SORRY SARGE YOU ARE AXED; EXCLUSIVE: Shock as Cryer cops it from Bill.
THE Bill's longest-serving star, Sergeant Bob Cryer, is to be axed.And Eric Richard, who plays him, only found out when a colleague read a script describing his retirement party.
Eric, 60, will leave the ITV police drama after 17 years as old-school copper Cryer.
A Bill spokesman admitted last night it was "unfortunate" that Eric had found out he was going from another member of the cast but said: "The character is ripe for retirement but we haven't set a date - it'll be 2001 at the earliest.
"We try to run the show like a real police station and characters do have to retire to make it more authentic."
Eric was told he was going by Joy Brook, whose character WDC Kerry Holmes is also being axed.
The sexy policewoman, who is infamous for a lesbian shower scene, will written out at the end of the year.
She joins seven other colleagues who are leaving after being caught up in a ring of corruption led by DS Don Beech, alias Billy Murray.
Others to go include Chief Superintendent Brownlow, played by Peter Ellis; DS John Boulton, Russell Boulter; DI Deakin, Sean Scott; DC Tom Proctor, Gregory Donaldson; Pc Gary McCann, Clive Wedderburn and Pc Dale Smith, Alex Walkinshaw.
In real life it is thought Eric plans to concentrate on his TV documentary company, Watchman productions.
The other departures will come later this year in a storyline which exposes the dirty dealings of DS Beech.
The show, which regularly pulls in audiences of 10 million, has a contract with ITV until 2002. It returns for a new run in the autumn.
Storylines include a steamy Sun Hill affair, a stalker and a rapist who traps his victims on the internet.
New members of the team will be introduced and some old faces are due to make surprise returns.
Charlie Catchpole - Page 9
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| Author: | Methven, Nicola |
|---|---|
| Publication: | The Mirror (London, England) |
| Date: | Jul 11, 2000 |
| Words: | 312 |
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