|
|
It's PC Carver's (Mark Wingett) first day on the job, and due to the
station being understaffed, he's taken on the beat the very first day,
doing the morning round with WPC Ackland (Trudie Goodwin), where they
stumble over a dead body in quite a state of decay - not a victim of any
crime apparently, just a victim of neglect. In the afternoon, on the beat
with PC Litten (Gary Olsen), he gets into trouble for merely slapping two
minor hoodlums (Paul McKenzie, Gary Hailes) on the wrist rather than
booking them, something his superior (Peter Dean) and the station's CID
(Robert Pugh) eventually have to set right to keep Carver from being fired
... Basically, what this episode of Storyboard
shows is just another day at the police station, without any big crime
committed, no real emergency, no car chases and explosions, just the
everyday hustling and bustling - and somehow it has apparently struck a
chord with the audience, as it resulted in the TV show The Bill,
which subsequently ran for no less than 26 years (even if not all that
many actors of Woodentop actually made it into The Bill).
Now from today's point of view, Woodentop seems rather dated, with
its direction being a bit too functional and at times it seems to make its
point a bit too bluntly, but one can also see why back when the mere
concept of showing just regular police work must have felt like quite a
novelty and appealing to the audience, also thanks to its very relatable
characters and down-to-earth approach.
|
|
|