Trivia

In November 2006, thieves stole editing machines and master tapes from the shows studios in Merton, South West London. Posing as a worker and wearing a high-visibility jacket, one of the thieves followed a real worker into the studios and took the equipment, walked out with it and was driven off in a getaway van. Two episodes (468 and 469) were dropped from the schedules in late December 2006, and it is rumored that the stolen tapes contained scenes from these episodes. These scenes were re-filmed and the episodes aired in May 2007, titled as Blood Money (2007) (episode 468) and To Honour and Obey (2007) (episode 469).

The actors' white shirts are washed with a black sock at first so that there isn't too much glare on screen.

There is a long-standing tradition that any cast or crew member who leaves the programme is given a personalised wooden policeman's truncheon engraved with their name, the dates they worked on the programme, and the wording "The Bill: Sunhill - SO - Division of Talkback Thames".

When filming on location, the show can't legally use the police car siren sound. The car siren sound is dubbed in later.

Burnside (Christopher Ellison) was originally called Tommy when he guest starred in series one and two, but when he appeared as a regular character from 1988 onwards his first name was changed to Frank. This was because there was a real-life Tommy Burnside serving in the Metropolitan police at the time.