Taggart (TV Series) Legends Part One (1995) User Reviews

Taggart does rock & roll.

[bethwilliam · 7/10 · 25 November 2007]

Jardine and Reed investigate a killing in a country house swimming pool. One of the victims is Rick Mulvey, former lead guitar of the 60's pop group, the ADDERS. Their vocalist died while on tour 25 years ago.

Ian Garvey, Kate McCready's boyfriend is savagely beaten by two bouncers. The following day he is knocked down by Jacki Reed in her car.

Jardine and Fraser question Cready's manager, Alec Veerman. Meanwhile Reed learns the names of the two men who beat up Ian.

Marie McDonald, former keyboard, visits Alan Mann, former member of the ADDERS and confronts him with a document. Shortly afterward he is brutally murdered.

Fraser meets Louise Mulvey and at the funeral Patrick Liddell, the groups former sound engineer is spotted and flees the scene. With Reed, Jardine goes to South Lawn Farm to question Marie and her partner Larry Bain. Later Larry hands Marie some sound tapes.

Roddy Ferguson, a music publisher, tips off Fraser on a matter of bribery. Jenny Connolly's body is exhumed. Later Veerman passes tapes of her unpublished songs to Ferguson.

Marie travels to an island to impress Tony Balmoral, the last surviving member of the band, to sign her document. When he refuses he is murdered by an unseen assailant.

This 3 part Taggart is a return to form. Jardine and Reed have picked up the series after their boss's demise and the show goes on. Its Taggart without Taggart. But it is good!

The dark side of rock and roll

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 23 October 2018]

Have always adored detective dramas/mystery series. This has been apparent from an early age, half my life even, when getting into Agatha Christie through Joan Hickson's Miss Marple and David Suchet's Poirot and into 'Inspector Morse'.

Whether it's the more complex ones like 'Inspector Morse' (and its prequel series 'Endeavour') and anything Agatha Christie. Whether it's the grittier ones like 'A Touch of Frost' (though that is balanced brilliantly with comedy too). And whether it's the light-hearted ones like 'Murder She Wrote'. 'Taggart' is one of the biggest examples of the grittier ones, especially the Mark McManus years and the earlier James MaPherson episodes.

"Legends" is a very good episode, not quite one of my favourites while being one of the better faring episodes of the earlier James MacPherson era episodes.

If there were less talk and an occasionally tighter pace it would already be better. The character of Stuart and his actor Colin McCredie were not particularly interesting or straight away settled at this very early stage of his appearances, a bit bland.

Enough that of what made 'Taggart' such a good show when it was in its prime is evident and a lot works here, just that it could have been better at the same time.

Really like the slick, gritty look and Glasgow is like an ominous character on its own. The music matches the show's tone and has a good amount of atmosphere while the theme song/tune is one that stays in the memory for a long time. The relationship between Jardine and Reid was always blossoming nicely and had blossomed by this point and then accentuated with Jackie further blossoming it, showing why it was one of the best things about this period of 'Taggart'.

As to be expected, "Legends" is thoughtfully scripted mostly with nothing ridiculous happening and things being taken seriously without being too morose. The story is involving in its complexity and intricacy with nothing being what it seems, making the most of the long length (have generally found the 2000s episodes too short and rushed) without padding anything out. Some parts are not for the faint hearted, but nothing feels gratuitous and the investigations are compelling and with enough twists to stop it from being obvious. The ending is clever and not one one sees coming.

James MacPherson fills Mark McManus' big shoes with aplomb and Blythe Duff continues to get better and better with each episode. Love the chemistry between the two. The supporting cast are solid and Robert Robertson as ever steals every scene he's in.

Overall, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox