During the 1960's, there were two imports that represented everything that is sophisticated and elegant in British TV: The Avengers and The Saint. The Saint is not as well known as The Avengers, but it should be. The Saint, Simon Templar, played to perfection by Roger Moore, is the hero of many mystery novels by Leslie Charteris. Roger Moore's Simon Templar is charming, suave, sexy and smart. Simon is less cynical and more caring than James Bond and relies on his wits rather gadgets to get himself out of trouble. He is a semi-reformed thief who uses his burglar skills to outwit rich and powerful evil doers and rescue the innocent. If you have the chance, please see The Saint. If you liked The Avengers, you will not be disappointed.
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carflo18 October 2003
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erwan_ticheler7 April 2001The Saint is one of the best series I have ever seen. It's fun, It's exciting and the settings are always different. Roger Moore plays one of his better roles as the cool Simon Templar. It's no mistery why Roger Moore was picked as James Bond when Sean Connery stopped, he shows that in the Saint. Great Entertainment !
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I have been watching this one for several months on satellite TV: one channel broadcasts the color episodes, the other, the black-and-whites...
Still, these episodes are captivating. Roger Moore is the reason why he's the true "Simon Templar": charming, brave, suave and true knight for justice. If you watch the series, if you overlook the period (using dial phones mostly...), it hasn't changed a bit. The stories are actual and well written. Sometimes the Saint has to face real (and even surreal) dangers all over the world.
Lots of stars and actors have passed here. Donald Sutherland was one of them, so's Barry Morse and even Oliver Reed. Even Mr.Moore shared the screen with Ms.Moneypenny (from James Bond), Lois Maxwell.
The women are quite pretty in there, whether good or bad side. For the rest, Leslie Charteris made us travel around the world (even Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver were featured in a couple of episodes...) and we were in with lots of surprises (even if sometimes, it is noticeable that the same set was used to represent many locations...)
But The Saint is Roger Moore's Signature role. Way over James Bond !
And no need to imagine the Halo over the head when we recognized the famous Simon Templar at the beginning of each show... The Saint Lives ! -
Spondonman26 May 2005Watching the first series again after a gap of 30 years I must admit I'm surprised at just how enjoyable the b&w TV episodes were. By now I've read loads of Charteris's original novels, and in them Roger Moore was always the Saint for me - he never matched Templar with his later Bond, imho going to prove yet again you can't do everything by throwing money at it. Even if as Bond he had a more sensible haircut! At the end of episode "Luella" he's mistaken for Bond by a female admirer, but he regretfully points to the halo above his head as the clue to his "real" identity.
"The Talented Husband" broadcast 4.10.62: A nifty first entry, ST keeps an eye on a man married to one of many many lady friends who has just escaped a huge stone urn falling on her head. The thing is that his first wife died in dubious circumstances, causing suspicions to rise in Simon's beetling mind. A clever and sprightly script keeps you engrossed to the inevitable denouement.
And travelling through episode after episode I find nearly all were very well written, with something in each to recommend or applaud. Some were played more for comedy than others, a few were star vehicles, some tried to adhere to Charteris - and were even damn good whodunnits! Moore got through a fair few females, got his hair mussed a few times brawling with villains, and only got tangled up with Inspector Teal a few times in the 39 episodes. Therefore, although I wondered before whether I would only be able to view these through rose-tinted spectacles, my conclusion is No - the TV Saint is still good for thrills all these years on. Dated by todays "high" standards, no cgi cartoonery or mindless brutality but I'll survive. By now I've also realised I'll probably never see "exotic" places like Buenos Aires, Miami, Rome, obscure Spanish mountains or such bizarrely cardboard London night-life in the flesh either - and the entire series was filmed less than 100 miles from where I live!
