"Return of the Saint" (1978) TV series 1978-1979

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

21 December 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Crime

Plot:

Simon Templar is a modern day Robin Hood of sorts. He steals from rich criminals and keeps the loot...

Plot Keywords:

Criminal | Drugs | Mission | Terrorist | Agent

Cast

Ian Ogilvy

...

Simon Templar (24 episodes, 1978-1979)

Also Known As:

"The Son of the Saint"

Runtime:

60 min (24 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Trivia:

Based on his performance in this series, Ian Ogilvy was at one point a leading contender to replace another former Saint, Roger Moore, as James Bond.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "I'm Alan Partridge: Never Say Alan Again (#2.4)" (2002)

The Saint's Jaguar

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.