A Friend in Need
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For the painting by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, see Dogs Playing Poker.
"A Friend in Need" is an episode of the long running British Police drama The Bill, broadcast on the ITV Network. This is the second episode of the first series.
[edit] Synopsis
Chief Superintendent Charles Brownlow gives DI Roy Galloway the task of investigating a series of bomb hoaxes in restaurants around the area. The DI puts a bet on with Sgt. Bob Cryer that he'll have it solved in a week. PC Jim Carver is taking out new fast-track PC Higgins on the beat, and they come across an old drunk who Carver helps find his way home ... but when the drunk sobers up, he accuses Carver of stealing his wallet.
[edit] Main Credits
- Written by Barry Appleton
- Directed by Peter Creegen
[edit] Notes
- The Bill creator Geoff McQueen later stated that one of his series strengths was the fact that "we never show the criminals devising their plan without a police officer being present in the scene". However, there are in fact several times in the first series when this is not the case. Although much of "A Friend in Need" is seen from the point-of view of the officers, there are also several points where the narrative switches to that of the three people responsible for the bomb hoax as they carry out their crime.
- Ex-policeman Barry Appleton was the most prolific writer of Series One, contributing seven out of the eleven scripts. He is also arguably as important as Geoff McQueen in creating the template of what The Bill would become. On the pilot episode, Appleton was credited as "Technical Advisor".
