Goodbye to The Bill, Hello to The West Wing

This week we watched the final episode of The Bill. After 26 years, the series has come to an end. Admittedly, it had become a little tired recently, although there was the occasional episode that was as good as it ever was. We always watch British police dramas, and The Bill was a mainstay for such a long time. The last scene of the final episode was a four minute tracking shot that showed all the cast inside and outside the Sun Hill station. It first followed Micky through the corridors after the last press conference, then picked up Smithy and Stone as they pack up for the night and framed them outside the back door as the night shift empty a van of drunks, passing the ground floor windows the camera is picked up to go up to the first floor to watch Jack Meadows through the window as he puts on his coat and switches off the light, back down to ground level and we watch the front entrance as some of the cast make for home before ascending again and panning back to watch Jack get to his car and drive off. A fine goodbye.

So what will fill this big gap? Well seven series of The West Wing is a start. My daughter has lent us Series 2 and 3, and I bought Series 1. We have watched the first five episodes and are already hooked. So now it is just a case of fitting them in, but at 45 minutes each, I don't think that will be a problem.