The Bill: ITV drops police drama after 27 years

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Alex Walkinshaw has said that his final scenes on The Bill were emotional to shoot.

The 35-year-old actor, who plays Smithy in the serial, admitted that leaving behind some of his co-stars is "tough".

He told TV Times: "It was emotional shooting the final scenes, although there was a lot of good humour still going around.

"As each week passed, more and more people left and the building got quieter. It was tough, but the sense of humour on the set was still alive and kicking right through to the very last."

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THE Bill star Jeff Stewart has spoken openly for the first time since his public breakdown – to reveal how he’s finally beaten his depression.

The actor, who played PC Reg Hollis, spoke exclusively to The People after we turned up at the axed ITV show’s farewell party on Friday.

And he described how he’s turned his life around since he slit his wrists on set in 2008. Jeff, 54, said he now “feels like he’s won the Lottery”.

After an emotional reunion with his old cast mates, he said: “It was a wonderful night. I genuinely feel so happy – it was a perfect time to see everybody.” Jeff had been in The Bill since the first episode in 1983 but was told in 2008 that his contract would not be renewed. He was rushed to hospital after cutting his wrists, then became a recluse. Talking after he partied with his former co-stars – including Graham Cole, who played PC Tony Stamp, and Stephen Beckett (Mike Jarvis) – Jeff said he now believed his exit from the drama was for the best.

He said: “I had always dreamed of being in films, and now I’ve done four and I’ve got another two offers.

“So although it was a difficult time, there was a silver lining. It pushed me to do these things.”

About 170 Bill actors partied until 3am at the £20,000 bash at the show’s Wimbledon studios. Sarah Manners and Louisa Lytton were the life and soul, in flashing police hats.

The highlights included a video mix of the 27 years of storylines, a free ice cream van, an acrobat, souvenir truncheons for the cast and a tribute to those they had lost – including Kevin Lloyd, who played DC Tosh Lines before he died at 49 in 1998. Teetotal Jeff said: “There were so many people I wanted to see again. It was important to me that they could see how happy I was.”

Several were lobbying for another network to buy the show. EastEnders’ Scott Maslen, who played DS Phil Hunter in 2007, said: “If someone doesn’t pick it up, they are stupid. It’s cheap, it’s popular.”

Billy Murray, who played DS Don Beech and now runs his own company Black And Blue Films, called The Bill “one of the best shows on TV”.

But the current cast promised the final episode, to be aired in August, would “blow the fans away”. Sam Callis (Sgt Callum Stone) said: “It has been shot brilliantly. And it’s a real Bill ending, just as it should be.”

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Executive producer Jonathan Young has promised a "compelling" last episode of ITV1 drama The Bill.

The long-running police series will draw to a close later this month with one final instalment, which will centre on the life of a young female gang member.

"The series will conclude this summer with a compelling contemporary story that tests our cops on the streets of London both physically and emotionally for one final time," said Young. "It's called 'Respect' and we hope it will respect the heritage of the show."

The Bill, which started as a one-off drama called Woodentop in 1983, has struggled in recent years with falling ratings. A revamp in 2009 failed to win back viewers and earlier this year the broadcaster confirmed that the show was being axed.

The final episode is expected to air on August 31 on ITV1.
What is the point of having a ''compelling'' episode of THe Bill for the last ever episode. Its all a bit pointless now isnt it. They had what was once a very successful show watched by millions of devoted fans. They tinkered with it anas a result alienated the vast majority of viewers who then stopped watchingi it in their droves. They started to centre it round Max Carter and CID. I for one don't feel compelled to watch it for the last episode. I would rather watch paint dry. At least that would be believable.

[Abigail]

"Compelling"? Hardly the right word to set viewers on fire and urge them to watch the final episode. What happened to 'explosive', 'gritty' and 'gripping' - the words usually thrown about like ten pence pieces whenever a producer talks about the show? It sounds as if the producers have given up.

