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The Best Episodes of The Bill Season 5

Every episode of The Bill Season 5 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Bill Season 5!

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The daily lives of the men and women at Sun Hill Police Station as they fight crime on the streets of London. From bomb threats to armed robbery and drug raids to the routine demands

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    The Bill Season 5 Episode 1 - Getting It Right
    7.6/10(53 votes)

    #1 - Getting It Right

    S5:E1

    D.I. Burnside leads a raid on a hotel room to catch a man suspected of armed abduction, but due to Ramsey's duff info, they raid the wrong room. The man in the room threatens to make an official complaint against Burnside, who charges Ramsey with digging up some dirt on him. It turns out he's a doctor, and it appears he was having an affair with a patient. Burnside gleefully goes to tell the doctor to drop his complaint, but finds he and Ramsey got it all wrong again. Sgt. Cryer is heading to court to support his son, Patrick, and on the way he is followed by a girl who tells her that Bob found her as an abandoned baby 15 years ago. Patrick's case is thrown out of court, and the dead girl's father accuses Cryer of a police cover-up. In no mood to deal with her, Cryer tells Bobbi to go away, but back at the station sees she has been reported as missing.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. The Bill Season 5 Episode 2 - A Reflection Of Glory
    7.8/10(46 votes)

    #2 - A Reflection Of Glory

    S5:E2

    P.C. Ramsey is back in uniform and goes with P.C. Haynes to see about a shoplifter who claims she is innocent. While they are out the back, the shop is held up by armed robbers who shoot at Ramsey. D.I. Burnside thinks it is tied in with other robberies and sends D.C. Carver to have a word with his evasive snout, Leroy. D.C. Dashwood has a new suit much to the amusement of his collegues. It gets damaged while he is chasing one of the suspects in the robbery. Haynes later tails the other suspects, causing them to crash into a milk float. W.P.C. Ackland and P.C. Melvin are approached by a man who says his friend might be about to kill himself in the toilet of a gay club, and the friend is arrested for possessing an offensive weapon. While being charged, he punches Sgt. Peters who drops the knife. The other man goes for it, but is stopped by Ackland.

    Director:Christopher Hodson
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. The Bill Season 5 Episode 3 - One To One
    7.3/10(44 votes)

    #3 - One To One

    S5:E3

    W.P.C. Ackland and P.C. Stamp arrive at a brothel, where they find Jo Whitney, the daughter of a prominent local councillor, soaked in paraffin and threatening to set herself and the building on fire. Jo is a prostitute and a drug addict - but she hasn't had a fix for three days, and is highly agitated and strung out. Ackland stays with her to try and talk her round, while Stamp calls the fire brigade. There is a struggle to gain control of the lighter, and as a result, the flat catches fire, but Stamp manages to get both women out. Almost immediately after this ordeal, C.A.D. asks June to move on to deal with a burglary (after a cup of tea of course).

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. The Bill Season 5 Episode 4 - The Mugging And The Gypsies
    6.6/10(41 votes)

    #4 - The Mugging And The Gypsies

    S5:E4

    W.P.C. Ackland and P.C. Smith attend a local gypsy campsite where residents are complaining. A social worker has a Place Of Safety Order on one of the gypsy children, Theresa Beecher, who was reportedly beaten by her parents. When the girl and her parents lock themselves in the caravan, Smith has the idea of towing the caravan to the station. A youth is found in possession of stolen credit cards, and the owner is located and confirms he was attacked and robbed the night before. He is about to do an identity parade, but his wife admits she was the one who hit him. The gypsies make a run for it, but when the little girl is taken into care, it is found the Beechers have swapped their daughter with another little girl.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. The Bill Season 5 Episode 5 - The Chain Of Command
    7.3/10(40 votes)

    #5 - The Chain Of Command

    S5:E5

    Ch. Insp. Conway is late for a meeting with a Mr. Trevelyan from the Department of Trade and Industry, who wants police help in shutting down Radio Sun Hill, a pirate radio station. Conway orders the winos who blocked his car taken off the streets, but when one of them tries to escape from his cell, Sgt. Cryer recognises him as an undercover cop. P.C. Smith asks W.P.C. Martella to talk to a lady who has been beaten up by her boyfriend. She changes her mind about pressing charges as she doesn't want her husband to know. She then explains the injuries by saying the police beat her up, and her husband turns up and attacks Yorkie. Despite D.S. Roach's objections that it's a waste of police time, Carver and Dashwood raid Radio Sun Hill, but they escape.

