Confessions of a Killer (The Bill)

"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 containers of petrol 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

• Supt. Adam Okaro - Cyril Nri
• Insp. Gina Gold - Roberta Taylor
• PC Andrea Dunbar - Natalie J. Robb (Died as a result of the fire)
• PC Gabriel Kent - Todd Carty
• PC Reg Hollis - Jeff Stewart
• Sgt. Dale Smith - Alex Walkinshaw (Hospitalised, but survived the fire, severe burns)
• Sgt. June Ackland - Trudie Goodwin
• DS Ramani DeCosta - Thusitha Jayasundera
• DS Samantha Nixon - Lisa Maxwell
• DS Phil Hunter - Scott Maslen
• DI Neil Manson - Andrew Lancel
• DC Ken Drummond - Russell Floyd (Died as a result of the fire)
• DC Jim Carver - Mark Wingett
• PC Leela Kapoor - Seema Bowri
• PC Amber Johannsen - Myfanwy Waring
• PC Roger Valentine - John Bowler
• SRO Marilyn Chambers - Vickie Gates (Hospitalised, but died as a result of the fire)
• PCSO Colin Fairfax - Tim Steed (charged with murder)
• PSCO Laura Bryant - Melanie Kilburn
• CSSC Margaret Barnes - Annabelle Apsion

References