Return of the Saint

Return of the Saint

1978
Return of the Saint
Return of the Saint

Return of the Saint

6.7 | NR | en | Action & Adventure

Follow the swashbuckling exploits of Simon Templar, a modern-day Robin Hood of sorts.

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Seasons & Episodes

1
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EP24  The Diplomat's Daughter
Mar. 11,1979
The Diplomat's Daughter

Simon helps a woman rescue her brother who is being held by drug smugglers.

EP23  Appointment in Florence
Mar. 04,1979
Appointment in Florence

Simon sets out to avenge the death of a friend who was killed by terrorists in Florence.

EP22  Dragonseed
Feb. 25,1979
Dragonseed

Simon suspects that a helicopter accident which killed a millionaire's son was no accident and sets out to prove it.

EP21  Vicious Circle
Feb. 11,1979
Vicious Circle

Simon suspects murder when a retired race car driver is killed in an auto accident.

EP20  The Obono Affair
Feb. 04,1979
The Obono Affair

Simon is reluctant to help a tyrannical African president whose son has been kidnapped- while visiting in London.

EP19  Murder Cartel
Jan. 28,1979
Murder Cartel

Simon discovers that a company that commits assassinations for money is behind the attempt on a despised oil sheik's life.

EP18  Hot Run
Jan. 21,1979
Hot Run

While on holiday in the Italian Alps, Simon's ski instructor asks Simon for help in finding her brother's murderer.

EP17  Collision Course: The Sixth Man (2)
Jan. 14,1979
Collision Course: The Sixth Man (2)

Simon's investigation of a power boat accident which killed two wealthy men, leaving one's wife a penniless widow, leads him to the stash from an old gold robbery.

EP16  Collision Course: The Brave Goose (1)
Jan. 07,1979
Collision Course: The Brave Goose (1)

Simon's investigation of a power boat accident which killed two wealthy men, leaving one's wife a penniless widow, leads him to the stash from an old gold robbery.

EP15  The Debt Collectors
Dec. 17,1978
The Debt Collectors

Simon comes to the aid of a woman trying to rescue her brother from drug smugglers.

EP14  Tower Bridge Is Falling Down
Dec. 10,1978
Tower Bridge Is Falling Down

A woman asks Simon for help in proving that her father was murdered by his business partner when he found out the man was cheating him.

EP13  The Roman Touch
Dec. 03,1978
The Roman Touch

Simon comes to the aid of a successful pop singer whose record producer is driving her too hard.

EP12  Signal Stop
Nov. 26,1978
Signal Stop

No one will believe a former mental patient who claims to have seen a murder through the window while a passenger on a train.

EP11  The Imprudent Professor
Nov. 19,1978
The Imprudent Professor

Simon sets out to stop a scientist from selling out to a foreign power, after two young women ask for Simon's help in getting him to defect.

EP10  The Armageddon Alternative
Nov. 12,1978
The Armageddon Alternative

A man seeking revenge threatens to blow up London unless a sculptress is publicly executed.

EP9  The Arrangement
Nov. 05,1978
The Arrangement

Two women decide that the best way to end their marital problems is to have Simon kill their husbands.

EP8  The Poppy Chain
Oct. 29,1978
The Poppy Chain

Simon infiltrates a drug ring that is being run by a mysterious man known only as `The Gent'.

EP7  Yesterday's Hero
Oct. 22,1978
Yesterday's Hero

Simon accidentally becomes involved in a British intelligence operation, after he spots a man believed to be dead.

EP6  Assault Force
Oct. 15,1978
Assault Force

After saving the life of a young girl, Simon finds himself pitted against the secret police of a Southeast Asian country.

EP5  The Village That Sold Its Soul
Oct. 08,1978
The Village That Sold Its Soul

A murder investigation brings Simon to a remote Italian village, which is ruled by a psychotic aristocrat.

EP4  One Black September
Oct. 01,1978
One Black September

Simon joins forces with an Israeli agent in order to track down and capture an Arab terrorist who is on the loose in London.

EP3  Duel in Venice
Sep. 24,1978
Duel in Venice

The daughter of one of Simon's friends is kidnapped in order to lure Simon into a trap.

EP2  The Nightmare Man
Sep. 17,1978
The Nightmare Man

Simon aids an Italian woman who has had a vision of her husband's death.

EP1  The Judas Game
Sep. 10,1978
The Judas Game

Simon decides to rescue a British agent, whom he was once romantically involved with, who has been kidnapped and is being held by terrorists in the Alps.

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6.7 | NR | en | Action & Adventure | More Info
Released: 1978-09-10 | Released Producted By: , Country: United States of America Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:
Synopsis

Follow the swashbuckling exploits of Simon Templar, a modern-day Robin Hood of sorts.

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The tv show is currently not available onine

Cast

Ian Ogilvy

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Reviews

tonynworah 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!
anthonywalshaw_2 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.
sgpfan 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.
Albert Ohayon 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).