When Mersey Beat was announced it invited comparisons with its contender The Bill on ITV. the bill was at a low point when merseybeat came out in 2001 and Merseybeat followed. it had lackluster story lines, poorly thought out characters and in general seemed to be a poor copy of the bill. When the Bill changed its format in 2002 so did Mersey beat. by taking a closer look at the officer's personal lives (the superintendent's rape and family troubles) and introducing a CID unit it was thought it would gain more viewers. it failed badly. Mersey beat was soon cancelled and with good cause. a mere footnote in British television history. it will be the sort of obscure thing that shows up on television trivia in a decades time.
