Review The Saint

[Doctor Omega]

Memories, thoughts and opinions of this classic show and it's follow up, starring respectively Roger Moore and Ian Ogilvy....

 

[michaellevenson]

Don't laugh but one of my favourites is Return of the Saint.
Poorly received at the time, and not well thought of now, but I love it.
Ian Ogilvy gives a new slant to Templar whilst being respectful to the original. Also lovely filming locations in Monaco, France Italy, rather than stock footage.
Great guest cast as well, including Stephen Grieff, John Woodvine, Maurice Roeves, George Cole, Brit Ekland, Kate O'Mara, Mary Tamm, Frederick Jaeger, Judy Geeson, even Sam Wanamaker, and Prunella Gee, Susan Penhaligon, Jenny ' Magpie' Hanley
My favorite episode is Duel in Venice with Maurice Colbourne. Worth checking out.

 

[Doctor Omega]

Yeah, I liked Return of the Saint too.

Having said that though, while I could imagine Simon Templar being preparation for the Bond role where Roger Moore is concerned, I just could not imagine Ian Ogilvy making a totally convincing Bond, although I like him as an actor and he seemed to play the Saint well enough.

I am not sure why Moore as Bond convinces me and Ogilvy doesn't, while both convince me as Templar! o_O

On that note, was Ogilvy ever even considered for the Bond role at any point?

 

[michaellevenson]

No I don't think Ogilvy was ever offered Bond. Like you I can't picture him in the role.
Got all the Saint on DVD, very few turkeys in the 118 episodes. I've always felt the black and white years were better. The colour ones more or less are standard ITC fare, there was greater variety in the plots of the earlier ones.

 

[ant-mac]

Don't laugh but one of my favourites is Return of the Saint.
Poorly received at the time, and not well thought of now, but I love it.
Ian Ogilvy gives a new slant to Templar whilst being respectful to the original. Also lovely filming locations in Monaco, France Italy, rather than stock footage.
Great guest cast as well, including Stephen Grieff, John Woodvine, Maurice Roeves, George Cole, Brit Ekland, Kate O'Mara, Mary Tamm, Frederick Jaeger, Judy Geeson, even Sam Wanamaker, and Prunella Gee, Susan Penhaligon, Jenny ' Magpie' Hanley
My favorite episode is Duel in Venice with Maurice Colbourne. Worth checking out.

Being a big fan of Roger Moore - in everything except James Bond - I was never able to accept Ian Ogilvy in the role. He just wasn't THE SAINT to me. The fact that it lasted for such a short period of time might indicate that I was not alone in these opinions.

 

[ant-mac]

No I don't think Ogilvy was ever offered Bond. Like you I can't picture him in the role.
Got all the Saint on DVD, very few turkeys in the 118 episodes. I've always felt the black and white years were better. The colour ones more or less are standard ITC fare, there was greater variety in the plots of the earlier ones.

If Ian Ogilvy had landed the role of 007, history might well view him as Roger Moore's stalker.

Like you, I am also a particular fan of the black and white episodes of THE SAINT. they certainly seem to have more atmosphere and character than the colour ones.

 

[Doctor Omega]

 

[michaellevenson]

The Saint - recommend episodes


Two episodes of The Saint have a science fictiony/ fantasy edge, sort of. Worth a view, a pleasant way to spend 50 minutes.



First episode The House on Dragons Rock- a crazy scientist is creating a non human monstrosity.

Second- The Inescapable Word- strange goings on at a research centre. Murders and a death ray device.

 

[michaellevenson]

The motor racing episodes are always fun. Three episodes involve The Saint with the sport.

 

[Doctor Omega]

REBOOT IN THE WORKS......

https://www.starburstmagazine.com/chris-pratt-early-talks-saint

 

[Doctor Omega]

First episode The House on Dragons Rock- a crazy scientist is creating a non human monstrosity.

This is the only actual memory I have of watching a particular Roger Moore saint episode. Not that I disliked the show in any way, but series with a fantastical edge were more my thing.

 

[Doctor Omega]

Movie reboot on it's way.......

Paramount Pictures has set “Rocketman” and “Eddie the Eagle” filmmaker Dexter Fletcher to helm “The Saint,” the new film adaptation of Leslie Charteris’ 1920 novel series.

Seth Grahame-Smith penned the script while Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Brad Krevoy will produce along with the late Robert Evans posthumously. The story follows Simon Templar (a.k.a. The Saint), a Robin Hood-esque criminal and thief for hire.

The property was previously turned into the famed 1960s TV series starring Roger Moore and the 1997 film starring Val Kilmer, while there’s also been multiple other telemovie, radio and TV series adaptations with actors like Vincent Price, Louis Hayward, George Sanders and Adam Rayner.

Fletcher recently signed on to helm Universal’s “Renfield” about the asylum inmate who is a servant of Dracula.

Source: Variety

 

[ant-mac]

Movie reboot on it's way.......

So, will she be a disabled, black, Asian single mother from a minority religion who is mentally smarter and physically stronger than all the sexist, evil white men who will try to oppose her?

 

[Doctor Omega]

So, will she be a disabled, black, Asian single mother from a minority religion who is mentally smarter and physically stronger than all the sexist, evil white men who will try to oppose her?

Yep, no doubt. And bound to be Simone Templar, of course.

It's important that they also honour tradition and replace him with an actress that can't actually act, of course.