| "Golden Opportunity" | |
|---|---|
| The Bill episode | |
| Episode no. | Series 18 Episode 19 |
| Directed by | Steve Finn |
| Written by | Declan Croghan |
| Original air date | 16 April 2002 |
"Golden Opportunity" is an episode of the long-running police procedural television series, The Bill, broadcast on 16 April 2002.[1] The episode is significant in the show's history, as it features the events of the first Sun Hill Fire, which resulted in the death of six officers.[2] The episode attracted 8.6 million viewers,[3] and was the first of the few times computer generated imagery had been used on the show.[2] With new producer Paul Marquess wanting to change the cast significantly and the station set due to be redeveloped, the decision was made to stage a dramatic explosion and fire on the set, a storyline that led to the axing of eight characters in total during the events of the storyline.
Chandler and Monroe brief the oncoming afternoon shift that the proposed Neo-Nazi march through the Jasmine Allen Estate had been cancelled, so a large uniform presence was to be deployed on the estate. Sergeant Craig Gilmore was tasked with running a van full of officers, several of which were left bored quite quickly. When the van came under attack, PC Nick Klein insisted on going after the yobs who attacked them, but Gilmore told them to stay put. Whilst waiting on instructions, Sergeant June Ackland and PC Jim Carver were approached by a young boy who found a hold-all full of riot weapons such as catapults, ball bearings and petrol bombs. In another panda car on the estate, PCs Sam Harker and Cass Rickman were approached by the boy's grandmother who was concerned he had been abducted. The boy was quickly reunited with his grandmother, but when DC Danny Glaze was investigating the theft of collection boxes, he spotted the boy running away with a box. Whilst being chased by Glaze, the boy was hit by Cass and Sam's panda car, but he wasn't seriously harmed.
In CAD, a highly depressed PC Polly Page became unable to cope with the pressure and left the office, but an angry Chandler demanded she get back into gear and ordered her to return to CAD. As Polly returned, police helicopter India 99 called in a group of armed men spotted loitering around an Asian owned warehouse. Chandler ordered Ackland and Carver to enter the area and inspect, but they were quickly ambushed. PCs Des Taviner and Reg Hollis went against orders and took the Area Car over, but when Ackland was abducted by the gang, Chandler and Monroe ordered all units respond. The gang were arrested with Ackland unharmed thanks to Carver, who lost control and assaulted a gang member attacking Ackland, realising he was in love with his long friend.
Chandler decided to stand down the relief as a result, with DCI Jack Meadows inviting uniform to CID. Meadows, along with DCs Mickey Webb & Danny Glaze and PC Cass Rickman headed to the pub, leaving DC Paul Riley and PCs Sam Harker, Di Worrell and Ben Hayward in CID. When the station power went out, Inspector Andrew Monroe left his office to investigate. Des Taviner remained determined to get into the office and retrieve the stolen £50 note from Conway's collection, but as he tried to break in, a petrol bomb landed in the rear yard. As yobs began chucking petrol bombs at the station, TSG arrived to break up the riot. During the riot, a desperately depressed Polly sat in the bathroom attempting a drugs overdose. When a rioter climbs over the wall, Des confronts him and wrestles the bag off his back. The rioter fled, but Des opened the bag and found a petrol bomb. Sensing his chance to get rid of the money in the office, Des smashed the window of Monroe's temporary office and lobbed in the petrol bomb, only to turn and see Sam Harker watching him from the CID balcony. Des quickly inspected the damage and spotted two gas cylinders that decorator Harry Fullerton left in there, and quickly ran back to warn Sam. As the cylinders caught fire, they exploded, causing a massive fireball to rip through half of the station.
Nine regular cast members left the show as a result of the fire and the events leading up to it fire; one of them temporarily:[2]
Several new cast members were introduced as a result of the fire, including one actor returning to the series. All ten new characters were introduced onto the opening credits in Episode 013, despite nine of them not yet appearing on screen:
