The series was the BBC's attempt to rival ITV's popular action series The Sweeney (1975). Unlike its contemporary series, "Target" has been confined to television obscurity.
This gritty police series has all but disappeared from public memory. TV repeats of "Target" have been seldom. There are currently no plans to release the series on DVD or for it to be available to watch online.
All seventeen episodes exist on 16mm color film in the BBC archives.
The series was the BBC's first attempt to produce an action series on film instead of videotape with filmed inserts.
The series garnered significant criticism for its levels of violence. According to producer Philip Hinchcliffe, the BBC's Director of Programmes, Alasdair Milne, didn't like the series either, which accounted for its cancellation.