<Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> www.thebill.com </Td> </Tr> <P> The Bill is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010 . The programme originated from a one - off drama, Woodentop, broadcast in August 1983 . </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> <P> Although highly acclaimed by fans and critics, the series attracted controversy on several occasions . An episode broadcast in 2008 was criticised for featuring fictional treatment for multiple sclerosis . The series has also faced more general criticism concerning its levels of violence, particularly prior to 2009, when it occupied a pre-watershed slot . </P>

Where does the name old bill come from