TAGGART

"Yes I know the City like a lover

Good or bad it's hard to love another...."

"No Mean City".  Mike Moran.

December 2003 saw Taggart celebrate 20 years in production.  It is by far the longest running police drama on our screens and is exported to 80 countries worldwide.  Like many of you out there I grew up with Taggart pre-ceding its arrival by only 9 years!  Over the years the show has seen many changes, not least the un timely death of Mark McManus who played Taggart himself.  It seems quite rare that a show that has seen so many changes continues to capture the the imagination of it's audience (still some 6.5 million viewers an episode) yet somehow it does and will continue to do so..........so here's to the next 20 years!

John's character DI Robbie Ross joined the show in the episode "A Few Bad Men" in 1998 when DI Michael Jardine (James MacPherson) was promoted to to DCI.  So along with DS Jackie Reid (Blythe Duff) and DC Stuart Fraser (Colin McCredie) the team was complete.  Well that was until 2002 when during the episode "Death Trap" Jardine was murdered.  Now DCI Matt Burke is at the helm steering the team from Maryhill Police Station into a future full of 'murrdderr' I don't doubt!!

DI ROBBIE ROSS

Now ladies, if you found yourself witness to a crime, hands up who would NOT be happy to give a statement to DI Ross?  Oh, no hands in the air.........I wonder why?

I have seen Robbie described as "dodgy", "flirty" and "mean" to name just a few terms.  For me however a lovable rogue seems to sum him up quite nicely.  Yes he likes the ladies but then come on they seem to like him too!!  I read once that women like to think they can tame men like Robbie, that they would be the one to finally get him to settle down!  Not sure about that but for me he brought a new spark to the show - is he corrupt or isn't he?  DC Fraser described him as a "lone gun" in the episode "Fistfull Of Chips" and you can see what he means.  However the fact that you just never know what to expect next with Robbie adds to his charm plus of course he is witty, gorgeous..........er good looking and a good cop.

Robbie is a copper who often walks a tight line between right and wrong, cutting a few corners along the way.  But he gets the job done (with a little help from his friends) and the people of Glasgow can sleep safely in their beds once more!!

* My thanks go to John himself for allowing me to use some official pictures of him as DI Ross on this site.  It is much appreciated!

Taggart fans might like to know that there is an excellent Yahoo 'Fan Forum'.  To visit and find out more log onto http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Taggart/ Plus they should also visit - www.taggart-fanclub.co.uk

An interview with John.  What does he really think about Robbie Ross? 

 - With the arrival of the Taggart Fanclub site I wasn't able to keep adding to the Robbie Ross episode guides on this site...and besides there seems little point in duplicating information.  So what I've decided to do is to introduce THE ROBBIE ROSS CASE FILES, a complete record of Robbie's investigations from 1998 to 2005.  They are not detailed accounts of each story but do highlight the life and loves of DI Ross!

For those of you who liked the episode guides that were already here - I've simply moved them all to page 2

Reviews On Page 2:A Few Bad Men, For Their Sins, A Fistful Of Chips, Fearful Lightning, Ghost Rider, Skin Deep, Wavelength, Football Crazy and Falling In Love

Does DS Reid really fancy DI Ross?  Examine the evidence here!

ENTER THE ROBBIE ROSS CASE FILES HERE