wSerie
TV Shows
The Bill
Season 8
Episode 45

Better The Devil

June 4, 1992

0.0%

The Bill - S8 - E45

P.C. Stringer gets involved with a bizarre household, and discovers a horrifying case of parental cruelty in the attic. W.P.C. Marshall goes on attachment to the Domestic Violence Unit at Stafford Row.

Tweet! Telegram Facebook Pinterest

The Bill: Season 8 - 95 Episode s

8x1 - The Best Policy
January 2, 1992
D.C.I. Reid's influence in high places suddenly makes D.I. Burnside look vulnerable to criticism. CID investigate an armed robbery.
8x2 - A Friend In Need
January 7, 1992
P.C. Quinnan is the subject of a civil complaint. P.C.s Stamp and Stringer follow up on a fire at a home for ex-psychiatric patients, but find little care in the community.
8x3 - Whose Side Are You On?
January 9, 1992
D.C. Lines investigates a mugging, and tries to get the victim charged with the murder of his assailant.
8x4 - Lip Service
January 14, 1992
D.C. Lines is enjoying an off-duty pint in his local pub and becomes involved in a bar brawl.
8x5 - Illegals
January 16, 1992
D.C. Lines investigates when a cellarful of illegal immigrants is discovered. He enlists the help of Sgt. Boyden, who takes a fancy to one of the females. Lines warns him off.
8x6 - Fair Play
January 21, 1992
P.C. Quinnan investigates the illegal sale of steroids. P.C. Garfield is put on the spot when his old sparring partner is arrested.
8x7 - Dinosaur
January 23, 1992
D.I. Burnside's unorthodox policing methods, which include flushing an informant's head down a toilet, set him on a collision course with D.C.I. Reid, who has already received several complaints about Sun Hill officers. Reid fears the worst when she is called in to Scotland Yard for an urgent meeting with MS15.
8x8 - Joyride
January 28, 1992
A girl is seriously injured in a joyriding incident. Ch. Supt. Brownlow must decide whether he is prepared to risk a riot by sending officers into an estate to round up the culprits.
8x9 - Not Waving
January 30, 1992
A student nurse is sexually assaulted. D.I. Burnside arrests the obvious suspect, but he escapes from police custody.
8x10 - Mates
February 4, 1992
Sgt. Cryer is finding being non-operational tedious. He goes undercover as a punter in a brothel, but his presence on the operation antagonises Sgt. Peters. Cryer goes to sees Ch. Supt. Brownlow about giving up his job as duty sergeant and going back to the relief.
8x11 - Lost Boy
February 6, 1992
D.S. Greig is led to a vice ring when searching for a missing thirteen-year-old boy. D.C. Dashwood and W.P.C. Ackland are brought into an operation against ponces running rent boys.
8x12 - Chicken
February 11, 1992
P.C. Stringer tries to stop some children from playing 'chicken' on the railway line, but one of them is run down by a train. Sgt. Peters transfers upstairs to the post of duty sergeant, swapping roles with Bob Cryer, who returns to the relief.
8x13 - Somebody Special
February 13, 1992
Acting D.I. Greig tries to recruit a hardened female thief as a snout, but finds her more than a match for him. D.C.I. Reid is promoted out of Sun Hill to MS15.
8x14 - Previous Convictions
February 18, 1992
Investigating an apparent accident in which a man's hand is crushed in a car-breaker's yard, Sgt. Maitland uncovers years of animosity, neglect and revenge.
8x15 - Beggar My Neighbour
February 20, 1992
A tramp is attacked, leading the police into a web of crime.
8x16 - It's A Small World
February 25, 1992
Thinking of leaving the force, D.C. Dashwood is tempted by a lucrative business opportunity with a firm of security consultants.
8x17 - Licence
February 27, 1992
A man convicted of strangling his wife has been released on licence, but the probation service fails to notify Sun Hill. His presence comes to light when his son causes a disturbance.
8x18 - Comeback
March 3, 1992
The community police station run by P.C. Smollett is fire-bombed. The area car is stolen from P.C. Loxton and W.P.C. Datta, and it is written off in an RTA.
8x19 - Fireproof
March 5, 1992
D.I. Burnside leads an investigation into the firebombing of the community police station.
8x20 - The Paddy Factor
March 10, 1992
D.C. Carver and W.D.C. Martella have a car thief under observation, and see him shot as he gets into a car. The Anti-Terrorist Squad is called in, and the IRA is suspected.
8x21 - The Wild Rover
March 12, 1992
D.S. Roach ignores the Anti-Terrorist Squad, and investigates a possible IRA cell.
8x22 - Coincidence
March 17, 1992
A small boy known for lying claims to have been the subject of an attempted abduction in an adventure playground.
8x23 - Going Soft
March 19, 1992
A routine trip to a magistrate for a warrant turns into a nightmare for D.C. Dashwood when he is taken prisoner by two hooded burglars.
8x24 - Re-Hab
March 24, 1992
Jack Meadows arrives to take charge of Sun Hill CID. He becomes involved with a father suspected of murdering his drug addict son.
8x25 - Acting Detective
March 26, 1992
A woman who collapsed at an airport is found to be a mule, smuggling drugs in her stomach. D.I. Burnside, with only limited time to mount an operation, gets W.P.C. French to take the courier's place in an attempt to uncover the dealer.
8x26 - Stopover
March 31, 1992
P.C. Smollett tries to offer a follow-up service to victims of crime. A woman whose husband is in prison, and who runs a guesthouse, keeps reporting an intruder on the premises. Smollett gives her support, but P.C. Garfield thinks he is wasting his time.
8x27 - Suspects
April 2, 1992
D.S. Greig arrests a suspect for an armed robbery, but is proved wrong.
8x28 - All The King's Horses
April 7, 1992
A lorry overturns and sheds its load outside a school, burying a boy and girl and putting P.C. Loxton to the test.
8x29 - Party Politics
April 9, 1992
W.D.C. Martella celebrates her birthday. D.I. Burnside and D.S. Roach go to a party attended by a crooked businessman, who makes Burnside an offer he can't refuse.
8x30 - Trials & Tribulations
April 14, 1992
W.P.C. Marshall becomes a vital witness in a murder trial, and soon realises that someone is trying to intimidate her.
8x31 - A Can Of Worms
April 16, 1992
A traffic accident draws attention to a minicab firm.
8x32 - Timing
April 21, 1992
D.C.I. Meadows tries to find the link between three arson attacks. D.S. Roach and D.C. Dashwood track down an escaped prisoner, but Roach seems more interested in his beautiful wife.
8x33 - A Nice Little Line In Plastic
April 23, 1992
P.C. Quinnan and W.P.C. Datta arrest a girl using stolen credit cards and uncover a major racket.
8x34 - Trial & Error
April 24, 1992
An armed robber who put an innocent bystander in an wheelchair has his house firebombed by the victim's son. D.I. Burnside is determined to see justice done.
8x35 - Owning Up
April 30, 1992
P.C.s Loxton and Stringer follow up on a mugging but their case is nearly ruined when it collides with an investigation by D.S. Greig and D.C.I. Meadows. Can W.P.C. Ackland crack the case?
8x36 - Up Behind
May 5, 1992
It's Saturday night, but CID are at work trailing a known criminal believed to be responsible for a series of artifice burglaries involving pensioners.
8x37 - Appearances
May 7, 1992
Following an argument with a drunken pub customer, a young barmaid is hit by a car and later dies. P.C.s Quinnan and Stringer have their suspicions about the customer. Could it be manslaughter?
8x38 - Principled Negotiation
May 12, 1992
D.I. Burnside and D.S. Roach look favourably on an ex-villain with a loan-shark problem, but they expect favours in return.
8x39 - Sign Of Our Times
May 14, 1992
An armed robber admits to D.C. Lines that redundancy and the repossession of his house made him take to crime to solve his problems.
8x40 - Priorities
May 19, 1992
P.C.s Stringer and Loxton attend to a theft at an old people's home and begin to suspect that the ex-policeman who runs the home is ill-treating residents.
8x41 - Users
May 21, 1992
W.D.C. Martella arrests a woman for drug dealing. D.I. Burnside suspects that she is using teenage girls as couriers by offering them free holidays in Spain, but she is being exploited by a bigger dealer.
8x42 - Man Of The People
May 26, 1992
P.C. Stringer wins the election for the post of Federation Rep, beating the incumbent P.C. Hollis by fifty-eight votes to two. Ch. Supt. Brownlow decides to eat in the canteen with the other ranks, much to their discomfort.
8x43 - Runaway
