Billy Murray played Don Beech from 1995 to 2004. The character was a corrupt detective sergeant from 1995 to 2000 whose notoriety in the role led to its own scandal, with the defining moment being his killing of fellow DS John Boulton. Beech later featured in a 90-minute special Beech on the Run, filmed in Australia, and led to the six-part Beech is Back spin-off, both of which aired in 2001. His final stint on the series came in 2004 when he made six appearances as a prisoner turned informant as part of an elaborate scheme that saw him escape from prison Tony O'Callaghan played Sergeant Matt Boyden from 1991 to 2003. Boyden's murder at the hands of his daughter's boyfriend formed the basis for the pilot of spin-off M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team. Diane Parish as DC Eva Sharpe was the only character to appear as a regular on both The Bill (2002-2004) and the MIT spin-off (2005). A handful of the cast from spring 2003, when the MIT pilot aired, appeared in the spin-off - but only for that one episode. Christopher Ellison played Frank Burnside from 1984 to 2000. Burnside was a recurring character as a DS in the early years before becoming Sun Hill's DI in 1988, a role he held for five years. After a five year absence, Burnside returned as a DCI with the National Crime Squad before being written out in 2000 to star in his own spin-off, Burnside, however it lasted for just one series before being axed. Burnside made many enemies both at Sun Hill and with the villains, indeed Chief Superintendent Pearson tried to frame Burnside in a corruption inquiry. Mark Wingett played Jim Carver from 1983 to 2005. Jim was the central protagonist in the pilot Woodentop, the episode centred around his first day at Sun Hill as a probationary PC. A promotion to DC in 1988 saw him in CID until 1999, when he was transferred back to uniform so the series could highlight the real-life Metropolitan Police's controversial tenure system that saw officers moved back to uniform if they hadn't been considered for promotion after ten years in the same role. Addiction to alcohol and a marriage that saw him domestically abused came before his return to DC in 2004, with a gambling addiction and marriage to long-term friend June Ackland coming before his exit in 2005. He