TV executives lament 'The Bill' axing

A number of television executives have today expressed concern and disappointment over ITV's axing of The Bill, claiming that the industry will suffer following the loss of the show.

Last month, it was announced that the police drama is to be dropped after 27 years on the air. Declining ratings were blamed for the decision.

Speaking to The Guardian, controller of BBC drama production John Yorke questioned how new writing talent can be developed without ongoing serials like The Bill.

Yorke commented: "Five years ago it was possible for talent to cut their teeth on Brookside, Dream Team, Family Affairs, Grange Hill. The last ten years you've seen us move from continuing drama reigning supreme to a time where it's had to accept reality and The X Factor - and realise that means we all have to work much harder.

"The loss of The Bill will have a dreadful effect on the ecosystem of drama. It leaves almost all of the training of new talent in the hands of the BBC through EastEnders, Holby and Casualty."

Channel 4's head of drama Camilla Campbell argued: "We have a new talent scheme but you can't only have raw teenagers writing for Skins. You need expert script editors, producers, writers - and they have always come from continuing drama. If you didn't have any of those shows, I don't know how you'd get a job in television."

Left Bank Pictures executive Francis Hopkinson, who worked on The Bill in the '90s, also lamented the programme's fate, claiming that "there's nowhere better to try stuff out".

Meanwhile, The Bill's series producer Tim Key said that serials deserve more recognition because they "have to tell stories rooted in reality to a mainstream audience". He added: "That seems to be fading away."