May 28, 1992
D.S Roach investigates the beating of a teenage girl, and tries to establish if his suspect is also responsible for a number of murders being investigated by AMIP.
8x44 - Exposures
June 2, 1992
A young model claims that she was sexually assaulted during a photographic session. W.D.C. Martella discovers that every picture tells a story.
8x45 - Better The Devil
June 4, 1992
P.C. Stringer gets involved with a bizarre household, and discovers a horrifying case of parental cruelty in the attic. W.P.C. Marshall goes on attachment to the Domestic Violence Unit at Stafford Row.
8x46 - Prisoners
June 9, 1992
Sgt. Boyden and P.C. Hollis are hoping for a quiet night in the custody suite at Sun Hill, but that's not how it turns out.
8x47 - World To Rights
June 11, 1992
W.P.C. Marshall, on attachment to the Domestic Violence Unit at Stafford Row, makes an error of judgement and is attacked by a woman's husband.
8x48 - Do The Right Thing
June 16, 1992
P.C. Stringer is mugged by a gang, and determines to get his own back. P.C. Quinnan and W.P.C. Datta follow a cheque card fraudster.
8x49 - Hiding To Nothing
June 18, 1992
P.C. Stamp is ambushed by a gang of youths on a local estate. In trying to assist him, W.P.C. Ackland crashes the Area car, much to P.C. Loxton's delight.
8x50 - Punching Judy
June 23, 1992
A woman lies critically injured in hospital, beaten up by her husband. D.S. Greig and D.C.I. Meadows interview the husband. W.P.C. Marshall decides to quit the Domestic Violence Unit.
8x51 - Vicious Circles
June 25, 1992
P.C. Hollis arrests a woman for being drunk in charge of a baby, and finds himself drawn into a complicated family set-up.
8x52 - Up All Night
June 30, 1992
P.C. Garfield pursues a burglar and is beaten up. Sgt. Boyden's inaction brings hostility from the relief and trouble for D.S. Roach.
8x53 - Part Of The Furniture
July 2, 1992
D.C. Dashwood is to be transferred to the Art and Antiques Squad. D.S. Roach hands him a burglary at an infants' school as a wind-up, but it develops into a case that allows Dashwood to show the others a thing or two.
8x54 - Snakes & Ladders
July 7, 1992
It's P.C. Garfield's first day back after the attack. The relief place bets on the likelihood of Garfield punching Sgt. Boyden, but Garfield eventually takes his revenge.
8x55 - Street Cleaning
July 9, 1992
Sgt. Cryer gets the relief to put the Garfield-Boyden conflict behind them and get back to work, to sort out the takeover of genuine beggars' pitches by violent professional thieves.
8x56 - Hands Up
July 14, 1992
Conway decides he needs to get back on the beat, and arrests a drunk for criminal damage.
8x57 - A Scandalous Act
July 16, 1992
P.C. Garfield brings in a teenaged girl arrested at a drugs party, and she accuses him of sexually assaulting her.
8x58 - Raiders
July 21, 1992
A ram-raid ends in tragedy when a boy is killed. But what was his part in the affair?
8x59 - Talk Out
July 23, 1992
A middle-aged couple arrive at the front desk and report their neighbour missing, but W.P.C. Ackland isn't sure that they are telling the whole truth.
8x60 - True Confessions
July 28, 1992
D.S. Roach is put under pressure when a suspect retracts a confession and accuses the police of oppression.
8x61 - Private Enterprise
July 30, 1992
D.C.I. Meadows tackles CID about passing intelligence to the collator; but D.S. Roach is reluctant to share information relating to his current operation.
8x62 - Getting Through
August 4, 1992
The night shift is saddled with a feud between two men who come to the front desk with allegations of GBH against each other.
8x63 - Last Night Of Freedom
August 6, 1992
Someone is stabbed on a stag night, but the likely suspect can't remember a thing about it.
8x64 - Cutting Loose
August 11, 1992
Burnside and Lines are returning a chief suspect to prison when they are ambushed by a gang of masked men, who spring him.
8x65 - Soft Targer
August 13, 1992
P.C. Smollett discovers that a local villain is driving people out of their flats and reletting them to squatters. At Sun Hill, a civilian typist is discovered to be having an affair with a known villain.
8x66 - I've Never Been To Harrogate
August 18, 1992
