Taggart: Ever-changing but always true to its roots

Published on Thursday 12 May 2011 17:30

OVER its 28-year run, Taggart has changed its cast, format and length of episodes several times. Yet somehow the show has remained consistently itself, at some remove from the flashier, more American-influenced detective series elsewhere on British TV.

While its grim portrayals of Glasgow crime might not have been the tourist board's favourite, the series has been a boon for STV as a company and for many Scottish actors, writers and production crew who have found it a reliable earner or a first break into the industry.

Given the amount of jibes about the show not featuring anyone named Taggart after original star Mark McManus died in 1994, the producers didn't go the Midsomer Murders route and have him replaced by a cousin/brother of the same name, conveniently also in the polis. Maybe it was a canny move: it certainly got the show talked about, as did its unofficial catchphrase: "There's been a murrrdurrr."

It's not outwith the realms of possibility it could survive if STV finds an international co-production partner. Taggart has been popular globally, with subtitled or dubbed versions being shown in 141 territories at some point. Digital company UKTV is already an investor, for the repeat rights.

But drama is expensive, compared with cheap reality shows and quizzes. If Taggart has finally been killed off, at least we'll know whodunnit.