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Axed: Taggart

After 28 years UK police drama Taggart, has ended.

Even in the UK the axe has been swinging.

After 27 series and 110 episodes, UK police drama Taggart, famous for its “There’s been a murder” catchphrase, has met its own demise.

A notice on the Taggart website said simply: “This programme is now over.”

The Glasgow-based series, which had been going for 28 years, had slumped to an audience of 3.8 million, just a quarter of its 14 million peak.

ITV confirmed it had decided not to commission any further series and it had to make way for new crime dramas.

An ITV spokesman told the BBC: “Since it was first broadcast in 1983, Taggart has been one of ITV’s most enduring dramas but, reflecting the demands of our audience and as part of the ongoing creative renewal of the ITV1 schedule, our priority is to invest in new and original drama for the channel.

“ITV1 broadcast five out of the top 10 new dramas on any channel last year, including the most popular new drama in over five years, Downton Abbey.

Taggart‘s future had been the subject of speculation for some time and the show came close to being cancelled in 2009, when it was still managing to pull in an audience of 5.2 million.

But producers said they could offer it to other broadcasters in Britain or even in countries such as Australia and Canada, where it has been popular.

“We’re still really keen to make it work, and are talking to a number of partners. The last series did very well internationally,” he told the Daily Record.

8 Responses

  1. one of the few british crime drama’s i stayed loyal too. i think its had a good run though after 110 eps. John Mitchie has already joined coronation street.

  2. Speaking of finale/final shows…recap on Smallville at all? Just watched the final ever episode then…how amazingly epic…or should I say…Super?!

  3. It’s murder!

    Another great show to end. Someone once said to me that when they watch Taggart it reminds them of home!

    Will the ABC show the last remaining episodes which was screened in the UK at the end of last year?

  4. Pfft… please; 27 series for a show that averages only 4 episodes a series is pathetic. An American or Australian series could do that in 5 seasons. That’s the thing with British drama’s, they only play around 4 episodes a year, pass it off as a ‘series’ when all it is really is a ‘series of specials’ and it’s a bloody wonder how people know the show actually exists.

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