D.S. Greig and D.C. Woods investigate the mysterious collapse of an old lady who has been burgled.
8x67 - Human Resources
August 20, 1992
Two con men are preying on women through the small ads in the local paper. Lack of personnel for D.S. Roach's operation places W.D.C. Martella in danger.
8x68 - Exit
August 25, 1992
A loan shark is attacked. D.S. Greig has a vital witness who is young, blonde and pretty, but she keeps stringing him along, and then disappears.
8x69 - Loyalties
August 27, 1992
Acting on information from a snout, D.I. Burnside mounts a raid on crack-houses. When details of the raid are leaked, D.C.I. Meadows challenges Burnside over the trustworthiness of his team.
8x70 - Snapshot
September 1, 1992
A complaint over loud music quickly escalates into an armed siege, as a man waves a gun at P.C.s Stamp and Quinnan.
8x71 - Letting Go
September 3, 1992
Reg is playing with a train set before going out. He is looking for a place to live as he is moving out of the section house but ends up moving to a different corridor instead. Greig and Tosh investigates a stabbing in a station car park. The case is being dropped but Greig goes to see the widow and finds a new lead. June and Reg act as back up to bailiffs trying to evict a family. The case is turned over to Tosh.
8x72 - Travelling Light
September 8, 1992
Viv helps Donna dress up for a reconstruction of a murder case. They find a man who spoke to the dead woman and gives them a new lead. The ex-boyfriend of the murder victim asks to see Burnside protesting his innocence.
8x73 - Radio Waves
September 10, 1992
Monroe talks to Conway about a problem with a car chase. Tony and Dave were chasing joy riders with Ron in the back. Norika and George help catch the children who were joy riding. CID think they might be part of a gang knocking off car stereos. The fathers have a fight in custody after their children were interviewed.
8x74 - A Blind Eye
September 15, 1992
Viv brings in an elderly mugging victim who helps make an identikit picture. Boyden gets spoken to by Monroe about working with the relief. Tony assists George with a disturbance when there is another mugging which turns out to be a misunderstanding. Tony see what he thinks is a mugger getting beaten up but the suspect turns out to be an off-duty copper.
8x75 - Sympathy For the Devil
September 17, 1992
Tosh is at the building society waiting for an armed robber. Dave and Barry assist CID and they catch an old age pensioner. Steve goes to a disturbance behind a pub. He finds an attacked man. He thinks it might be racially motivated. It turns out to be a revenge attack.
8x76 - Force Is Part of the Service
September 22, 1992
Brownlow and Conway have a meeting with councillors about the changes in the police force. Conway gives them a tour of the station. Steve brings in a man suspected of street robbery. The man accuses Steve of harassment. Reg tells Steve the bad news that he brought in the wrong man. The man makes a complaint against Steve and Brownlow wants it sorted honestly. Steve is trying to get George to back up his story.
8x77 - On the Record, Off the Record
September 24, 1992
CID investigates a break-in at a warehouse which resulted in the theft of personal CD players. Steve spots the van used in the robbery. After talking to a worker with form, fingers start pointing at the security guard. Jim gets spoken to by Meadows about complaints. He gets into further trouble after arresting a man on information received.
8x78 - Stoning the Glasshouse
September 29, 1992
Bob visits a friend who is the head of a neighbourhood watch. His son is stealing to support his drug habit. Bob's friend thinks the police are turning a blind eye towards the Cockcroft Estate. Conway gets a report on the Cockcroft Estate and a visit from the head of the Cockcroft Action Committee complaining of harassment.
8x79 - Tip-Off
October 1, 1992
Tosh is asked for by a burglar whom he put inside. He gives Tosh information that there might be a bank robbery. CID catches the robbers after the job but when Tosh tries to arrange protection for his informant he is too late as the man has had his face slashed. Reg talks to Donna for an article in the station newspaper.
