Taggart facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Taggart
2010 title
Genre	Crime drama
Created by	Glenn Chandler
Starring	Mark McManus (1983–1995) Neil Duncan (1983–1987, 1994) Blythe Duff (1990–2010) Iain Anders (1985–1998) James MacPherson (1987–2002) Colin McCredie (1995–2010) John Michie (1998–2010) Alex Norton (2002–2010) Siobhan Redmond (2010)
Country of origin	Scotland
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	27
No. of episodes	109 (+ pilot) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Margaret Enefer (2010) Eric Coulter (2001–2010)
Producer(s)	Marcus Wilson (2010) Graeme Gordon (2001–2010)
Production location(s)	Glasgow, Scotland
Running time	60–120 minutes
Production company(s)	Scottish Television/ STV Studios
Release
Original network	STV; ITV
Original release	2 July 1985 (1985-07-02) – 7 November 2010 (2010-11-07)

Taggart is a popular Scottish detective fiction TV show. It was created by Glenn Chandler, who also wrote many of the episodes. The show was made by STV Studios for the ITV network.

It first aired as a short series called "Killer" in 1983. Then, a full series began in 1985 and ran until 2010. The show is about a group of detectives in the CID in Maryhill, Glasgow. They worked from a made-up police station called John Street. Mark McManus played the main character, Jim Taggart, until he passed away in 1994. Even after his death, the show kept the same name. Taggart is one of the longest-running TV dramas in the UK.

The Story of Taggart

How the Show Started

The show began with a special episode called "Killer" in 1983. It won a Scottish BAFTA award. This episode introduced Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Jim Taggart, played by Mark McManus. Taggart was a tough and experienced detective. His first partner was Detective Sergeant (DS) Peter Livingstone, played by Neil Duncan. Livingstone was a new, younger officer, and he often had different ideas from Taggart.

Taggart's first boss was Superintendent Robert Murray. Later, Superintendent Jack McVitie became his boss. Another important character was Taggart's wife, Jean. She had many interests and hobbies. The show often included stories about the Taggarts' home life. Sometimes, these home stories even connected to the police cases they were solving.

New Detectives Join the Team

In 1987, a new character named Michael Jardine, played by James MacPherson, joined the show. Neil Duncan left in 1987. Then, in 1990, a new female detective, Jackie Reid, played by Blythe Duff, became part of the team.

When Mark McManus passed away in 1994, his character, Jim Taggart, was written out of the show. In the story, Taggart was said to be away at meetings. In 1995, an episode called "Black Orchid" showed Taggart's funeral. Even though the main character was gone, the show continued.

Jardine was promoted to Detective Inspector (DI). DC Stuart Fraser, played by Colin McCredie, joined the team. He often worked with Jardine. Later, DI Robbie Ross, played by John Michie, joined in 1998. Both McCredie and Michie had appeared in Taggart before as different characters.

Changes in Leadership

When MacPherson left the show in 2002, his character was also written out. DCI Matt Burke, played by Alex Norton, took his place. Alex Norton had also appeared in the show before as a different character.

The detectives on the show, like Jardine and Reid, were shown to be very close friends. They supported each other through many cases. In 2009, Colin McCredie left the show.

TV Channel Discussions

There was a time when the TV channels ITV plc and STV had a disagreement. ITV wasn't sure if it would show new Taggart episodes. This caused STV to stop making the show for a short time in 2009.

However, in 2010, ITV and STV decided to work together. They agreed to make a new six-part series of Taggart. Viewers in Scotland saw the new episodes first in 2010. Then, ITV showed them across the rest of the UK in 2011. The channel Alibi also showed these episodes later.

How the Show Was Made

Episode Length Changes

The way Taggart episodes were shown changed over time. At first, each story was split into three one-hour episodes. Later, in 1998, stories became two-hour stand-alone episodes. In 2002, they were shortened to 60 minutes.

