Il ritorno di Simon Templar

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Return of the Saint was a hit show in Nigeria. Who can forget the pre title sequence which ends with a halo appearing above the head of Simon Templar well played by Ian Oglivy? The halo is accompanied by the Saint jingle which then metamorphoses into one of the best credit sequences I have seen on TV. We see the Saint symbolized by the stick man as he is driving, being chased by a man, knocking the man out, jumping from a bridge into a car, kissing a girl on the beach as she suggestively throws away his halo. Awesome. The electronic music that accompanied the sequence made it outstanding.

Comparisms between Ian Oglivy and his predecessor Roger Moore are inevitable with the views leaning favourably to Roger Moore. Roger Moore was outstanding as Templar but Oglivy was also a worthy successor even though both interpreted the role differently.

Roger Moore played the role with is usual tongue in cheek which he would bring over to his role as James Bond. Oglivy was more intense and grim in his role, a hard thing to do with his pretty boy looks.But both men clinched it differently.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for Val Kilmer in the 1997 movie which was a disaster. I remembered the expectations that I had for the movie. I early went into a Pavlovian twitch waiting for the stick man symbol, the theme song, the jingle, the halo. There was nothing in the movie to appeal to the nostalgia of the fans who grew up watching the Saint on TV. No wonder the movie bombed!