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Now the end is almost nigh for the Bill two episodes left then no more I feel the need to voice my thoughts on the decision to cancel the Bill, vent if you like. As a true child of the eighties I was fortunate enough to grow up watching the likes of Ted Roach, Tosh Lines, Jim Carver, the incomparable Frank Burnside (the benchmark I hold all TV coppers too to this day) June Ackland and of course those two stalwarts of uniform Reg Hollis and Tony Stamp then later on there was Don Beech, Cathy Bradford, Gina Gold, Sam Nixon, Phil Hunter to name but a few. I still have extremely vivid not to mention fond memories of them all and it’s because of this I feel compelled to say that I feel ITV are making a colossal mistake by cancelling the show, one I firmly believe they will live to regret sooner rather than later and judging by the response all over the internet and media in general I’m not the only one. ITV is rapidly becoming a station dedicated solely to endless episodes of X-factor (a show I’m proud to say I’ve never watched and never will) repeats of midsomer murders and cookery shows in short it’s slowly killing itself by trying to save money which is therefore a false economy because people nowadays can find plenty of other things to do with their precious time surfing the internet for a start than watch substandard TV. TPTB have already publicly admitted its way behind BBC recently a gap that will only continue to grow larger whilst it continues its policy of cancelling shows such as the Bill in favour of such limited output. Yes I know the Bill is no CSI or Law and Order but the again they are no Bill either are they? Whilst we are on the subject why does the Bill particularly need to compete with either programme anyway? Until it was moved to Tuesday nights in April due to the Election it didn’t even air on the same night as any of the CSI/ Law & Order franchise and as far as I know did not compare unfavourably with them ratings wise. Maybe I’m missing something but again why does the Bill need to compete at all? To my mind it’s like trying to compare a Lion with a Panther yes they are of the same family but they are two different animals altogether and trying to say one is superior to the other is in my humble opinion bloody unfair. The Bill might not be the sleek, gritty, all guns blazing American type cop drama but there is absolutely nothing wrong with the gentler more sedate British way, our way of doing things. The Bill is no better or worse than the American shows just different is all an ideal ITV seems to have forgotten when it should be embracing it. I’ve watched both Law and Order and CSI/CSI New York and enjoyed them thoroughly but have also watched the Bill and enjoyed it just as much so it staggers me as to why there is isn’t room in the increasingly barren TV schedules for both. To finish off on this topic I wonder if TPTB at ITV are aware that the latest series of all three CSI shows fared badly in the ratings in America both New York and Miami have been shifted to what amounts to kiss of death slots whilst Law and Order has been cancelled seven series shy of the Bill which makes me wonder if TPTB actually have an idea what they are talking about at all. I’ve never watched Miami but did watch New York last season and it has all but been universally slated on its own fan sites as being dire not to mention boring and making precious little sense for large amounts of the time sentiments I share wholeheartedly; something you can’t say about the Bill over the same time period of time. If you ask me our American friends could learn a lot from the Bill on how to sustain a series for long periods of time. The Bill is one of those rare things a show that might not be the most realistic police drama you’ll ever see but it’s always fun to watch for an hour a week, how many programmes of any sort can you say that is true of nowadays. Come on fess up who doesn’t feel like punching the air when our Smithy gets his man or cheers when the good of CID triumphs over evil or as a ah that’s so sweet moment when the Grace/Neil romantic stuff appears (absolutely beautifully done by the way there folks keeping my fingers crossed here for a happy ending) its pure escapism, a way to let off steam something we all need from time to time and sadly something that is being lost every time a series such as the Bill is cancelled. I did watch an episode of Identity the other day just out of curiosity and though it was ok but it’s no successor to the Bill to be honest I’d be surprised if it managed twenty seven episodes let alone years. If the Bill is being sacrificed for things like Identity then again TPTB are out of their tiny minds but we knew that already didn’t we. If it was down to me I’d have given the Bill one last chance, moved it back to 8 O’clock were it rightfully belongs and got rid of that terrible theme tune (does anyone at all actually like it) alas it isn’t so. I for one will be watching the last two episodes and I’d just like to say thank you to all the cast and crew from the Burnside/Carver/Ackland age to the present Stone/Manson/Dasari era you were magnificent. Throughout the years we have loved, laughed and cried with you, you will never be forgotten and you will be very much missed you can hold your heads up proudly against any show anyone would care to name. UP THE BILL!

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As ITV1’s The Bill draws to a close this summer after 27 years on air, Farewell The Bill looks back over the lifetime of the show and goes behind the scenes of TV’s longest running police drama as it follows the final weeks of filming.