8/10 -
ShadeGrenade28 July 2006The show that made Roger Moore a star and rightly so. After forty-three years no-one has matched his version of 'The Saint'. He brought warmth and charisma to the role, as well as directing episodes such as 'The House On Dragon's Rock'. He was supported by Britain's finest actors such as Julie Christie, Anthony Quayle, Sylvia Syms, Peter Wyngarde, Edward Woodward and Ronnie Barker. Who can forget the late Ivor Dean as the hapless, gum-chewing 'Inspector Teal'? The scripts were of a very high calibre, often derived from Charteris' short stories ( the later colour shows boasted original plots ) from writers such as Terry Nation, Terence Feely, Donald James and John Kruse. Leslie Charteris was impressed with Kruse, describing him as 'the real find of the operation'. Unlike later versions, this 'Saint' fitted its time period ( the '60's ) like a glove. Edwin Astley's 'Saint' theme was the cherry on the cake. The show only ended because Roger Moore wanted to move on. Had he stayed, it would have lasted well into the '70's.
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Sylviastel28 July 2014Before he was James Bond, Sir Roger Moore was a television star and played the title role of "The Saint." He plays Simon Templar, an agent, who investigates crime like an American movie actress who is kidnapped with her co-star and a jewelry theft. Roger Moore is handsome and charming as the star. The episodes are crisp and fresh. I love the locations in London, England. The episodes are well written and executed in style with a talented cast and crew. The episodes are entertaining without being violent. It's no wonder that he was a perfect successor to play James Bond. I always liked him as Bond the best.
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mm-393 February 2020Kind of lame by today's standards. Plot holes, see threw stunts, but Roger Moore shines and makes a good show. I use to love watching this show on late night re-runs as a young boy. The back up cast for The Saint was great. I always though that's Jame's Bond in training. What worked with The Saint tv series from the 60's was the bizarre and ray out story-lines. Like the games the super villains would play. Like the you have just been murdered episode with the 3 chances, and die or pay extortion episode. I never know what would happen next, but like a good Sherlock Holmes episode we knew The Saint was up to the task. Trickery, deception, and just out right smarts and The Saint would figure out something. 7 stars.
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Many actors have performed the role of Simon Templar, but none could come close to the beaming originality exuded by Roger Moore as "The Saint" of the 60s.
Ian Ogilvy and Val Kilmar have appeared as Simon Templar in "The Return of the Saint" and the movie "The Saint" respectively, but failed to generate the euphoria initially pioneered by Moore. After viewing some of the episodes portraying Moore as S.T., it seems that no other actor could merit a better visage and physiognomy which does exactly reflect the character produced by Leslie Charteris.
This was the time, when Sean Connery was the new heartthrob of cine-goers as the dashing James Bond. Roger Moore was among the actors selected by Ian Fleming to play the iconic spy role, but Cubby Broccolli settled for Connery, considering Moore to be sporting a too pretty visage.
This too pretty and soft visage of Roger Moore effectively loaded the role of Simon Templar and the TV series was an instant hit, which extended through the decade of 60s due to its resounding popularity. The winsome, suave and tall Roger Moore won the hearts of people who accepted him to be someone readily associated with that famous Marque/sobriquet topped with the elusive ring on his head.
Finally, in 1973, Moore got the role of James Bond and did it in a record seven films, i,e. more than any other actor. Connery did it 6 times. Basically, the robust and suave role of Simon Templar was a precursor to the James Bond of Ian Fleming ...... properly grooming Roger Moore to make a thundering start for the big screen character. -
susanclyndon7 April 2019I loved watching The Saint in the 1960s. For a girl in Northern Ontario Canada, the sights of Europe, the clothes, the intrigue, the mystery and adventure of The Saint was my window on the world. Now that I found The Saint on Popcornflix, the excellent HD black and white quality shows well on HD TVs.
Roger Moore IS The Saint; likely even more than the Novelist's vision. Sets are pure mid-century modern at their most elegant. Now that I've seen Jackie Chan's movies, the regular fight scenes don't meet 21st century standards, but, who cares?
This is 60's British TV at its best. -
P_Cornelius5 May 2004Yes, viewing The Saint on BBC America the other day reawakened some old memories I've carried most of my life. Growing up in a lower middle class American home in the 1960s, I watched Simon Templar and the glamor and intrigue of The Saint fed my vision of the wider world. Later in life, my work enabled me to live in many of the locales pictured in the series. Alas, real life wasn't quite as adventurous as what they depicted on television. Nevertheless, that lost world of the Sixties still reigned in my imagination, where, before air travel resembled travelling in a cattle car, jetting around the globe was a BIG DEAL reserved for the truly rich and adventurous.
