I can remember seeing Ian Ogilvy in 'Upstairs Downstairs' in 1972 ( he played impotent poet 'Lawrence Kirbridge' ) and thinking how like Roger Moore he looked. If someone had told me then he would one day go on to inherit Moore's most famous role I would not have been the least bit surprised.
The original 'Saint' ended in 1969 but was still being repeated by I.T.V. when Moore was doing the Bond films, mostly in daytime slots. Robert S. Baker, the producer, felt there was more mileage in the character and so in 1978 'Return Of The Saint' hit British television screens. I.T.V. networked it in a high-profile Sunday night slot.
I was disappointed by the first few episodes. The character of Simon Templar seemed anachronistic at a time when 'The Sweeney' and 'Starsky & Hutch' ruled the roost. Ogilvy's trendy suits and the hideous saxophone/synthesiser theme music only made matters worse. The show's excellent title sequence had Templar's matchstick man trademark doing various 'Saintly' things such as jumping off a bridge, fighting a thug, and even kissing a girl!
Baker hired Peter Allan Fields as 'Executive Story Consultant', but after a handful of episodes, he left, and Baker brought in as a replacement Anthony Spinner, who had worked on 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' and 'The Invaders' amongst other shows. Spinner wished to be credited as 'producer' and was, even though Baker was still in charge. He had the good sense to retain many of the original production team, such as writers John Kruse and Terence Feely, directors Leslie Norman and Jeremy Summers.
The expensive location filming gave the series a glossy sheen, but lost it the charm of the Elstree-bound Moore shows. Ogilvy could have made an excellent 'Saint' had he been encouraged to develop his own personality and not simply impersonate Moore. He was also much too young for the role. 'T.V. Times' readers disagreed, they voted him 'Most Compulsive Male Personality' of 1979. He was also the recipient of a 'This Is Your Life' book that year, and walked into the Thames studio to great gales of applause.
Loads of crumpet for Simon to work his charm on, including Kate O'Mara, Prunella Gee, Judy Geeson, Mary Tamm, Catherine Schell, Tessa Wyatt, Carolyn Seymour, Lynn Dalby and Gayle Hunnicutt.
Amongst the best episodes were 'The Armaggeddon Alternative', a prophetic tale of a mad bomber at large in London, 'Murder Cartel', the two-parter 'Collision Course' ( later reedited into a T.V. movie entitled 'The Saint & The Brave Goose' ), and 'The Arrangement' ( a rip-off of Patricia Highsmith's 'Strangers On A Train', and boasting a fabulous guest shot from Carolyn Seymour as psychotic 'Lady Greer Stevens' ).
'Return' was the last of its kind - the glossy, globe-trotting I.T.C. adventure series, a line that can be traced back to 1959 and the half-hour version of 'Danger Man'. Lew Grade switched to feature film production ( with middling results ) and no more 'Saints' were made.
Its stock has increased over the years, mainly because the Simon Dutton and Val Kilmer versions were so appallingly bad!
Parodied by L.W.T.'s 'End Of Part One' as 'Return Of The Doughnut'.