With exclusive access to the series’ final shoot this May and June, this touching one-off documentary captures the emotion, tears and laughter as both cast and crew say farewell to the show and film the final ever two-parter of The Bill which transmits on ITV1 this month. Cast including Alex Walkinshaw (Smithy), Simon Rouse (Spt Jack Meadows) and Chris Simmons (DC Mickey Webb) and crew talk exclusively about their experiences of working on the series and what it was like to be filming it’s last ever scenes.

Series Producer, Tim Key speaks about the final storyline called ‘Respect’ which follows the harrowing storyline of a young female gang member torn between her loyalty to the gang and her broken trust of the police, ‘we wanted to do something that celebrated what The Bill has always been about, ordinary people wearing a uniform and taking responsibility for society, this is what The Bill has always done.’

From the making of the last ever episode to the first, the documentary shows footage of the debut episode which broadcast in 1983, of Jim Carver’s first day as a rookie at fictional police headquarters Sun Hill. The programme looks back at highlights over the years, of the numerous chase scenes synonymous to The Bill to the many stunts, explosions and arrests.

Two of the show’s longest running ex-cast members, Graham Cole (PC Tony Stamp) and Trudie Goodwin (Sgt June Ackland) pay one final visit to the set and take a nostalgic look around as they reminisce about some of their characters’ most memorable storylines - how Stamp once ran over Ackland, their one on-screen kiss and how Ackland ended up in a disastrous marriage to Carver.

Farewell The Bill features archive footage of some of the famous faces who’ve appeared over the years as guest artistes, including Roger Daltrey, Ray Winstone, Hugh Laurie, Alex Kingston, David Walliams and John Hannah. As well as actors such as Keira Knightley and James McAvoy who cut their teeth on the series before going on to become big screen leading talent.

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Tim Key (Series Producer, 'The Bill')

After 27 years on the air and over 2,000 episodes, The Bill bows out this month following ITV's decision to axe the show. When the news was announced back in March, the commercial broadcaster cited falling ratings and changing tastes for the programme's fate. However, the subsequent outcry from fans has proved that there are many people who will be sad to see the UK's longest-running police drama disappear from the schedules. The show's two-part finale, titled 'Respect', reintroduces the character of Jasmine Harris and explores her involvement with a violent gang. DS recently chatted to The Bill's series producer Tim Key to find out more.

When were you told that The Bill would be coming to an end?
"We were told pretty much as soon as it was announced - the confirmation of it was very last-minute. We'd obviously been talking to the channel in the weeks and months before, so we knew that there were different options on the table. But it wasn't until the night before we announced it to everyone at the site that we knew for definite what the decision was. It played out how it appeared to play out, really - we'd hoped until the very end that there was a way of keeping it going, whether that was as it was or moving it into a slightly different slot or format. But in the end, ITV decided that it was time to say goodbye to it."

What was your reaction to the decision?
"I was devastated by it, really. We all were. But at the same time, you kind of accept that we're working in an industry where big decisions like this have to be made. Nobody takes their job for granted. It's a show that's been running for a very long time and that makes it vulnerable. The biggest problem really is that it isn't new - and advertisers and TV channels are obsessed with the new. For The Bill, I think no matter what anyone does to it, it's never going to be a new show. It's a time where people are having to rein the money in and be quite ruthless about things - people have got decisions to make and you can understand why people make some of them, even if you don't agree. But we were all absolutely gutted by it - we hoped it would never come to that, and it did."

Did you feel like you had plenty of time to come up with a suitable ending?
"We didn't have a lot of time. We knew that a certain episode was the end of the current contract with ITV, so we'd always known that we'd have to be flexible about the end of that episode. For example, it might have been that we'd have to take an on-screen break and come back again, so we'd worked in a bit of flexibility. But until we knew for definite what the deal was, we couldn't commit to anything. In the end, we completely tore up what we had planned for the final episodes and started again with something that we felt honoured the legacy of the show and delivered for our characters and for our audience."