No, nothing was as fun as The Saint, which gloried in the sort of stereotypes our cultural commissars would never allow on screen today. The Germans are strutting martinets, the French incompetent peacocks, the Italians buffoonish hysterics, the Scots haggis-eating grumps, the Dutch commercial opportunists, the Swiss a bunch of greedy gnomes, the Russians paranoid oafs, the Irish a lot of work shy sots, and the Americans growling chain-smokers.
And what a juxtaposition of settings! How many episodes did I watch Simon flee from a brilliantly lit casino or restaurant down the back-streets of London, Hamburg, or Amsterdam to some dank cellar! Or how many times did he escape some luxurious villa or penthouse through the canals of Venice or avenues of Paris or Geneva to some decrepit warehouse! All with a potpourri of travelogue shots of the great cities of Europe and South America! Great TV.
And my favorite episode? "The Death Game", where Simon and some British university students, with just a touch of Swingin' London-a-Go-Go, encounter the Assassination Bureau. -
j-r-stewart13 November 2007The Saint (TV series) was a spin off of a series of "The Saint" movies starting in 1938 with Louis Hayward ... Simon Templar, aka The Saint, followed by The Saint Strikes Back (1939) Played by George Sanders* (as The Saint aka Simon Templar) The Saint in London (1939) Played by George Sanders (as Simon Templar the Saint) The Saint's Double Trouble (1940) Played by George Sanders The Saint Takes Over (1940) Played by George Sanders The Saint in Palm Springs (1941) Played by George Sanders The Saint's Vacation (1941) Played by Hugh Sinclair The Saint Meets the Tiger (1943) Played by Hugh Sinclair The Saint's Return (1953) Played by Louis Hayward ... aka The Saint's Girl Friday (USA)
Nice try!
* George Sanders was so young in the movie I recognized him by his voice only! -
raysond26 July 2002Long before the forefront of future spy shows that included "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.","The Avengers","I Spy" and other that were to follow it respectfully,"The Saint",was the first and foremost the originator of the spy series and to this day it has a huge loyal following as well as to become one of the most influential TV spy shows of the 1960's and it continues that format in repeats in some markets around the country. The reason why the show became very successful when it debuted on British television on October 4,1962 and later the next year on American television(where it was originally shown for national syndication on September 19,1963)where it remained in syndication of all of the 71 black and white episodes until May 17,1966 for American television. By September 30,1966 the color episodes of "The Saint" produced 47 episodes until its series finale on March 15,1969. NBC-TV picked up the series on May 17,1967 and ran most of the color episodes until March 15,1969. A total of 118 episodes were produced for New World Productions and ITC (Incorporated Television Company Ltd.)where the series was filmed at Shepperton Studios in London.
What made "The Saint" such a prime asset that made the show shined out was the British actor Roger Moore(who was also starred in "The Alaskans",and "Maverick" during the time that series which he starred opposite James Garner went off the air during the 62' season). Moore's characterization as the international man of mystery Simon Templar(who was a secret agent for his Majesty's secret service) was very suave and elegant and had a sense of style and grace in every scene in did,but there were times when our hero was in great danger from enemy agents and trying to rescue some lady from the evil clutches or himself from a certain fate.
Roger Moore was the master at what he did on that show and he was a genius with it. After "The Saint" television series went off the air in 1969, Roger Moore teamed up with Tony Curtis for the short-lived series "The Professionals",also produced by ITC Television for the ABC-TV network. It was no wonder that after the series went off the air in 1972,Roger Moore was picked to replaced Sean Connery as James Bond,and he shows that in this classic espionage series. However,there were two movies that were based on this series that were shown in theatres while the series was still on the air during its six year run from 1962 to 1969...."Vandetta For The Saint"(1967),and "Revenge Of The Saint"(1969) which starred both Roger Moore. By 1997,almost 28 years after the original "Saint" television series left the air,a big screen version of "The Saint" roared into theatres starring Val Kilmer. Great Entertainment at its finest that will live on forever as a cult favorite. -
VetteRanger19 June 2009Especially in the early years of the show, where the stores more or less followed the plots of novels and novellas of the original author, this was an intelligent, thinking man's show.
The show both brought Roger Moore onto the radar to play James Bond, and blocked him from doing so for a number of years. A very similar situation also occurred with Piers Brosnan with Remington Steele.
