The Bill: Good Faith (Parts 1, 2 and 3). This momentous three parter marked a sea change in the whole series, with the revelation that the ever-slippery DS Don Beech, already a popular and well-loved character of three year's standing, is a corrupt cop. I remember being very much surprised at the time, not just by this twist but by the fact that, contrary to my first thought - oh, he must be leaving and this will be his exit - Beech gets away with his shenanigans in this story scot-free and, indeed, will remain on the show for another two and a half years. This story also features guest appearances by Leslie Grantham as the crime boss Beech is in league with (Dirty Den meets Dirty Don
) and, er, Hugh Laurie (!) as a crafty barrister. I was also rather bemused to find that the guy playing Grantham's gangland rival was the same actor as played the CIB boss during Beech's eventual exit story in late 2000 - well, no wonder he knew he was bent!
