Le retour du Saint

I have fond memories of watching it as a child I'm currently enjoying re-runs. The information about the Jaguar is really interesting. I'm very fond of it especially the tan coloured interior. I'm looking forward to getting the DVDs.Ian Ogilvy's interpretation of The Saint is very interesting. I like his sense of humour and I like the way he dresses. Collision Course is my favourite story especially part two. I'm very interested in getting the books to read as I have never been able to get the books. I first began watching the original Saint series as re-runs when I was 4 and still feel he has retained his special mystery. May the sign of The Saint be ever present.

Ruth

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.

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).

I watched this series when it played in the U.S. on The Friday Late Night Movie on CBS in 1978 and enjoyed it so much. I just recently purchased the 25th Anniversity Special Edition DVD set (all region) and its still great. Ian Ogilvy is simply dashing in the lead and the locations(England, France and Italy) are so beautiful. What a pity the series only lasted a year but if you own the DVD set, you will not only enjoy the episodes again but also interviews with Ian Ogilvy and executive producer John S. Baker reminisce about their favorite episodes with other behind the scenes information and stories about that fabulous white XJS. Its a must for any Saint or Ian Ogilvy fan!

The Return of the Saint sits uneasily alongside both the previous ITC series and contemporary programmes of 1978, being a hybrid of the two. The location shooting and updated theme music compare with the most recent programmes, but the clichéd plots and much of the scripts/acting belong in the glory days of ITC a decade or so previously, when they were more believable to the audiences.

Staged set-pieces with buffoonish villains were now dated and improbable rather than stylish and entertaining. The same character actors involved could often be seen in such as The Sweeney and The Professionals doing fight scenes far more realistically.

There are likely several reasons why the programme did not extend beyond one series. Ian Ogilvy perhaps seemed a bit youthful compared to Roger Moore but his performances were fine and the programme was certainly popular at the time. The Grade Organisation (incorporating ATV/ITC) had not really moved on by the late-1970's, with its output still consisting of 1960's style caper/adventure movies/TV shows when almost everything else had moved towards a grittier realism. It was probably very expensive to make and worldwide sales might not have been good overall.

It is difficult to imagine ATV/ITC making shows with gratuitous violence and foul language and we should be thankful that they didn't. Their output, like the Hammer & Carry On films in the same period, had a brand quality and style particular to its maker and era. But by the late 1970's that era had gone and their empire was about to disintegrate.

That said, The Return of the Saint was not a bad way to depart being entertaining in the best tradition of ITC, with good guest actors complimenting the competent Ogilvy. Remember also that the seemingly more realistic Professionals had many ridiculous plot situations and equally has a mixed though generally favourable reaction when being assessed by critics.