Over the years, I've grown weary for the depressing drudge that British television companies churn out and have turned to American imports for entertainment. However, never once have I tired of watching a 'Taggart' episode as it's a show that's never been less that great.
Set in Glasgow, the shows sees Maryhill CID investigating the various homicide cases that cross their desks. The team was initially headed by DCI Jim Taggart (played by Mark McManus) with Mike Jardine and Jackie Reid as his underlings but, after McManus' death in 1994, Jardine took command which, in turn, passed onto DCI Matt Burke whose character is much like an incarnate of Taggart.
'Taggart' excels because the story lines are intriguing, continually leaving viewers guessing over the murderer's identity right to the end of the episode, and the characters are solid and engaging without unnecessarily delving deep into their personal lives (many detective and medical shows have been ruined by focusing too much on the characters' love lives and their sad, pathetic childhoods). There is also the dry Glasgow wit that provides an injection of humour to the show as, after all, there can't be many programmes out there where people are referred to as 'tinkies', 'baldie' or 'deid'! It's no surprise this is Britain's longest-running detective show and it's the strength of 'Taggart' that saw it survive after Mark McManus' death and, subsequently, the death of the title character. Long may it continue!