Refreshingly, Simon Templar doesn't out-fight or out-shoot his foes, normally he just out-thinks them in surprising ways.
Although I watched these shows as a kid, I didn't remember anything substantial about them at this point in life. I bought the initial early years DVD set and my wife and I have been rediscovering them to our delight.
Highly recommended. -
It's been a lot of episodes I've watched. Even if I remembered better Roger Moore as 007 after Sean Connery, I prefer him as Simon Templar, debonnaire ex-con who works discreetly with the law (with a sometimes suspicious, but cooperative Inspector Claude Teal) and gets justice his way. Most of the times he arrives in some situations in which he accidentally gets involved. The ladies who shared the screen with him at the time were mostly good looking, even if they were villains...
What I like about the Saint is that he has class, even in the worst situations, and can defend himself...
And at the end, gets 10% of the loot...for himself, so he can go to the next Crusade, to another Damsel in distress or a sticky situation in which only the Saint can solve...
A great cult series... -
alexanderdavies-9938211 April 2017The Saint is still my favourite ITC series out of all of them. The series concerns a man who is described as being a modern day Robin Hood of crime. Roger Moore truly is Simon Templar - no one else comes close. R.I.P. Broadcast from 1962 until 1969, 118 episodes is quite an achievement and they are mostly great. "The Saint" was able to evolve with the times, just like "The Avengers." The black and white episodes have a bit more in the way of intrigue and mystery. Simon Templar would sometimes gather all the suspects in one room and present his findings - shades of Hercule Poirot. The colour ones aimed for being more trendy and rather larger-than- life. Templar usually acted as a one man army in his crime-fighting activities and feared no one. His cool demeanour spoke volumes. The writers admitted that they usually had to insert a middle section in an episode because there wasn't one included in the original story. Leslie Charteris never seemed very happy or satisfied with the series on the whole. What he perhaps failed to realise, was that the series had to keep Simon Templar in a more contemporary setting. Otherwise, the whole thing would have looked old fashioned. There are far too many great episodes to list but on the whole, about 90% or more are of a high standard. The music for the shows theme is very effective. There were 3 different tunes and the first one is the best in my opinion. I know the scale of the series was quite small, with not much location filming. I can easily overlook this. It was "The Saint" and "Danger Man" that really sealed it for "ITC," regarding their future successes. Every subsequent series from Lew Grade was compared the above ones in some fashion or other.
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Stofft27 December 2020The title of this review might be a bit broad as this is a review only for the 60s show the saint, but I want to get out of the way that I am currenly rediscovering old classic series, as well as movies, and I realise that I find myself more often than not to get more drawn into their stories and plots than I do with most modern shows. And with the saint this is very much true.
I saw this show on TV as a kid and recently I found the entire original series on sale so I bought the whole DVD box and oh have I been watching Roger Moore shine on screen.
The Saint is as good, if not even better, then I remember it. I just can't stop watching. The music, the acting from everybody involved, the plots and the locations are all fantastic if you ask me. I love every second. As other have said Roger Moore IS the true saint. This truly is 60's British TV at its best.
I remember being a young kid watching it and how much I wanted to be Simon Templar, travelling the world being drawn into mysteries and saving the day and today many years later as an older man I still want to be Simon Templar travelling the world haha. That is how good I find this to be.
Do yourself a favour, if you not already have, and check this TV show out. Chances are you too start daydreaming about being Simon Templar travelling the world solving problems big and small :) -
hollibarn-3169920 August 2020Leslie Charteris was an English Asian born in Singapore and wrote many stories about the English adventurer known as the Saint taken from his initials. He also used the name Sebastian Tombs again using the letters ST. His first saint story was published in 1928. He later formed the saint club to raise money to help the children in the East End of London of which I am a life member. On visiting the studios whilst the series was being recorded he got on well with Roger Moore he was not always happy with the scripts which he had no control over. As for the series I believe that Roger was the ideal choice for the Saint although the Saint was portrayed as whiter than white which was not how Leslie Charteris pictured him and I believe the slight American accent in the B & W first series was to make it more acceptable to the American market. However having said that I recommend the series and currently is being shown on TV. Also I would suggest that if possible fans should try to get hold of the books to meet the real Saint They are mainly out of Print but can sometimes be found on auction sites, in 2008 two volumes entitled The Best of the Saint were released with a forward by Roger Moore. Many actors have played the Saint but to date non as good as Roger.
