VIDEO: Actors Trudie Goodwin and Eric Richard talk to whatsontv.co.uk about their time on The Bill. As WPC/Sergeant June Ackland and Sergeant Bob Cryer, actors Trudie Goodwin and Eric Richard are responsible for playing two of The Bill's best-loved characters. The first three series of TV's longest-running police drama, which hit our screens back in 1984, are now available on DVD, and Trudie and Eric have fond memories of the characters that made them household names. Eric, who remained with the show for 17 years, is proud to have been a part of a series that is still massively popular among viewers. "I was the first voice that was heard in the very first episode," reveals Eric, "It's a good feeling to have been involved in that." While it's safe to say that life for a copper at Sun Hill can be pretty tough at times, Eric says that Bob and June always got on very well. "Bob was Sergeant, the link between the troops and the boss, and June was the younger police officer. There was always a good relationship between these two. And it appears that the cast of The Bill were great friends off-screen too. Eric left the show in 2001, while Trudie said farewell to Sun Hill earlier this year, having played June for 23 years. "Those friendships that we made back in 1984 still remain," she says. "I'm still close to almost everyone in the programme." VIDEO: Watch the interview with Trudie Goodwin and Eric Richard