    Director:Robert Tronson
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. The Bill Season 5 Episode 6 - Life And Death
    7.4/10(39 votes)

    #6 - Life And Death

    S5:E6

    P.C. Stamp and W.P.C. Brind arrest a man who is so drunk he can barely stand. Back at the station, the man collapses after a drug overdose, but not before implying that he's killed a woman. D.C. Lines and D.C. Carver race to find the man's identity through his dental records and the local jazz clubs, but the man's wife (and his mistress) are found safe and well. P.C. Melvin is sent to inform the wife of a man killed in a factory accident, but he radios in when he suspects that he has told the wrong person. D.C. Dashwood checks at the factory, and finds it was a similarly-named man who died, and the very-much-alive husband arrives at the station to make a formal complaint.

    Director:Robert Tronson
    Writer:Kieran Prendiville

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  7. The Bill Season 5 Episode 7 - Hothead
    6.9/10(26 votes)

    #7 - Hothead

    S5:E7

    W.P.C. Brind and P.C. Melvin are on foot patrol, but are seperated. Brind ends up dealing with a workplace dispute by herself, but the ringleader, Nobby Briggs, smashes her radio and locks her in a storeroom. When Melvin eventually turns up, he calls for assistance and Briggs is arrested. Sgt. Cryer is in a bad mood as he is suffering from a painful toothache, and he yells at a prisoner and pushes him. Lay visitors from the council arrive to inspect the station, and the prisoner accuses Cryer of assaulting him. His cellmate eventually clears Cryer, but he has to cancel his dentist appointment when he is called up to Ch. Supt Brownlow's office over the incident.

    Director:Philip Casson
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. The Bill Season 5 Episode 8 - Steamers
    7.5/10(46 votes)

    #8 - Steamers

    S5:E8

    D.S. Roach goes to the hospital to talk to a young man who was slashed in the face with a knife - the fifth is a series of ""steamer"" attacks, where knife-wielding youths have held up restaurant patrons. D.C. Dashwood receives a tip-off about the steamers' next target, and the restuarant is filled with undercover police officers. P.C. Edwards is jealous that he and Carver didn't get a free meal paid for by the Met, and the steamers are caught when they raid the restuarant. P.C. Melvin investigates a strange smell from a flat used by junkies, and finds the body of an elderly man who suffered a heart attack. Melvin can't believe the old man was a junkie.

    Director:Terry Green
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. The Bill Season 5 Episode 9 - Duty Elsewhere
    6.9/10(43 votes)

    #9 - Duty Elsewhere

    S5:E9

    P.C. Haynes volunteers for ""duty elsewhere"", undercover as a driver for Neville Tubbs, leader of a Yardie gang in South London. A man has just been murdered and mutilated, and Rita, a girl from Tubbs' club tells Haynes she witnessed the killing. Gaining Tubbs' trust, Haynes is asked to transport a package to a meeting across town. He is stopped by two police officers, but manages to get away after telling them he's in the Job. Haynes delivers the package, but is recognised as a cop by a Brixton Yardie. The police raid the place before Haynes is hurt or killed, but he is horrified to discover the package he carried contains the murder victim's hands.

    Director:Jeremy Summers
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. The Bill Season 5 Episode 10 - Saturday Blues
    7.5/10(41 votes)

    #10 - Saturday Blues

    S5:E10

    A young woman is taken to hospital in a coma after a drug overdose - she is D.I. Burnside's god-daughter, Tracey. Burnside orders Tracey's boyfriend, nightclub manager Terry Palmer, brought in for questioning. Drugs are found in Palmer's flat but he denies giving them to Tracey. D.S. Roach tries to convince Burnside that he's too emotionally involved in the case. Tracey dies and it looks like she committed suicide. Burnside charges Palmer with possession and intent to supply. A wedding party is brought into the station after the bride assaults the bridesmaid for having sex with her husband. In addition to the assault charge, it appears some of the wedding presents are stolen goods.

    Director:Jeremy Summers
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. The Bill Season 5 Episode 11 - N.F.A.
    7.5/10(41 votes)

    #11 - N.F.A.

    S5:E11

    W.P.C. Brind chases two bag snatchers, but they get away. She later spots one of them crossing the road and nicks him. The victim, Mrs Foster-Adams, is taken to the station to make a statement, but ends up more trouble than she's worth - she eventually makes a complaint against Ch. Supt. Brownlow for ""gloating"". P.C. Ramsey and P.C. Melvin are paired together on patrol, a combination Brownlow warns Insp. Frazer not to repeat. Ramsey drives his car at some schoolkids ""for some sport"", and throws his truncheon at a can on a wall, setting off a burglar alarm. D.C. Lines investigates and finds the truncheon. Ramsey and Melvin catch a glue-sniffing prowler, who injures Ramsey's finger. Tosh recognises the man, and convinces Ramsey to drop the assault charge.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. The Bill Season 5 Episode 12 - The Price You Pay
    7.2/10(41 votes)

