Confessions of a Killer (The Bill)

"Confessions of a Killer (Episode 288)"
The Bill episode
Episode no. Series 21
Episode 14
Directed by Nic Phillips
Written by Simon Moss
Original air date 23 February 2005

"Confessions of a Killer (288)" is an episode of the long-running police procedural television series, The Bill, broadcast in 2005. The episode is significant in the show's history, as it features the events of the second Sun Hill Fire, which resulted in the death of three officers.[1] The episode attracted over nine million viewers, and was only the second time computer generated imagery had been used on the show. The imagery was used because producing a real explosion and fireball ripping through the station corridors was not possible.[1]

Synopsis

The events leading up to the second Sun Hill Fire began in "He Who Has No Will" (278), with the introduction of two new PCSO officers. The first, Laura Bryant, was clean-cut, hardworking and trustworthy. However, the second, Colin Fairfax, was cold, racist, homophobic and bent. After Sgt. Dale Smith discovered his racist attitude, his position was terminated, and DC Ken Drummond was sent to formally arrest him. After being knocked out by Fairfax, Ken awoke in a van laden with explosives hurtling towards the station. Fairfax jumped out before the impact, and the van crashed into the front office, however, the explosives failed to go off. When Reg Hollis phones Station Reception Officer Marilyn Chambers, the sparks from her mobile allow the explosives to ignite, causing an explosion to hurtle through the station. Shortly before the bombing, Gabriel Kent had taken Andrea Dunbar hostage in a store-room, as she threatened to expose him as the Sun Hill Sniper who killed Kerry Young, and reveal his name as false, having assumed his foster brother's identity so he could join the police. As the explosion ripped through Sun Hill, the ceiling caved in on the store room trapping PC Dunbar, and PC Kent left her to die despite begging him to help her and promising she would destroy the evidence against him. In the explosion, Andrea, Marilyn and Ken were all killed, and Fairfax was subsequently bought to justice.

Cast

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Tibballs, Geoff (2006). The Bill: The Official Case Book. Carlton. ISBN 1844421732.
Preceded by
The Return of Don Beech (2004)
Notable storylines
2005
Succeeded by
Live Hostage Situation (2005)