And what kind of effect did the decision have on storylines in general?
"It affected everything and we had big decisions to make almost immediately. We had to rewrite a number of stories. For example, the episode that just went out with Stone and his father's funeral - originally that had been conceived as an episode that would send Stone in a very dark and dangerous direction for at least the next six months, if not 12 months. So we had to rework that episode so that instead of it being the start of something, it brought some of Stone's story to an end, saying to the audience, 'This is why he is the way he is'. At the end of it, he was faced with a choice between doing the right thing or the wrong thing, and he chose to do the right thing. So we had to do quite a bit of work like that."

What were your main aims when you started planning the final two-part episode?
"We talked about it a lot. Ending a 27-year show is a pretty impossible task, because whatever you do, people will have a view on it and say, 'I wish they'd done this', or 'I wish they'd done that'. We decided very quickly that we didn't want to do anything cheap or sensational - we didn't want to blow up the station. We talked about whether it would be the right thing to do to kill off a character, but we decided that would be cheating the audience. So we decided that what we wanted to do was celebrate what the show had always been about - the officers of the Metropolitan Police force, the job that they do every day and the effect that the job has on them."

How did the gang storyline for the final episode come about?
"We've done what we always like doing - we feel that the show has always, at its best, had something to say about the world that we live in. So we wanted to find an area of modern life and modern crime that people weren't familiar with, and we wanted to tell a story that was about something. In researching it, we discovered the appalling way that girls are treated in gangs - the way that they're raped to keep them quiet or punish them, or used as a status symbol for members of the gang. We decided that we had the right character in Jasmine, who we really liked when she was on screen the first time round, to tell the story through. So we wanted to do something that had real integrity and we wanted to reward our viewers, who've stuck with our show over the years."

And what can viewers take from the final two-parter?
"Well, the show is about real life, real people and what it's like to be a police officer, so we wanted our message at the end of it to be, 'This is the sort of everyday story that The Bill can tell'. Although it's certainly had its more sensational moments, whereas all the other cop shows are always slightly heightened or serial killer shows, ours is a show about real policing. We wanted to have that message at the end and give everybody a sort of 'greatest hits' package of what The Bill has always been about."

Is there a feeling of nostalgia in the final episode, or is it very much business as usual at Sun Hill?
"It's 50/50. The mood during the shoot was positive and there was a lot of laughter, but obviously a lot of sadness as well. In terms of what's on screen, we honour the traditions of the show and there are tributes in there to some of the show's trademarks. I think the fans will see that. There's a homage to the walking feet - they make a slight reappearance at the very beginning of the episode. I don't want to give too much away, but we looked at ways of respecting the show's heritage and addressing some of those questions that we've been asked about certain aspects of the show. It's an ensemble piece and all of the cast are in there - they've all got good stuff to do, and I think the last five minutes are incredibly powerful, poignant, respectful and appropriate. I'm very, very proud of that last episode in particular."

The Bill's two-part finale begins on Tuesday, August 24 at 9pm on ITV1. The concluding part airs on Tuesday, August 31 at the same time.

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More from 'The Bill' producer Tim Key

In the first part of our interview with The Bill's series producer Tim Key, we asked what viewers can expect from the police drama's two-part finale and heard his take on the decision to bring the show to an end after 27 years.

Here, in the concluding part of the chat, Tim discusses the programme's ratings dip, the 2009 revamp and timeslot change, and whether the programme could ever make a comeback.

Was it quite daunting having to come up with an ending to such an iconic and well-loved show?
"Yeah, it was. We talked about it a lot and we all had ideas about what it should be and what it shouldn't be. In the end, the joy of it was that it was a total team effort - I had an idea, [executive producer] Johnathan Young had an idea - and the writer, director and Jane who produced the episode had some ideas too. The very last piece of the puzzle was the camera operator who said that he wanted to do it hand-held - we'd planned to steady-cam it, but he said, 'I really believe it's a hand-held show and I can do it'. In terms of ways to end a series, I think if people are watching the last five minutes hoping that someone's going to run in, machine gun a load of people and set a load of explosives off, they're going to be very disappointed. But if they want something that respects the show that they've loved for 27 years, then I think they'll be very happy."

The Bill has suffered a ratings dip over the past year or so - was that preventable?
"There's things that could have been done differently, things that could have been done better, and things that are unavoidable. Drama has had a tough time, especially all-year-round drama. I also think that moving a show that everyone knows at 8pm to a new 9pm slot is a very difficult ask. We delivered as best we could, but I think it's always been a show that people will know in one way, so to suddenly try and change that is always difficult. Also, when you're on all year round, it's a huge privilege but it also means you can get taken for granted a bit. I think that all shows have a shelf life - it's a brand that could come back, and who knows what would happen if it did? But for now, ITV took the decision that it was time to say goodbye. That's the way it goes, unfortunately."