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The modern day Robin Hood. This show is a classic. James Bond without the gadgets, or over the top criminals are here. The Saint was the work of Leslie Charteris; an Asian-American writer who penned many books and his character came to life in many 40's B-movies. There was even a show; with Vincent Price as the Saint. The defining Saint was of course Roger Moore's Simon Templar. A suave, sophisticated jet setter who always was available to do a good deed. His character had an edge; a perception at least, of an international rogue. He was first and foremost a man with a strong sense of right and wrong and would do anything to make things right. The Saint ran from 1962-1969 and is still beloved and with good reason. Roger Moore does the Saint with a flair and the supporting characters are always well defined and twists and turns of the plot are always there. There was an informal ensemble cast and many of the same actors play different characters. I had mixed feelings about Inspector Teal (Ivor Dean), he is always duped and his character, although well played, was a bit of an idiot. Still Inspector Teal had some charm. The series had recurring writers including my favorite: Terry Nation. (For those Doctor Who fans, Terry Nation is of course, the creator of the Daleks). Harry Junkin was the writer of the more fluid episodes.
Anyone who appreciates mystery, intrigue and well played characters, has to appreciate the Saint. The Saint gets 9.9/10 stars. -
eddierathbone11 March 2023Great adventure show with lots of story lines dealing with crime, espionage/foreign intrigue or just personal interest. I still remember the beginning of one summer vacation when it was on syndication late at night during the week and that was the perfect way to end the evening without school looming over me the next day. I make a point of watching it all the way through every couple of years. One thing I don't get is how the character of Templar is often compared to Robin Hood (even before the TV show). Templar is an international adventurer making up for his past misdeeds by being a Good Samaritan (rather than Robin Hood) to anyone in need of help or is getting a raw deal, rich or poor.
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The TV show is awesome. I highly recommend it. It's classy and cool in a way that the modern world isn't. However, I hate it when websites:
a. shake me down for money
b. give me pop-under ads
I won't be back.
I felt strongly enough to register on the site in order to say that. I'm sick of being treated like a cow for milking.
Oh and the 10 lines limit is a joke. What if what I want to say isn't long enough?
Then you'll just get garbage.
Since I don't plan to be back, feel free to block me.
Bye bye. -
tiffanie_says_stay_in_your_lane13 November 2023I had previously left a review for this show, but wanted to delete it and add a new one after watching more episodes. I discovered The Saint on the Decades channel. It was a marathon, Sunday afternoon I believe. It was the first time I had seen Roger Moore, and I fell in love with him. For me, his young face is like an escape from all of the unattractive men who are currently on television. Dare I say, he was more handsome than Sean Connery. I know that's not a popular opinion, but, from my perspective anyway, he looked friendlier, and didn't give off the impression that he was vain. I watched his interviews, and he seemed down to earth, as well as kind of goofy. He was unique for a handsome man. Sean Connery, on the other hand, had zero charisma. He even admitted to thinking women deserved to get slapped by their male partner, depending on their behavior. I've never been one of those people who overlooks celebrities' inappropriate comments. They're not any more special than somebody off the street. If I had a coworker or neighbor who said that, I would no longer care for them, so why should my feelings change just because it's a person who's famous? I don't feel weird for liking Roger Moore. He was a talented actor and a wonderful human being. It's enjoyable to watch him as Simon Templar, the Robin Hood type who travels the world, helping people who are defenseless, due to agencies that are either unable or resistant to help them. On a downside, he does go against moral conventions, to the displeasure of Inspector Claude Eustace Teal (who was portrayed by several actors throughout the series). It's such an imaginative and just all around fun series. Honestly, I would rather spend my weekend binging this than going out. Yes, I might sound boring for a millennial, but I love thrillers, and they're hard to come by in this day and age. Not gonna lie (here comes another unpopular opinion), but this is more entertaining than the James Bond movies that were being filmed at the same time as this series. It's mostly because, not only does Simon use his wits to get out of dangerous situations, instead of relying on technology, but he doesn't objectify women. He's a gentleman. In one of the episodes, when he drove a woman home and arrived at her residence, he leaned over to open the door for her. Now that's charming. As a female, the macho-ness of the first five James Bond movies don't appeal to me. I'm sure a lot of men grew up watching Sean Connery and wanted to be like him... Which I think is sad. Showing empathy, being able to laugh at oneself, and treating women with kindness are what makes a man real. Not being aggressive, domineering, and hypersexual. Just like a commenter said on Quora - James Bond reminds them of the frat boys on their campus. There's nothing cool about guys like that, and it makes no difference if they're a fictional character. People who don't care for the Bond movies of the 60s, or Sean Connery in general, will probably enjoy this a lot more. I can't say enough about this amazing series. If you haven't seen it, and you love vintage TV shows from the UK, then you have to check it out!
