[1] In 2002, Marquess took over as executive producer of The Bill, with a clear brief from network bosses at ITV to shift the series away from stand-alone episodes to a more serialised format, in an attempt to attract a younger demographic.
The move caused controversy amongst many die-hard fans after Marquess fired a number of veteran actors and introduced more sensational storylines, which explored issues such as serial murder, gang rape and domestic violence.
[2][3] For the first time, the show also focused on the regulars' private lives, including the contentious screening of a gay kiss between two uniformed officers,[4] drug addiction, and corruption within the police service.
[5][6] In 2005, the show's consistently high ratings led to commercial interest from Channel 5, prompting ITV to offer an unprecedented five-year recommission until 2010, guaranteeing its place in the TV schedules long after Marquess had departed TalkBackThames.
The show won best storyline at The British Soap Awards in 2005, for the sexual abuse of Chloe Costello by a young family friend, and best dramatic performance for Kazia Pelka.
[11] In 2010, after a period developing new projects for Endemol and BBC Worldwide,[12][13] Marquess succeeded Lucy Allan as series producer on Channel 4's teen soap Hollyoaks.
However, he also introduced a raft of new characters, including the show's first mixed-race family[15] and also hired Emmett J. Scanlan to play anti-hero Brendan Brady, who went on to win Best Villain and Best Newcomer at The British Soap Awards the following year.
[19] Building on the drama/documentary hybrid format, Suspects was filmed in a less obtrusive fly-on-the wall documentary style than Crime Stories, but still relied on the actors to improvise the dialogue based on a tightly plotted storylines.
The show was written by Paul Marquess, Sally Tatchell, Sarah Louise Hawkins, Claire Fryer and Jake Riddell and starred Hugo Speer, Sharon Small, Bailey Patrick and Tori Allen Martin.