<P> In its final year on air , The Bill was broadcast once a week , usually on Tuesdays or Thursdays , in a one - hour format . The programme focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers , rather than on any particular aspect of police work . The Bill was the second longest - running police procedural television series in the United Kingdom , and among the longest running of any British television series . The title originates from `` Old Bill '' , a slang term for the police . </P>
<P> In its final year on air , The Bill was broadcast once a week , usually on Tuesdays or Thursdays , in a one - hour format . The programme focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers , rather than on any particular aspect of police work . The Bill was the second longest - running police procedural television series in the United Kingdom , and among the longest running of any British television series . The title originates from `` Old Bill '' , a slang term for the police . </P>
where does the name old bill come from
where does the name old bill come from
a slang term for the police
a slang term for the police