but Brownlow is committed to a softer approach. P.C. Smollett proves more effective than C.I.D. at catching a dangerous mugger.

Into The Mire - The Bill

95. Into The Mire

November 26, 1992

CID receive information that leads to the arrest of a prolific handler of stolen goods.

Master Of The House - The Bill

96. Master Of The House

December 1, 1992

The body of a respectable family man is found on a notorious patch of wasteland.

Fireworks - The Bill

97. Fireworks

December 3, 1992

Stamp uses some old-fashioned policing methods to tackle the problem of children playing with railway detonators.

Cold Shoulder - The Bill

98. Cold Shoulder

December 8, 1992

A local youth with form is stabbed in the centre of a densely populated housing development. D.C.I. Meadows investigates when no witnesses come forward.

Safety First - The Bill

99. Safety First

December 10, 1992

D.I. Burnside investigates when a pawnbroker is shot in the leg with a legally-acquired shotgun during a robbery at his shop.

Counting the Cost - The Bill

100. Counting the Cost

December 15, 1992

A local hero who prevented a robbery, and was severely injured in the process, but received no compensation, is being harassed by a scrap dealer until W.P.C. Ackland turns the tables with some harassment of her own.

Compassion - The Bill

101. Compassion

December 17, 1992

A probation officer seems eager to assist D.I. Burnside over the murder of a prostitute, but how close is she to the murderer?

Finders Keepers - The Bill

102. Finders Keepers

December 22, 1992

D.C. Carver finds a buried treasure and the glory should be his. D.C. Dashwood, now with the Art and Antiques Squad, takes the case away and gets a result.

Return Match - The Bill

103. Return Match

December 24, 1992

When a collection of valuable dolls is stolen, D.C. Dashwood from the Art and Antiques Squad turns up, wrong-foots D.C. Lines and gets a result.

High Places - The Bill

104. High Places

December 29, 1992

An ex-criminal who used to be part of a circus high-wire act is found dead, apparently from a fall, but the pathologist says he died elsewhere.

When Push Comes To Shove - The Bill

105. When Push Comes To Shove

December 31, 1992

Sun Hill officers are drinking after shift when some troublemakers arrive at the pub. W.P.C. Ackland tries to calm the situation, but P.C.s Quinnan and Loxton decide that she needs their protection, and provoke a fight with a violent thug.