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dtstacey6 January 2023My earliest memory of the Mighty Roger Moore was this wonderful Show,from the brilliant Gimmick of the 'Halo' at the beginning ditto the superb Theme tune and I think it's still brilliant to watch in modern times. I remember the glamorous women,(...usually Annette Andre,who became a regular in the also brilliant 'Randall and Hopkirk-Deceased',also the cross/pollination of all 3 of 'The Champions'in various episodes....my young mind had great fun spotting them and other shows stars guesting in the episodes...). Big Roger was also very physical in these days,throwing himself into the numerous fight scenes,with aplomb and hurling baddies this way and that....it was a good job that most of the Baddies weren't packing Guns but these were more innocent times and all the better for it. Just great fun and absolutely surprising to no one when he took on the mantle of 'Bond'.
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estabansmythe1 May 2004It's May 2004 and I was absolutely delighted to see yesterday that BBC America has begun running Roger Moore's The Saint again Monday through Friday.
As much as I enjoyed Moore as Bond, Simon Templer was his.
George Sanders was so dry (Louis Hayward and other one-timers don't really count here). Ian Ogilvy was actually a fine Templer.
However, Moore nailed it. Unlike Sanders, who played Templer like a fop that no one could possibly find the least bit threatening, intimidating or dangerous, Moore was suave and sophisticated without being above it all. Moore brought a needed sense of humanity to the role - and you could see that he could get tough if action & toughness were called for.
Moore had a hand in writing and contributing to the screenplays and the episodes he directed may be my favorites.
There was something comforting and familiar about the show's lower budget production values that just agreed with me. They were solid, professional. And Ed Astley's music was perfect. I'd love to get the soundtrack if it's available.
Ivor Dean as Inspector Claude Eustace Teal was an ideal foil. He was at times Templer's ally, his antagonist, amused and bemused and angered and frustrated at Simon to the point of full red-faced boil-over.
Too bad the kids of today aren't treated to this form of stylish entertainment on their boob tubes, because you can bet your bottom dollar that only 1 in 10,000 will discover it while channel surfing and become a fan. -
This is the show which made a huge international star out of Roger Moore, after about fifteen years of wasting his talents in Hollywood and a couple of lesser successes in British and U. S. television. This recognition is fully deserved, as he is simply superb in the role. For my money this remains the very best thing he ever did; and yes that includes the James Bond rubbish; in fact, especially so.
The Saint character has been portrayed on film by a number of actors over the years, both before Roger Moore and - God help us - after him also; but no-one else even comes close to this unique portrayal. Put as simply as possible; Roger Moore IS the Saint. This is one of those rare occasions when an actor and a role are made for each other. This is the same as Basil Rathbone being Sherlock Holmes, or Errol Flynn being Robin Hood. After these shining examples have been established there is simply no point in any other actor even bothering to attempt the part. Although it may be the case that this is not exactly as written in the original Leslie Charteris novels, this is nevertheless how nature intended the character to be.
