Frontline (The Bill)
"Frontline" was a three-part storyline in the long-running police procedural British television series The Bill. Broadcast in 2008, the storyline is significant in the show's history as it involved a series of bombings in and around Sun Hill, which resulted in the death of PC Emma Keane.[1] Three major events occur across the storyline: PCs Armstrong, Gayle, Fletcher and Sgt. Stone's gang is found out by PC Keane, who does not agree with their techniques, Keane is later killed in a bomb blast, and DI Karen Lacy makes her debut and departure in three episodes.
Synopsis
Two almighty explosions occur in Colshaw Street, south of Canley. Upon investigation, it is believed that both blasts appear to have been caused by fertilizer bombs. Seven people are killed in the explosions, with many others injured. As the officers stretch to uncover who is behind the attacks, PC Emma Keane is tasked with clearing an office block, Industry House. She manages to escort all the civilians from the building, but before she can escape, a bomb goes off, killing her instantly. The counter terrorism unit are tasked with leading the investigation. At this point, they believe that a coordinated and highly motivated group, possibly political, are believed to be behind the attacks, and it is currently unknown why any of the three targets were bombed, and a connection between the three businesses is yet to be established. In the aftermath, Barton Street police station receive an email explaining today’s bombings, and suggesting that more are to come. Three bombs have killed and maimed innocent people and the police are no closer to finding who’s behind the attacks. Whoever the bomber is, they’re very intelligent and motivated: they’ve managed to manipulate the situation so the police are chasing a victim rather than the offender. What has been uncovered from the investigation is the motivation behind this violent campaign – the four evils of the internet. Avenging the evils, two business men were targeted and killed for supporting porn online, one man for being racist, and another man for identity theft who was set up to appear to be the bomber. The upshot is the bomber is still out there and there’s a fourth target yet to get their comeuppance, a child abuser. The bomber led a campaign of terror that rocked London. In his wake, scores of innocent people were either seriously injured or left for dead. The bomber picked off each perpetrator of the four evils, one by one. His method was to blow each one up with a remote controlled incendiary device. Today all this culminated. Peter Waverley, a child abuser, was the last target. The bomb ended up in his wife’s car outside their child’s school. There in the school yard a colossal fire ball engulfed the area when the device exploded. Shortly beforehand CID officer DC Grace Dasari figured out the bomber’s location - her appeals to give it up didn’t work - instead the bomber deliberately detonated the bomb at the school using a mobile phone.
Cast
- PC Emma Keane - Melanie Gutteridge
- PC Sally Armstrong - Ali Bastian
- PC Will Fletcher - Gary Lucy
- PC Benjamin Gayle - Micah Balfour
- DI Karen Lacy - Liz May Brice
- DI Samantha Nixon - Lisa Maxwell
- DCI Jack Meadows - Simon Rouse
- Sgt. Callum Stone - Sam Callis
- Sgt. Dale Smith - Alex Walkinshaw
- Insp. Gina Gold - Roberta Taylor
- Supt. John Heaton - Daniel Flynn
- DC Kezia Walker - Cat Simmons
- DC Mickey Webb - Chris Simmons
- DC Grace Dasari - Amita Dhiri
References
Preceded by The Sun Hill Siege |
Notable storylines 2008 |
Succeeded by Proof of Life |