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| The Saint | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:The_Saint_titlecard.jpg) Titlecard of the black and white episodes | |
| Created by | Leslie Charteris |
| Starring | Roger Moore |
| Theme music composer |
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| Composer | Edwin Astley |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 118 (71 black-and-white, 47 colour) (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Roger Moore[1] |
| Running time | 47–51 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | ITC |
| Release | 4 October 1962 – 9 February 1969 |
| Related | |
| Return of the Saint | |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
The Saint is a British crime television series that aired in the United Kingdom on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It was based on the literary character Simon Templar created by Leslie Charteris in the 1920s[2] and featured in many novels over the years.[2] In the television series, Templar was played by Roger Moore.[3] Templar helps those whom conventional agencies are powerless or unwilling to protect, often using methods that skirt the law. Chief Inspector Claud Eustace Teal is his nominal nemesis who considers Templar a common criminal, but often grudgingly tolerates his actions for the greater good.
NBC picked up the show as a summer replacement in its evening schedule in 1966 because of the strong performance in the United States of the first two series in first-run syndication. The programme, therefore, ended its run with both trans-Atlantic primetime scheduling and colour episodes. It also proved popular beyond the UK and US, eventually airing in over 60 countries, and made a profit in excess of £350m for ITC.[4][5][6] With almost 120 episodes, the programme is exceeded only by The Avengers as the most productive show of its genre produced in the UK. As with The Avengers, the colour episodes were originally broadcast in the UK in black and white before the advent of colour transmissions on ITV.
- ^ Marnell, Blair (21 December 2012). "Roger Moore & Ian Ogilvy Return To 'The Saint'". CraveOnline.
- ^ a b "Leslie Charteris Dies; Mystery Writer Was 85". The New York Times. 18 April 1993.
- ^ Chase, Chris (26 June 1981). "At the Movies; Roger Moore is anybody's replacement". The New York Times.
- ^ Television Haven overview of The Saint Archived 14 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Time magazine article from 18 April 1969 detailing the premiere of the fifth series of The Saint
- ^ The Guardian Robert S Baker obituary, paragraph 3