Fatal Consequences (The Bill)

"Fatal Consequences (Episode 162)"
The Bill episode
Episode no. Series 19
Episode 87
Directed by Sylvie Boden
Written by Tom Needham
Original air date 30 October 2003

"Fatal Consequences" is an episode of the long-running ITV police-procedural drama series, The Bill. The episode is significant in the show's history as it is the first of two episodes broadcast live. Fatal Consequences was broadcast live on 30 October 2003 at 8:00pm, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the show's pilot episode, "Woodentop". The episode was written by Tom Needham, directed by Sylvie Boden and produced by Susan Mather and Donna Wiffen. The episode was watched by over 10 million viewers [1] Chris Jarvis later claimed that the stress of the live episode, caused some actors to vomit, prior to broadcast.[2]

Synopsis

The episode follows on from the cliffhanger events of Compromising the Op (Episode 161), where Detective Constable Juliet Becker was seen to have been held hostage by an intoxicated man called Mark, whom she and Constable Cathy Bradford previously arrested for causing criminal damage to a phone box. Despite PC Bradford's attempts to negotiate with Mark, Juliet is held hostage in a carrier located in the station yard. PC Bradford alerts the rest of the station by sounding the custody suite's alarm, and a group of the station's officers rush into the station yard, led by Superintendent Adam Okaro, who attempts to negotiate with Mark. As Mark airs his intentions of killing DC Becker, Superintendent Okaro signals the order for the van to be broken into. Once the officers storm the van and Mark is restrained, it is discovered that DC Becker has been stabbed in the stomach, and is positioned on the yard floor awaiting an ambulance. Officers try frantically to stem DC Becker's arterial bleed and keep her calm before the ambulance arrives, and while waiting for it, Superintendent Okaro considers rushing DC Becker to A & E in the area-car, but decides against it, due to her unstable condition. Upon the ambulance arriving, DC Becker is rushed to St. Hugh's Hospital accompanied by Sergeant Sheelagh Murphy. After failed attempts to resuscitate DC Becker, she is pronounced dead.

While the situation is in progress, Sergeant June Ackland is already at St Hugh's Hospital accompanying an injured prisoner. While there, she finds Detective Constable Jim Carver with an injured face, and discovers that his wife has been beating him. This leads them to reminisce about Jim's first day, the events of which were shown in the pilot episode, "Woodentop". Outside St Hugh's Hospital, Sergeant Sheelagh Murphy is unaware she is being watched by the father of her unborn baby, Des Taviner, who is alive after having staged his own death, as he was discovered to be responsible for the murder of six officers. Meanwhile, Constable Gary Best is concerned for the welfare of his missing father. The prime suspect in his father's disappearance, Ellis, was arrested following an armed siege by Detective Sergeant Samantha Nixon and Detective Constable Ken Drummond, only for the interview to be interrupted by Detective Constable Mickey Webb from the Murder Investigation Team. During the investigation into PC Best's father's whereabouts, a van is discovered awash with the blood of his father, leading Detective Constables Eva Sharpe and Rob Thatcher to discover a decaying body. After the body is formally identified as PC Best's father, he attacks Ellis while he is being charged and is in police custody. In the confusion, Ellis flees from the custody suite running up the fire exit stairway and gaining access to the roof, and is pursued by PC Best. In the resulting fight, they both fall off the station roof landing on a vehicle below, with Ellis being killed and Gary escaping death due to the cushioning effect of Ellis's body which impacted first.

Cast

References

  1. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3230209.stm
  2. ↑ "Bullies made school hell. After that, doing The Bill LIVE on TV in front of 11m fans is simple;". The People (London, England). Sep 18, 2005.
Preceded by
Golden Opportunity (2002)		 Notable storylines
2003 		Succeeded by
The Return of Don Beech (2004)