This year marks the 20th Anniversary of British police drama The Bill and contemporary communication postgraduate student Margaret Rogers is exploring the reasons why this television show has been so popular for such a long time.

Although The Bill is shown in many countries around the world, it is most popular with British and Australian audiences, which Margaret believes is due to the fact that Australians are more receptive to British programs than Americans are.

Being a Bill fan herself, Margaret wanted to examine why this particular program has been going so long and wanted to find a topic she could be passionate about for her doctoral thesis. And it’s paying off as she has been selected to speak on her paper at the Screen Studies Conference in Glasgow in July. Within her thesis Margaret is looking at characterisation, production standards and fans of The Bill. She has selected five characters and is examining their interaction with others and their history on the show. According to Margaret, the show appeals to a wide audience, many of who are capable of critical analysis – as indicated by a survey of internet based media used by fans of The Bill. Over the years, ratings fluctuations brought about the introduction of new formats and characters. These changes have polarised fans, as the focus has shifted from what critics consider real-life policing to a soap-opera approach where the focus is on the personal lives of the officers at Sun Hill. But the ratings have risen again.

One of the reasons for its success, according to Margaret, may be the production techniques used to create the show. Since the beginning The Bill has been shot using a hand held camera and natural lighting where possible. It has also included non-white and female characters from the beginning and examined racism, violence and other issues that the police deal with on a daily basis.

There are also no ‘stars’. There have been some well-known guest star appearances but no one actor in the cast is the star of the program. “The Bill is used as a benchmark by industry and audience measuring British television police series,” Margaret says. “Since its inception The Bill has continually redefined the boundaries of television police genre.” For further details or interviews contact Margaret Rogers on 4930 9969.