The shift to 9pm did result in quite a few changes - for example, less action at the station in favour of more location filming, a smaller cast and the introduction of music. Do you regret any of those changes now?
"I stand by everything that we did because we thought all of it through and did it all for a very good reason. We had to make the cast smaller because we were going from two episodes a week to one episode a week. At one point, we had a cast of nearly 30 people because we were making around 96 episodes per year - if you halve the episodes, you've got to halve the cast. Whoever you lose from the cast, some people will object to it. We also wanted the show to be very clearly set in London, so we did more location filming - it's always been a London-based show, but sometimes you can forget that a bit when it's more studio-based. We were also going to HD anyway, and that changes the feel and look of the show. In terms of music, all 9pm dramas have music and to be the one that didn't could work against you. There are things that I wish had worked out slightly differently, but we didn't rush any of the decisions that we made - we thought them through very carefully."

What do you think the quality of the show has been like in recent months?
"We always said it would take a while to adapt to the new timeslot and the new format, and I think that the episodes from the start of the year have been increasingly strong and have really been delivering. And I think that the stuff that's been on screen over the past few weeks proves that, so I'm really proud of everything that we've done."

Some fans of The Bill have been campaigning for another channel to pick up the show - do you think that could still happen?
"I think that at the moment it's unlikely. It's something that I have no involvement in whatsoever, so I wouldn't know anyway, although I do know that some discussions took place. At the moment, all of the channels are strapped for cash and they're all investing in new stuff of their own. I think that taking on an ITV show that's been around for a long time is not something they're keen to do at the moment. But, that said, it's a brand that has worked fantastically and who knows what might happen in a few years' time? I think that people will miss The Bill enormously - I think that the industry will miss it as drama is incredibly important to everybody's schedules, and in terms of providing all-year-round drama, The Bill did an amazing job and continues to do so right up until the last episode. I think it's going to be missed more than people think it will."

Is there anything you'd like to say to the fans who've been passionately supporting the show over the past few months?
"I'd like to say thank you - the response from the fans, whether they've liked what they've seen or haven't, has always been passionate and we've never taken that lightly. To everybody who's stuck with it until the end, we're very grateful and we hope that they will find the final pair of episodes a fitting tribute to the show. I was a fan of the show before I worked on it, so for me it's been a dream job and I've always been aware of how much it's loved by the viewing public. I'm really grateful for all of the support we've received, particularly since the news broke - we've had some really nice messages through from people, saying how sorry they were and how much they're going to miss it. So it's just a massive thank you, basically!"

Looking back at your own stint as series producer, are there any moments or storylines that you're particularly proud of?
"There's loads that I'm proud of. It's a show that can do something different with every episode and it has something to say. So recently, I'm very proud of the episode we did with Claire Bloom, showing that sexual crime can happen against older people as well as younger people - I think that's a subject matter that other shows would struggle to tackle. Looking further back, the 'Gun Runner' stories that we did with Smithy undercover were great - I thought that Alex Walkinshaw was on great form and I loved the relationship between Smithy and Stevie. I loved the 'Conviction' stuff that we did just before we moved to 9pm. I thought that Sam Callis was great in Tuesday night's episode. I loved the Grace and Neil storyline - I thought that we could have taken that to some really nice places, it had a lot of integrity and was a really sweet story. And I'm very proud of our final two episodes!"

In the current climate, TV executives seem to be favouring one-off or short-run dramas, and we're losing a lot of our ongoing serials like The Bill and Heartbeat. Do you think that's a bad thing?
"I think that any drama being made is a very good thing. The success of Sherlock recently was brilliant, because it proves that the audience wants good-quality drama. In one sense, I don't care if they're one-offs, three-parters or 50-parters - as long as drama is being made and people are watching it. I think that we're in a climate where the industry and the viewers want events more - whether those events are X Factor-style events or drama events. Sadly, that is just what some shows can't be - if you're on all year round, you can't be an event because you're just there as part of the fabric of what's going on. I think that there's room for one-offs and for 50-parters, and losing the 50-parters is a shame. Shows like Holby, Casualty and The Bill can do different things and relate to the audience in the way that other shows can't - they can sometimes take a more serious look at issues than other shows can. But as long as drama is being made, I'm happy."

