Thankfully this is being made available before Roger Moore is no longer with us.
I was introduced to the character of Simon Templar through Ian Ogilvy, which I will get to in a moment. I was introduced to Roger Moore, as many of my generation, through his turn as James Bond.
In the 70s James Bond films were shown regularly on television, and soon I was watching them in a darkened theater as well. In 1980 when my mother and I moved to Washington, there was a change in our television viewing. Before I had been exposed to Flash Gordon an, Captain Scarlet and Ultraman, but I would, after we moved, get exposed to three series (among others) that would stick with me throughout my whole life. One of the local stations out of Seattle broadcast “The Avengers”, “Dave Allen At Large” and “The Saint”.
At first it was “Return Of The Saint” featuring Ian Ogilvy. Where there was only 24 episodes of that series something needed to replace that time slot when episodes ran out – and that is where the original series of “The Saint” came in. Seeing Roger Moore as Simon Templar was a revelation. This was a role he fit perfectly, much more so than James Bond. Simon Templar and James Bond share some similar qualities, but they really are quite different in disposition. There is a joviality to Simon Templar that Moore portrays perfectly. Listening to the audio commentaries with Roger Moore you can hear how fondly he regards this character and his time with it. What isn’t said is just how much of a better fit Simon Templar is for Moore rather than Bond.
“The Saint” was (well, still is) a fantastic series based on the novels and short stories by Leslie Charteris. It isn’t the first adaptation, nor would it be the last, but it is perhaps the most iconic. Not only do we get Moore as the title character but we get a massive array of guest stars including Anthony Quayle, Donald Sutherland, Kate O’Mara, Nicholas Courtney, Lois Maxwell, David Prowse, Jean Marsh and so many more. Over the course of 6 seasons and 118 episodes we have Simon Templar going about and righting wrongs, crossing paths with both the criminal element and law enforcement.
Simon Templar himself is a bit of a mystery – we never really learn his background, or where he gets his wealth or why is is famous (or infamous) in the first place. We simply accept this from the onset. It helps that he is “doing good” and quite charming in doing so.
Shout Factory has put together a fantastic package that features the entire run of this series, which made a transition from black & white to color for the last two seasons. A narrative shift also occurs with Simon Templar not breaking the fourth wall by looking at the camera and talking, but instead by voice over. In addition to starring in the series, Roger Moore would also get a turn behind the camera for a few episodes. Part of this fantastic package includes some audio commentary on several episodes – including star and director Roger Moore.
“The Saint” is a very fun show and while it may not be for younger kids there isn’t anything in it to offend parents if their school age children watch it. All 118 episodes over six seasons are here with audio commentaries on nine of them. Roger Moore appears on most of them with directors guest stars and producers sitting in as well. All told this is a wonderful package for fans of The Saint, and a great way for new fans to be made.