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The Bill Podcast

The Bill Podcast

By: The Bill Podcast
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Over 500,000 plays in 50 countries. Produced by Oliver Crocker. Unlock 250 hours of bonus content https://patreon.com/thebillpodcast Sponsored by georgefairbrother.com shop.saturdaymorningpress.co.uk vanguardcomics.co.uk gibconsultancy.co.uk mcr-seo.com and donspillane.comAll rights reserved Art
Episodes
  • The Bill Podcast 151: Barry Appleton (Original Police Advisor and Writer of 50 episodes)

    The Bill Podcast 151: Barry Appleton (Original Police Advisor and Writer of 50 episodes)
    Jun 30 2026
    The Bill ROYALTY is in the house. The original police advisor. The leading scriptwriter of the original hour-long episodes. A staggering amount of Barlby Road episodes. The real deal is here: the one and only Barry Appleton. I have had the enormous pleasure of working with Barry on his extraordinary true crime memoir Twentieth Century Cop - and here the 87-year-old makes his first ever podcast appearance, sharing memories of some of his 1989 Sun Hill masterpieces, including Getting it Right, Make My Day, Sun Hill - Fort Apache, The Visit and the iconic Don't Like Mondays. Grab your copy of Barry's hard-hitting memoir from Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Twentieth-Century-Cop-Flying-Detective/dp/1036199517/
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    35 mins
  • TRAILER - Barry Appleton's Twentieth Century Cop - Narrated by Jon Iles

    TRAILER - Barry Appleton's Twentieth Century Cop - Narrated by Jon Iles
    Jun 12 2026
    The perfect gift for Father's Day! Barry Appleton investigated some of the most notable crimes of the twentieth century, from multi-million pound robberies to cold-blooded killings that shook the world. Walking the beat of the crime-ridden East End under the rule of the Krays, Barry went toe-to-toe with the underworld, earning multiple commendations for his courage. Following a series of high-profile murder cases, he was assigned to the Flying Squad and went undercover to investigate the assassination of Martin Luther King. Life in the ‘Sweeney’ was dangerous and the detective’s dedication to the job saw him injured in the line of duty, pushing him and his family to the limit. After 20 years’ exemplary service with the Met, Barry’s crimefighting adventures continued when he achieved overnight success as the lead scriptwriter of The Bill, adding gritty realism to 50 episodes of the groundbreaking drama. Now Barry has taken on one final case to unravel his own incredible life story. How did a boy from the Welsh valleys end up in a shootout on the streets of London? What made a hard-nosed cop swap his snub-nosed Smith & Wesson for a second-hand typewriter? And who was the angel always by his side? Featuring dramatic flashback sequences and never-before-told behind-the-scenes stories from Britain’s longest-running police procedural drama, Twentieth Century Cop is an extraordinary true crime memoir that vividly captures life as an old school copper, on the streets and on the screen. This special countdown trailer - featuring the titles for all 50 of Barry's episodes of The Bill - is narrated by one of his favourite actors from the series, the mighty Jon Iles (DC Mike Dashwood) ⁨ "Twentieth Century Cop" is OUT NOW in hardback from Pen & Sword Books: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Twentieth-Century-Cop-Hardback/p/57380 Also available at Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Twentieth-Century-Cop-Flying-Detective/dp/1036199517/ Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/twentieth-century-cop/barry-appleton/oliver-crocker/9781036199517 Or order through your local bookshop.
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    1 min
  • "Twentieth Century Cop" interview on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

    "Twentieth Century Cop" interview on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
    Jun 10 2026
    The Bill Podcast's Oliver Crocker appeared on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire on 10 June 2026 to discuss the autobiography of former Flying Squad detective and legendary The Bill police advisor and scriptwriter Barry Appleton. Oliver was delighted to chat to producer and presenter Sue Dougan live in the studio. Twentieth Century Cop is out now from Pen and Sword Books https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Twentieth-Century-Cop-Hardback/p/57380 Also available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Twentieth-Century-Cop-Flying-Detective/dp/1036199517/ Barry Appleton investigated some of the most notable crimes of the twentieth century, from multi-million pound robberies to cold-blooded killings that shook the world. Walking the beat of the crime-ridden East End under the rule of the Krays, Barry went toe-to-toe with the underworld, earning multiple commendations for his courage. Following a series of high-profile murder cases, he was assigned to the Flying Squad and went undercover to investigate the assassination of Martin Luther King. Life in the ‘Sweeney’ was dangerous and the detective’s dedication to the job saw him injured in the line of duty, pushing him and his family to the limit. After 20 years’ exemplary service with the Met, Barry’s crimefighting adventures continued when he achieved overnight success as the lead scriptwriter of The Bill, adding gritty realism to 50 episodes of the groundbreaking drama. Now Barry has taken on one final case to unravel his own incredible life story. How did a boy from the Welsh valleys end up in a shootout on the streets of London? What made a hard-nosed cop swap his snub-nosed Smith & Wesson for a second-hand typewriter? And who was the angel always by his side? Featuring dramatic flashback sequences and never-before-told behind-the-scenes stories from Britain’s longest-running police procedural drama, Twentieth Century Cop is an extraordinary true crime memoir that vividly captures life as an old school copper, on the streets and on the screen.
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    21 mins
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