8x80 - Open to Offers
October 6, 1992
Monroe and the relief go to a pub where some men are damaging it. One of the men tries to blackmail Dave over some moonlighting Dave did to get off the charge. Monroe thinks the men might be involved in protection. Dave tells both Sgts Boyden and Maitland who advises him to tell Monroe. Dave asks Barry's advice as Fed Rep. Barry asks Reg's advice as he was previous Fed Rep.
8x81 - Playing God
October 8, 1992
CID are tied up with a court case. A burglary suspect of Ted's may have to be released as he is at court. Tony brings in an old lady who has been abusive in the street. Dave and George find a man in the street who might have killed his wife who had terminal cancer.
8x82 - Crack of Doom
October 13, 1992
There is a search of people looking for crack. A man has a scuffle with another man and claims a piece of crack was planted on him. Tony discovers the man, an ex-boxer, lives over the road from the crack house and CID ask if they could use it as a base for an obbo.
8x83 - Spit and Polish
October 15, 1992
Steve is late for shift. Just as Steve is about to arrest a fine defaulter Dave is nearly run over by a speeding BMW. Steve really wants to arrest the fine defaulter, who has already left by the time he gets back, but Dave wants to deal with the driver. They find the body of the car owner's lover in the boot of the car.
8x84 - Overdue
October 20, 1992
Burnside talks to a snout in a bus queue about a delivery. Woods and Carver observe the delivery and CID raid the premises. The cartons contain bricks and motor parts instead of the stolen goods expected. Burnside goes to a promotions board and is passed over.
8x85 - We Should Be Talking
October 22, 1992
George is following a silver car that might have been involved in a ramraid. While checking in with the station, his radio goes dead. Sgt. Cryer discovers the radio link is down. June is investigating a failure to stop and enlists the help of people on the estate to help find a hurt kid.
8x86 - Reasonable Grounds
October 27, 1992
Norika goes to see a man about a missing child. Barry has to tell a man his brother is dead after complaining of having to let a suspected burglar go with a caution. the man takes off as soon as he sees Barry.
8x87 - Discipline
October 29, 1992
An obbo on a club nearly goes wrong when a fight starts outside it. The man who started the fight turns out to be a D. S. suspended from the Drug Squad.
8x88 - Minefield
November 3, 1992
Sgt. Maitland finds himself in the wrong when he discovers a serious procedural error meant that a dangerous and possibly psychopathic man has been arrested twice for the same offence and released.
8x89 - Gamers
November 5, 1992
Tosh investigates a fire bombing of an Asian shop. Dave and Cathy investigates an Asian lady accused of shoplifting. Cathy thinks there is something going on. Her husband is gambling. Dave and Sgt. Boyden join the game.
8x90 - Occupational Hazard
November 10, 1992
When sex appeal doesn't get him what he wants, Harry Osborne turns vicious. W.D.C. Martella has to pick up the pieces.
8x91 - Just Send Some Flowers
November 12, 1992
W.D.C. Martella investigates a burglary that occurred during a funeral. D.C. Carver links it to previous burglaries and an employee with a criminal record who claims to be innocent.
8x92 - Waifs and Strays
November 17, 1992
A missing girl's blood-stained book leads D.C. Lines to uncover the family's dark secrets and come up with an unexpected result. P.C. Hollis has to deal with a lost dog. P.C. Loxton discovers the dog has been beaten and decides to keep it.
8x93 - Happy Families
November 19, 1992
What's a smart girl like Sharon doing with a villain like Daniel Batt? D.I. Burnside thinks it's all to do with female hormones, but W.D.C. Martella isn't so sure.
8x94 - Well Out of Order
November 24, 1992
Meadows and Burnside want to go in force to the Tankeray estate to root out the criminal element, but Brownlow is committed to a softer approach. P.C. Smollett proves more effective than C.I.D. at catching a dangerous mugger.
8x95 - Into The Mire
November 26, 1992
CID receive information that leads to the arrest of a prolific handler of stolen goods.

