Simon Templar - Ein Gentleman mit Heiligenschein

I remember this being on telly on a Sunday night. I knew the theme and credits but never took an interest in watching any episodes. Cut to 2024 and I'm finally catching up with the series and it's pretty good! Roger Moore's replacement Ian Ogilvy does a great job as a tougher more sardonic Saint. He's not afraid to shoot someone if he has too, nor dangle villains over cliff edges until he gets answers. Great location filming (mainly sunny Italy and raining London), lovely ladies and good guest stars abound. Yes some of the stories are thin but a few are good with gritty ingredients (men raping girls then killing them?). This is a good show and a pity it didn't go to a second series. Ogilvy was born for the part and would have been a good 007 on the strength of this, but Roger was occupying that seat! The last of the great ITC action series.

Thank god for Forces TV digging up all these great old programmes. I'm sure not a single one of the teenagers who make up the services ever watch them but marvellous for the rest of us. You really can't help but watch this series and not think of the excellent Top Gear/Harry Enfield pastiches (The Playboys and The Interceptors). Doubtless inspired by the success of The New Avengers they decided to give Simon Templar one last go in contrast to the far grittier Starsky and Hutch, The Professionals and Sweeney who were dominating the screen at the time. Instead we have an upper class hero who battles the villains internationally for adventure's sake and doesn't have to answer to anyone. Its' main strength is its' star, Ian Olgivy doing a top notch Cary Grant impersonation and he is just perfect in the role, dashing and charming with just that hint of steel lying underneath (in several episodes it is implied that Templar was a mercenary who were all the rage in fiction at the time, very different from the books). Also some catchy theme music and of course the white Jag, he was probably the only man in history who genuinely pulled off a personalized number plate. The plots were okay and it's very interesting to see so many familiar faces who would go on to fame in times to come. Really the last time ST was brought successfully to the screen although I do like 2017 movie if only for Roger Moore and Eliza Dushku.

This one should really be in the trivia section for this show listing.

Jaguar were originally approached to provide the car for the Roger Moore series, but turned down the request stating that they were having trouble keeping up with demand for their then new E Type (XKE in the USA).

Volvo's P1800 got the role and shot to instant fame, with Jaguar kicking themselves over the missed opportunity. They bent over backwards to provide the car for Ian Ogilvy's rendition of Simon Templar, and more than one car was used - spot the difference in interior trim: episodes shot in Italy have an XJS with a black cabin, others a tan cabin! In the recently released DVD set, Ian Ogilvy commented that the XJS was magnificent to drive - when it worked! Apparently, the quality and reliability of the car(s) left much to be desired with a multitude of faults encountered throughout the shoot, despite a full-time Jaguar technician being present. The most embarrassing incident was when Mr Ogilvy volunteered to drive the car back from Italy to the UK with his family and take a vacation en route, but the car broke down on them just several miles out of Rome! Mr Ogilvy does admit that Jaguar has improved much over the years and are considered good cars today, though.

Sorry if this offends some, but I have major problems with this series. Starting with Ian Oglivy as Simon Teplar. Now, his character name may be the same as the character played by Sir Roger Moore in the original series, but he isn't really The Saint. He is vaguely Saint-like, but is far too much a puppet of the organization for which he works.

Instead of suave and cunning, Oglivy's Templar is brash. Rather than a twinkle in his eye, this new "Saint" seems to vacillate between looking slightly embarrassed and looking just bit too smug.

True, I am one of those, "James Bond WAS Sean Connery" and "Simon Templar WAS Roger Moore" types. Perhaps that colors my perspective, but watching some of these episodes in 2008-09 hasn't done anything to change my opinion of the show back in 1978-79 when I first saw it. I have also gone back to watch several of the Roger Moore series recently. They hold up. Rather nicely, too.

The plots are paper thin and the supporting acting is sometimes painful. I would give examples, but they would end up being spoilers.

For completists out there, go for the DVD. For Ian Ogilvy fans, go for it. But, if you have warm, fuzzy memories of the original The Saint shows, don't say that one crabby old fart didn't warn you.

I can't understand why this series is so hard to find(it does not appear to be available on video or DVD at this time). Ian Ogilvy is very good as the Saint. His 70s hairstyle is a bit dated(on viewing it today) but other than that he is suave and sophisticated.And who can forget his white Jaguar XJS!

I remember seeing this series when it was first broadcast on CBC(Canadian Broadcasting Corp.) in 1978-79 and enjoying it tremendously. One episode that comes to mind is The Armageddon Alternative which has a madman threatening to blow up London using a nuclear bomb! The story was tense and the manhunt very realistic. The great thing about this series is the fact that they shot it all over Europe. Several very good actors appeared in the series including Britt Eckland, Ian Hendry, Linda Thorson and Catherine Schell

Fans of the Saint should check it out if it ever comes back(Mystery network in Canada showed it last year but they seem to have stopped).