A star of the basic TV present Taggart has helped to launch an archive devoted to the odd folks concerned in making one of many world's longest-running police dramas.

Taggart: The People's Archive opened to the general public at Glasgow Caledonian University on Wednesday - on the fortieth anniversary of the detective present's pilot episode, titled Killer.

Blythe Duff, who performed Jackie Reid within the much-loved Scottish collection, was on the opening occasion.

She mentioned: "Everyone I meet has a Taggart story. I know the series holds a special place in people's hearts.

"A fortieth anniversary is critical. Some of us are nonetheless right here to inform our tales and sadly, a few of us aren't however their households are.

"Some of the stories have already made me weep with joy. Those precious fragments will be collated to become Taggart: The People's Archive."

Over the subsequent few days, a crew of retired detectives will host drop-in classes in a mock police station on the campus to take "witness statements" to be added to the archive.

Members of the general public who had been concerned in location shoots, labored as extras, performed a corpse, or supplied props or experience to the present are being urged to come back ahead so their tales will be captured.

"Evidence" may also be submitted on-line.

The present was created by Glenn Chandler and produced by STV.

Mark McManus performed the lead function of Jim Taggart. He died in 1994, however the collection continued below the identical title.

Guest stars over time embody the likes of Ewen Bremner (Trainspotting), Robert Carlyle (The Full Monty), Richard Madden (Game of Thrones), James Cosmo (Braveheart), Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad), Gavin Mitchell (Still Game), Meera Syal (Goodness Gracious Me), Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey) and legendary Scots entertainer Dorothy Paul.

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Fay Macluskie, 90, whose residence in Balmaha was used for a location shoot within the 2005 episode A Taste Of Money, minimize the police tape and declared the archive open.

Carole McCallum, archivist at Glasgow Caledonian University, mentioned: "Giving people the chance to add their stories to the programme's legacy ensures they too have ownership of Taggart's proud heritage.

"It additionally offers us an opportunity to interrupt obstacles and present that archives are for everybody."