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Changes to The Bill

No more ABC2 repeats. One episode on Saturdays, and a new-look Bill coming in October.

ep_688There are changes coming to the ABC’s programming of The Bill.

From next week, September 12th, the show will only air once a week on Saturday nights.

After its single episode at 8:30pm, the ABC will follow with the UK drama, Cold Blood at 9:15pm , starring John Hannah.

From this week there are also no more Bill repeats on ABC2 on Tuesday nights. As it programmes with younger-skewing titles, The Wire takes its place at 9:30pm.

Replays of The Bill will however, be available on iView from Sunday.

In October, a new-look Bill format screens on ABC1. It follows changes in the UK where ITV dropped the show from 2 to 1 episodes per week, following the economic downturn hitting the broadcaster.

11 Responses

  1. We used to watch The Bill. Faithfully.
    Stopped years ago when the stories were more about their personal lives than anything else.
    Very sorry that Cold Blood is programmed after The Bill – we’ll be long gone by 9.15pm, to a movie or Foxtel. Will have to record Cold Blood – I like John Hannah.

  2. In the UK “New Tricks” is head to head with “The Bill” and killing it in the ratings with 6.9mil to 3.6mil. The Bills ratings have fallen from 4mil since July. It seems strange that the ABC are moving to the single episodes about 6 weeks as the re-vamped episodes are not due til 24 October . Perhaps they are wanting to savour the last of the good ones. But it will make the current storylines which are all 2 parters seem long and dragged out. Also the first story in the new batch is a 2 parter anyway. The new theme music is awful. practically non-existant.

  3. Axel.. I’m sorry, but i don’t agree.. The ABC have been given a massive task to create the channel with next to no new funding.. The channel is still developing, and they have expressed their hope to eventually have ABC2 more targeted towards a younger audience.. At present, they do show a significant amount repeat content, but that is simply because their budget hasn’t increased.. We will eventually see it become more independent, but it has not been a waste. Australia is in desperate need for more content, and ABC2 is step by step heading towards having it’s own separate content and identity..

  4. The producers are altering The Bill too much. It’ll be a totally different show once “Tony Stamp” leaves Sun Hill. If I can remember correctly they’ve already tried the ‘grittier’ looking “Bill” which they want to introduce in the UK later this year, but people didn’t watch it, both here and in the UK.

  5. Thanks for the update. Bitterly disappointed that there is no replay on ABC2 sometime during the week — particularly as there is only one episode to show.

  6. the re-launch in the UK has been a disaster, its lost about 1.5m viewers since it happened on July 23, it currently sits between 3 – 3.5m viewers which is a very poor figure for a 9pm slot in the UK, with ITV as ‘axe happy’ as they are at the moment, I fear the end is nigh for this institution!

  7. So watchers of the Bill who don’t have Internet access or a recording device that are busy on Saturday evenings are pretty much screwed.

    Saturday nights is a bad time at the moment as from next weekend the AFL finals starts.

    I personally am not taking any interest in iView until Spicks and Specks is available on it.

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