Running for six series (or 'seasons') there are well in excess of a hundred episodes; the early ones, starting in 1962, are of course in black & white, changing to colour for the last two series after 1967. As it happens the early episodes tend to be somewhat superior to the later ones, and the show overall benefits substantially by the extremely high quality of co-stars featured throughout. To name a few: Sylvia Syms, Oliver Reed, Stuart Damon, Finlay Currie, Patrick Allen, Elspeth March, Wanda Ventham, Donald Sutherland, Ronnie Barker, Suzanne Neve, Edward Bishop: and so the impressive cast list goes on; some appearing more than once, although rarely as the same character on more than one occasion. In one exception to this, a special mention is deserved for semi-regular guest star Ivor Dean, appearing in a memorable, and humorously lugubrious, role as Templar's friendly nemesis Inspector Claude Eustace Teal. His presence invariably livens up any episode in which he appears.
Roger Moore has rarely been given the credit he deserves as an actor; indeed often being unjustly denigrated for his light touch and not-too-serious approach toward acting. However, his performance as Simon Templar is actually far more detailed and nuanced than it might appear at first glance. A lesser talent might (and often does) play the role of hero as simply a case of besting the bad guys and getting the girl; but Roger Moore's portrayal gives us a character of some complexity and emotional depth. This is a man of essential decency who can, nonetheless, display a degree of ruthlessness toward those who attempt to take advantage of the weak and helpless. Not averse to swindling ill-gotten gains out of the villains, he is primarily a man of good motivation driven by his desire to deal out justice in his own way, rather than concerning himself with the technical definitions of the law. This seeming ambiguity often places him in some compromise with the police, who regard him with almost as much suspicion, and occasionally even dislike, as do the villains themselves. The exception to this rule is, of course, his friendly opponent Inspector Teal who, one suspects, reprimands Templar whilst maintaining a cynical twinkle in his eye; and whilst munching on the ever-present peppermints. Indeed, in one of the later episodes, he even briefly 'teams-up' with our hero, in order to serve a greater purpose.
Most television and movie heroes represent some official, or at least semi-official, organisation. Traditionally they are cops, FBI agents, or even private detectives; this vocation providing them with their motivation, or opportunity, for fighting crime. The Saint is unique in this regard, in that he is entirely freelance. He is, in fact, nothing other than an ordinary citizen; albeit with an extraordinary courage and resourcefulness. This presents the character with a flaw in logic. Why does this average man encounter so many extraordinary situations and circumstances to deal with in every episode? This anomaly is never addressed or explained throughout the entire run of the show. Obviously the answer to this is simply that it presents an exciting adventure for the viewer to enjoy every week. That and the fact that he is of course 'The Famous Simon Templar' as we are reminded by one of the characters in the memorable catch-phrase opening of each episode. A second unanswered mystery is created by the fact that Simon Templar appears to have no known source of income. Is he the beneficiary of an inheritance, and therefore independently wealthy? This is certainly never suggested or implied at any time. Yet he travels the world in some luxury, whilst driving an expensive car and living in a central London location, whilst socialising with the rich and titled. Indeed, everyone appears to be acquainted with Simon Templar, and yet he remains something of an enigmatic loner despite seemingly being the friend of all the world.
Some of this may be looking too deep into the character, which is after all only intended for our entertainment. Nevertheless it is a curiosity in a television series running for almost eight years that no attempt whatsoever is made to give this character any semblance of a background story. Perhaps some of this is touched upon in the original novels; if so it would have been worthwhile to make at least an occasional reference to this in the television adaptation.
Still; putting aside these finer points of character detail; this is a massively entertaining and enjoyable show. In my opinion one of the very best television adventure series of all time. And the late great Roger Moore is the driving force within every episode, with good looks, personality, and charisma to spare. If you have - by some massive oversight - never seen The Saint, then I would recommend that you do so at your earliest opportunity. I assure you that you will not be disappointed. -
jim_altman29 September 2004As a devoted 1960's Anglophile, I have been delighted by the re-release of Britain's best adventure series, The Saint, starring Roger Moore. Looking back on the series after all these years, I find it superior to similar ITC entries such as The Avengers, Secret Agent, or The Prisoner because of its realism and intelligence. The mixture of stock travelogue footage and cheesy ITC sets and backdrops works because of the believabilty of Roger Moore as the principal protagonist, Simon Templar. The big-hearted, flamboyant actor is every bit the character he portrays and more. The authenticity of the performance is what still appeals after 42 years. The props and the hairstyles may be dated and the set pieces might never make muster in today's productions, but when Moore is on screen it doesn't matter. I can't wait to acquire the 63'-64'episodes.