Woodentop (The Bill) "Woodentop" has an unusual place in the history of "The Bill" due to the original premise of this being a one-off play. After broadcast, Thames commissioned a full series to be shown the following year, under the name "The Bill" as the show had the potential to appeal to a mass audience. Although "The Bill" is clearly a continuation from this episode, the main series contradicts it in a number of ways. For instance, in Woodentop Litten has completed his secondment to CID and is close to securing his place in the detective branch, whereas in "The Bill" he does
Woodentop (The Bill) Thames Television transmitted "Woodentop" as part of its "Storyboard" anthology series of one-off dramas. It was written by Geoff McQueen, a writer who had genre experience after writing episodes of LWT's "The Gentle Touch". "Woodentop" stood out from run of the mill police dramas of the time for a number of reasons including the use of hand-held cameras and natural lighting as well as the use of naturally sounding dialogue. The show created a realistic portrayal of modern-day policing, and there was nothing like it on television at the time, a fact which was actively exploited by the programme's makers.