El Santo

As 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.

The 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 !

Forget the average Saint movie starring Val Kilmer from the 90's. If you want to see the definitive Simon Templar, then check out this fantastic action show starring a pre-007 Roger Moore.

The show was consistently good throughout as The Saint travelled to locations such as Paris to battle scum such as murderers and robbers. Accompanying him was beautiful women as he raced round in his car coming to blows with the bad guys. Like most shows of that era, it was very tongue-in-cheek.

And I'd be committing a crime if I didn't mention Moore's eyebrow raising each episode. As for the theme tune, it was unforgettable.

Given the absolute rubbish that is show on TV nowadays, I would urge young fans to check The Saint out.

Before 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.

Watching 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