Killer thriller
Can you believe that Taggart is now the longest running police drama on television - and is still as popular as when the original Jim Taggart, Mark McManus, was at the helm. This national institution started out way back in 1983 as a one off, three-part thriller called "Killer" starring our hero, a tough no-nonsense detective, and his sidekick Peter Livingstone, investigating the serial murder of young Glaswegian blondes.

Grave situation
Glenn Chandler is the writer behind Taggart. When he was first commissioned by Scottish Television controller Robert Love back in the early 80s to write a series about a Glasgow detective, Chandler set to work by visiting the city's Maryhill Cemetery in search of inspiration. He ended up finding the names for his characters on the gravestones.

Glasgow kiss
The original Taggart, Mark McManus (despite having once starred regularly in Skippy the Bush Kangaroo!) became synonymous with the series - almost a folk hero even. His rugged face, hangdog expression and dour Scottish delivery made him far harder than any Morse or Wexford - as seen in one episode where Jim faced off a biker gang with the words "You'll wear your balls as earrings!"

The show must go on
Despite McManus' untimely death in 1994, it thankfully did not mean the show's end. The popularity of his fellow detectives at Maryhill CID and Chandler's scripts that kept us all guessing until the end meant Taggart continued to win over the hearts of viewers around the world. Glenn Chandler explains "We knew that Mark was going to die and we also knew that Mark wanted us to carry on the series after him. I wrote the episode in which he died. It was a hard one to do - we had to begin with Taggart's funeral then go on to another whodunit story and carry it forward."

Parting shot
Over the last 20 years, Taggart has become famous for attracting the cream of British talent to its cast. Ken Stott, Annette Crosbie, Hannah Gordon, Barbara Dickson and Amanda Redman have all appeared while Hollywood stars Robert Carlyle, John Hannah, Dougray Scott and Alan Cumming also gained important early exposure through the show - as Cumming, recalls: "I was 21, it was my first year after drama school and a part in Taggart was the big thing you wanted to get. I have lots of memories - especially because I had take all my clothes off in one scene!"