The Return of the Saint - The Memorable TV DVD Review

WHAT’S IT ABOUT THEN?

In 1978 ITC decided to revive their much loved Saint franchise with Ian Olgilvy in the lead, this time out although The Saint is still an adventurer always ready to save the country from crisis or help a damsel in distress there was a little more realism with actual location shooting and even one or two actual visits abroad.

SO IS IT ANY GOOD?

A real treat, a nostalgia filled blast of classic seventies TV that doesn't take itself too seriously. Whilst still heavy on the Roger Mooresque suaveness and derring do Ian Olgilvy's Saint is a little more action oriented with episodes featuring a plot to blow up London, Arab terrorists, drug rings and assassinations (of course there is also plenty of Saint saving girl in peril style storylines too!).

With its great 70's fashions and concerns and a feel similar to shows such as The New Avengers or The Professionals The Return of the Saint

is excellent. There is also great fun to be had in playing the famous guest stars, and this series attracted quite a large volume of them including the likes of Carolyn Seymour, Britt Ekland, Judy Geeson, Rula Lenska, George Cole, Joss Ackland, Jenny Hanley, Linda Thorson and even the great Derren Nesbitt to name just a few. Umbrella continue their release schedule of the ITC catalogue and it just keeps getting better and better (coming next month is the awesome Man in a Suitcase).

ANY SPECIAL FEATURES?

Return of the Saint is everything a DVD Box set should be, fantastic packaging, the complete run of episodes and choc full of extras. Opening up disc one you are presented with a lovely reprint of the original ITC publicity brochure and every one of the 7 discs in this set has different extras and feature an interview with Ian Olgilvy, audio commentaries on Duel in Venice and Signal Stop from Ian Olgilvy and Robert S. Baker, audio commentary on Collision Course from production supervisor Malcolm Christopher and Ken Baker, extensive liner notes featuring info on all aspects of the shows production from the behind the scenes crew to a look inside Simon Templar's plush apartment; There are guest cast profiles for all the episodes, extensive image galleries featuring stills from all he episodes, isolated music and effects audio tracks on the episodes Assault Force and The Murder Cartel, a chance to view PDF files of the original ITC pressbook, alternate opening titles featuring a different theme tune called Taking It Easy, disc seven has a bumper crop of extras including an episode of the forthcoming Strange Report guest starring Ian Olgilvy as well as textless opening sequences (made so that overseas countries could put on their own credits), there is also the feature length movie The Saint and The Brave Goose which combined the two collision course episodes, given a run in theatres its presences indicates the level of completeness Umbrella are aiming for. Corking stuff, superb in fact!!