And finally, what kind of legacy do you think The Bill will have?
"I think that it has an enormous legacy - it's found new talent and trained new talent. I don't know what the percentage would be, but so many people in the industry now have come via that show. I also think that The Bill has shone a light on an area of society that a lot of people aren't familiar with, and that can only be a good thing. I think that it's provided consistently high production values, consistently high writing and consistently high performances, week in, week out. Serials are the toughest type of shows to make - to generate that much story all year round is so difficult. The fact that the show has been going for 27 years just shows what a great team it's always had behind it. I think that the legacy will be that people will suddenly see a lot less drama on TV, and I think they'll really miss it."

The Bill's two-part finale begins on Tuesday, August 24 at 9pm on ITV1. The concluding part airs on Tuesday, August 31 at the same time.

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The Bill's series producer Tim Key has promised that fans can expect a "powerful" and "poignant" ending to the long-running police drama.

After 27 years on the air, the last ever episode of the show will be screened next week following ITV's decision to axe the programme due to falling ratings.

Speaking to DS about the series' conclusion, Key explained: "I don't want to give too much away, but we looked at ways of respecting the show's heritage and addressing some of those questions that we've been asked about certain aspects of the show.

"It's an ensemble piece and all of the cast are in there - they've all got good stuff to do, and I think the last five minutes are incredibly powerful, poignant, respectful and appropriate. I'm very, very proud of that last episode in particular."

Key admitted that the show's team quickly ruled out doing "anything cheap or sensational" as they considered how the drama should end.

He added: "I think if people are watching the last five minutes hoping that someone's going to run in, machine gun a load of people and set a load of explosives off, they're going to be very disappointed. But if they want something that respects the show that they've loved for 27 years, then I think they'll be very happy."

The Bill's two-part finale, which focuses on the issue of gangs, begins tonight at 9pm on ITV1. The concluding part airs next Tuesday at the same time.

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THE Bill star Graham Cole has revealed that the show made him a sex symbol - for women aged over FORTY.
But Graham, 58 - who played PC Tony Stamp for 25 years - revealed that his long-awaited snog with actress Trudie Goodwin was "like kissing your sister".

He spoke as the ITV1 cop series airs its final episode tonight.

Graham, who was axed last year, told TV Biz: "The young have a huge reaction to me - but my real audience is 40-plus ladies!"
The married dad of two admitted he was nervous having to smooch Trudie, 58, who played Sergeant June Ackland.

He said: "The toughest thing about kissing someone who I had worked with for 16 years was that it was like kissing your sister.

"I saw her in the makeup room before and we both said, 'Oh God'.

"I gave her one of the sloppiest kisses she has had. We had to film it on a main road and people were tooting their horns. It was very romantic!"

The Bill will bid farewell from our screens tonight after 26 years on air. ITV bosses axed it following a slip in ratings.


But Graham - who was the show's longest-serving actor - said it should never have been dropped.
He said: "I couldn't believe it when I heard the news.

"Over the years The Bill always changed and we thought it would just change again.

"None of us thought it would be axed completely because there was nothing else like it out there."

And he said it could even have an effect on police recruitment.

He said: "I was in Suffolk recently and a guy came up to me and said my character was amazing and it was the reason why he joined the police."

Graham said he was still upset over the way Stamp was axed when the show changed to a new hour-long slot.


He said: "My character was the cement in the show and I thought I would still be part of it.

"But they didn't want any reference to the old days. It was a huge shock when they said they didn't need me any more.

"It was like losing an uncle. I thought Stamp was still a useful tool in the box. I didn't think he had gone stale.

"I was driving along with my daughter Laura soon after and she had tears rolling down her face. She said, 'I won't see Tony Stamp any more'. She used to practise the scenes with me."

Actor Jeff Stewart - who played PC Reg Hollis - slashed his wrists on the show's set after being axed.

But Graham said the actor had now recovered. He said: "I saw him at a party recently and he is really well now. It was fantastic to see him."