A mother who killed her children has been locked up

Never let it be said ITV1 bosses don't celebrate their milestones in style.

The latest is the 25th anniversary of The Bill, and the powers that be are pulling out all the stops to ensure it's a memorable one.

So much so, they've forged a link with German crime drama SOKO Leipzig, to create a co-production between the two shows.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to combine the skills and talents of the production teams of two highly successful shows," said executive producer of The Bill, Johnathan Young.

"It's been a really positive adventure pulling the project together, but the success of the idea is testament to the strong working relationships we have developed. We've devised two great episodes that neither of us would have been able to do on our own."

He went on: "Both programmes are quite different in style and production, even the formats are different.

"The Bill is a continuing drama and SOKO Leipzig is a serial - but for the production teams, the experience of working together has exposed us to fresh ideas and new influences and we're confident that both shows will benefit not just in the short term, but in going forward.

"It has been a useful challenge and one in which we have all enjoyed taking part."

The special two-part storyline - titled Proof of Life - has been specifically developed to mark The Bill's 25th Anniversary year and will air in November 2008 on ITV1.

The storyline follows a young German girl who is kidnapped in mainland Britain, prompting DCI Jack Meadows (Simon Rouse) to team up with his German counterpart. The Sun Hill and SOKO Leipzig teams work together across London and Leipzig to break the case.