Unlikely couplings: Slash fiction and The Bill

Traditionally slash or same-sex fiction is regarded as the domain of cult television series that incorporate fantastic worlds far removed from everyday life. Even exceptions to the rule, such as The Professionals and Starsky and Hutch are packed with colourful characters, unfeasible escapes, and miraculously invulnerable heroes. This paper examines the question of why the British television series The Bill, regarded by critics and industry alike as portraying the routine of everyday police life, inspires a wealth of erotic fan fiction. It appears there is no definitive answer to this question, although ongoing research suggests that writers of The Bill-related slash fiction are following a trend in assigning non-traditional behaviour to favourite characters. Online discussion indicates that fans of The Bill enjoy creating erotic encounters between favourite male characters. Such erotic encounters are not part of the traditional text of The Bill, although recent events in the series have explored the fringes of the world of same-sex pairings.