After a special two-hour episode in 2003, episodes became 90 minutes long. This continued until 2008. After that, the show returned to one-hour stand-alone stories.

Watching the Episodes

Fans sometimes found it hard to watch the show regularly. Episodes were not always shown every week or on the same night. Sometimes, many months passed between episodes from the same series. This happened in Australia too, making it tricky for viewers to follow the show's timeline.

DVDs of the Show

Some Taggart episodes are available on DVD in the UK. Other episodes have been released by Acorn Media UK. DVDs are also available in North America and Australia. Some of the older DVD sets are now hard to find.

Meet the Cast

Main Characters

• Mark McManus as DCI Jim Taggart (1983–1995)
• Neil Duncan as DS Peter Livingstone (1983–1987, 1994)
• Iain Anders as Superintendent Jack McVitie (1985–1998)
• James MacPherson as DS/DI/DCI Michael Jardine (1987–2002)
• Blythe Duff as WPC/DC/DS/DI Jackie Reid (1990–2010)
• Colin McCredie as DC Stuart Fraser (1995–2010)
• John Michie as DI Robbie Ross (1998–2010)
• Alex Norton as DCI Matt Burke (2002–2010)
• Robert Robertson as Pathologist Dr Stephen Andrews (1983–2001)
• Harriet Buchan as Jean Taggart (1983–1995)

Other Characters

• Tom Watson as Superintendent Robert Murray (1983–1985)
• Gavin Brown as Sgt Blackman (1983–1985)
• Stuart Hepburn as DS Kenny Forfar (1986-1987)
• Patricia Ross as DS/Sgt Laura Campbell (1987–1988)
• Anthony Cochrane as Dr Colin Crawford (1987–1993)
• Leigh Biagi as Alison Taggart (1988–1993)
• Gray O'Brien as DC Rob Gibson (1993–1995)
• Yasmin Marley as WPC Heather McIntyre (1999–2001)
• Brian Cowan as DCS Brian Holmes (2000–2005)
• Lesley Harcourt as Pathologist Dr Gemma Kerr (2003–2005)
• Michael MacKenzie as Pathologist Dr Magnus Baird (2005–2008)
• Katrina Bryan as Pathologist Dr Ellis Sinclair (2008–2010)
• Alan McHugh as Assistant Chief Constable Strathairn (2008–10)
• Davood Ghadami as Pathologist Duncan Clark (2010)
• Siobhan Redmond as Chief Supt. Karen Campbell (2010)
• Anneika Rose as DC/DS Mita Rahim (2010)

Guest Stars on Taggart

Many actors appeared as guest stars in Taggart episodes over the years. Here are some of them:

Note: If an actor is listed more than once, they played a different character each time. Main characters are listed in the "Main Characters" section above.

Filming Locations

The show was mostly filmed in and around Glasgow, Scotland. Sometimes, they filmed in other parts of Scotland, like Loch Lomond, Edinburgh, and the Scottish Highlands.

The show's opening title card used a wide view of Glasgow from the Cathkin Braes. Later, a view of the city centre from The Lighthouse building was used.

In later series, buildings at Strathclyde University were often used for outdoor shots. For example, the entrance of the Colville Building was used as the police station. The name "John Street," used for the police station in the show, is a real place on the university campus.

Episodes List

The series started with a pilot episode called "Killer." After that, there were 109 more episodes of Taggart. Early episodes were often split into several parts, shown over three weeks. Later episodes were complete stories in one go.

Where Taggart Was Shown Around the World

Taggart was popular in many countries:

• In Australia, the series was shown on ABC1. Sometimes, ABC1 even showed new episodes before STV did in Scotland due to different schedules. 7TWO also showed older episodes.
• In New Zealand, the series aired on Vibe.
• In Ireland, the series was shown on RTÉ.
• In Denmark, the series was very popular with Danish subtitles on DR. It aired on DR2 and later on DR1.