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.

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 !

Long 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.

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 !

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.