8x1 - The Best Policy

8x2 - A Friend In Need

8x3 - Whose Side Are You On?

8x4 - Lip Service

8x5 - Illegals

8x6 - Fair Play

8x7 - Dinosaur

8x8 - Joyride

8x9 - Not Waving

8x10 - Mates

8x11 - Lost Boy

8x12 - Chicken

8x13 - Somebody Special

8x14 - Previous Convictions

8x15 - Beggar My Neighbour

8x16 - It's A Small World

8x17 - Licence

8x18 - Comeback

8x19 - Fireproof

8x20 - The Paddy Factor

8x21 - The Wild Rover

8x22 - Coincidence

8x23 - Going Soft

8x24 - Re-Hab

8x25 - Acting Detective

8x26 - Stopover

8x27 - Suspects

8x28 - All The King's Horses

8x29 - Party Politics

8x30 - Trials & Tribulations

8x31 - A Can Of Worms

8x32 - Timing

8x33 - A Nice Little Line In Plastic

8x34 - Trial & Error

8x35 - Owning Up

8x36 - Up Behind

8x37 - Appearances

8x38 - Principled Negotiation

8x39 - Sign Of Our Times

8x40 - Priorities

8x41 - Users

8x42 - Man Of The People

8x43 - Runaway

8x44 - Exposures

8x45 - Better The Devil

8x46 - Prisoners

8x47 - World To Rights

8x48 - Do The Right Thing

8x49 - Hiding To Nothing

8x50 - Punching Judy

8x51 - Vicious Circles

8x52 - Up All Night

8x53 - Part Of The Furniture

8x54 - Snakes & Ladders

8x55 - Street Cleaning

8x56 - Hands Up

8x57 - A Scandalous Act

8x58 - Raiders

8x59 - Talk Out

8x60 - True Confessions

8x61 - Private Enterprise

8x62 - Getting Through

8x63 - Last Night Of Freedom

8x64 - Cutting Loose

8x65 - Soft Targer

8x66 - I've Never Been To Harrogate

8x67 - Human Resources

8x68 - Exit

8x69 - Loyalties

8x70 - Snapshot

8x71 - Letting Go

8x72 - Travelling Light

8x73 - Radio Waves

8x74 - A Blind Eye

8x75 - Sympathy For the Devil

8x76 - Force Is Part of the Service

8x77 - On the Record, Off the Record

8x78 - Stoning the Glasshouse

8x79 - Tip-Off

8x80 - Open to Offers