    #12 - The Price You Pay

    S5:E12

    W.P.C. Martella visits a friend of hers, Alison Page, who has been badly beaten up. Alison is on the game, and her attacker was a client. D.S. Roach arrests the man, but he is a diplomat and the Home Office demands his release. D.I. Burnside tells Roach to warn Alison's father, George Page, not to do anything stupid, but when the diplomat is beaten up, it is clear Roach did nothing to stop him. P.C. Stamp and P.C. Haynes investigate when a bookie claims his door has been glued shut. His disgruntled clients claim he hasn't paid their winnings, but Stamp convinces them to go double or quits. The relief bets on the same dog, and it wins the race.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Kieran Prendiville

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  13. The Bill Season 5 Episode 13 - The Key of the Door
    7.1/10(42 votes)

    #13 - The Key of the Door

    S5:E13

    D.C. Dashwood investigates when a house which has recently been put on the market is burgled. He suspects that some prospective buyers are behind it, and gets a description of the couple who have looked at the houses from the real estate agents. The culprits turn out to be known to D.I. Burnside, and they are passing on details of the house to their son, who breaks in later. Sgt. Cryer chases a mugger, and takes the victim home to her flat which looks like it has been burgled. It turns out her son is the culprit, and he has been abusing her for a long time. Cryer gives the boy a warning, but arrests him when he returns to the flat to find the boy assaulting his mother. P.C. Ramsey is determined to catch a disqualified driver. Cryer tells him to chalk the footpath, but Ramsey has more luck by putting a stone on the wheel.

    Director:Christopher Hodson
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. The Bill Season 5 Episode 14 - Cock-Up
    7.4/10(54 votes)

    #14 - Cock-Up

    S5:E14

    P.C. Hollis is referee for a five-a-side football match between two schools organised by the Met. One of the players is Sgt. Cryer's son Danny, and Cryer breaks up a fight in the locker room when Danny accuses one of his team-mates of taking drugs. It turns out there is a big drug problem at Danny's school, Medway Comprehensive, and a local shopkeeper is found to have form for dealing. The shop is put under observation, and when two girls from Medway are seen leaving the shop, D.I. Burnside orders a raid. The girls are arrested and searched, but it turns out they were just buying fags, and they are also underage to consent to a search. No drugs are found in the shop, and the owner threatens to sue Burnside.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. The Bill Season 5 Episode 15 - Repercussions
    7.5/10(42 votes)

    #15 - Repercussions

    S5:E15

    Because of a screwup, Burnside has put back community relations 30 years. Conway yells at Burnside before burnside goes to see Brownlow. Conway then goes to see Cryer who tells him what he thought the situation was. Yorkie is accused of making racist remarks while arresting one of the girls but Ramsey is the real culprit. The headmaster of the school comes to talk to Brownlow.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. The Bill Season 5 Episode 16 - A Death In The Family
    7.5/10(51 votes)

    #16 - A Death In The Family

    S5:E16

    Taffy and June are talking to a lady when they are aware of shouts down the road. they find a man holding his dead baby. June takes it back into the baby's room to try to resuscitate it. She wasn't able to. This is not the first time the family has lost a baby. The daughter blames herself. A lady is talking to Tony at the front desk about the non-arrival at school of her 10 year old son.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. The Bill Season 5 Episode 17 - In The Frame
    7.8/10(42 votes)

    #17 - In The Frame

    S5:E17

    Burnside is not only late for the weekly crime meeting with Brownlow, but is called out of it by an urgent phone call. Officers from Operation Backwoods ask Burnside to step outside. He appears to have been set up. Tosh returns to the office to find people going through the files. Cryer puts crime prevention leaflets on parked cars to prevent burglaries from them at Sgt. Penny's suggestion. After talking to a man he is walking away as the car explodes and he is sent flying. Members from the anti-terrorist squad arrive to talk to Brownlow and then try grilling Cryer.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. The Bill Season 5 Episode 18 - A Good Result
    7.9/10(53 votes)

    #18 - A Good Result

    S5:E18

    Roache brings in a man suspected of handling stolen car radios. Yorkie and Reg are going to the soccer. Reg with the result of the relief and Yorkie undercover in a group of football thugs.

    Director:Jeremy Summers
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. The Bill Season 5 Episode 19 - Conscience
    7.7/10(52 votes)

    #19 - Conscience

    S5:E19

    Dashwood is moaning because Greig is playing his clarinet in the office. Roach is having a drink with a married woman and after she leaves, he recognises a man whose car has broken down as the ex-commander of the murder squad who roach is convinced convicted the wrong man. Meanwhile back at the station Dashwood discovers that Roach is due in court in the morning and approx 40 witnesses need to be warned.

    Director:Jeremy Summers
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. The Bill Season 5 Episode 20 - Sunday, Sunday
    7.5/10(42 votes)

    #20 - Sunday, Sunday

    S5:E20

    Taffy and Viv are in a Sunday market when they are attacked by a group of white supremists. Viv is then teamed up with Haynes and investigates a broken window. A Black vicar talks to Frazer about racist threats to his parishioners. June is sent to a sudden death due to intestinal cancer. Her sons says he killed her.

    Director:Terry Marcel
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. The Bill Season 5 Episode 21 - Climate
    7.4/10(52 votes)

    #21 - Climate

    S5:E21

    June has been seeing a married man. Bob is worried about having his tires slashed during the night. Sgt. Peters has his own troubles and doesn't want to listen to Bob's. Roache talks to June about a witness in a case similar to two murders in Essex. The witness came forward with information about an attack on a young girl. His attitude when spoken to by Roache and Lines put their backs up as well as June's. They are only able to get further information out of the witness when they push him. Yorkie gets hit by an old lady.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. The Bill Season 5 Episode 22 - Bad Company
    7.6/10(41 votes)

    #22 - Bad Company

    S5:E22

    Dashwood and Carver investigate a fight at a bail hostel. A man bailed for receiving has been beaten up and jumps off the roof and runs away. He is later found in a moneylender's basement badly beaten owing a couple of hundred pounds plus interest. Melvin is approached by a man on the street who tells him there is something dodgy going on by the old chocolate factory. On entering the factory, he is stopped by a man with a gun after he has radioed in his position. Turns out to be a gun deal. Taffy and Yorkie are sent to the factory to look for him.

    Director:Terry Marcel
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. The Bill Season 5 Episode 23 - Suspicious Minds
    7.2/10(43 votes)

    #23 - Suspicious Minds

    S5:E23

    Sun Hill C.I.D. and the Vice Squad raid six flats to catch a pornography ring. All the flats are clean except one, and it is suspected that the targets were tipped off. D.C. Dashwood saw D.I. Burnside making a phone call just before the raid, and shares his suspicions with D.S. Roach who wants nothing to do with it. Dashwood informs Ch. Insp. Conway, who calls Burnside in. Burnside insists he was calling his travel agent, and Conway checks up on it. P.C. Smith and W.P.C. Ackland pull over a car for dangerous driving, and the driver is one of the suspects in the raid. He helps Burnside catch the head man, Collins, who puts Sun Hill in the clear for the tip-off, but Burnside warns Roach he'll find out who grassed him up. Smith and Ackland stop a man from filling another man's skip with rubbish. When the dumper fails to collect his rubbish, the skip owner dumps it outside the station.

    Director:Terry Green
    Writer:Kieran Prendiville

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  24. The Bill Season 5 Episode 24 - Intuition
    7.5/10(42 votes)

    #24 - Intuition

    S5:E24

    D.S. Roach is interviewing a suspect, Barron, about a cash and gold bullion robbery. There's not enough evidence to charge him, and Barron knows it. Roach is desperate to find the link, and he asks D.C. Lines to do some unpaid overtime to help him. Lines is reluctant, as his eldest son is ill, but manages to square it with his wife. Roach and Lines visit one of Barron's associates, Halloran, in his nightclub, and Halloran gives them a name of someone who may have laundered the cash for Barron. Finding a laundrette at the address, they realise they've been had. Seeing police outside the house of Barron's ex, Cheryl Maynard, they discover that a neighbour has reported a robbery but Cheryl's saying nothing - it looks like Halloran has taken the money and gold. Roach releases Barron with his apologies, but takes great pleasure in mentioning Cheryl's empty cellar.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. The Bill Season 5 Episode 25 - Loss
    7.3/10(36 votes)

    #25 - Loss

    S5:E25

    Ch. Insp. Conway wants to see P.C. Smith and W.P.C. Martella about a special assignment: going through the missing persons register and following up some of the cases. A cynical Sgt. Penny tells them the initiative is politicially-motivated. A woman who has been harassing her local MP about her missing daughter only wants her back so she can get a three bedroom house. The girl turns up dead. The wife of a missing man who has been onto the Chief Constable is found to have killed herself after seeing his ad in a lonely hearts magazine. Smith is quite excited about his new role, and is hoping to set up a specialised missing persons unit at Sun Hill, but as soon as the politically-sensitive cases are solved, Smith and Martella's unit is disbanded.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Season 5 Ratings Summary

"Getting It Right" is the best rated episode of "The Bill" season 5. It scored 7.6/10 based on 53 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 1/3/1989. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "A Reflection Of Glory".