RETURN OF "THE SAINT"

Here's the video for the latest version of 'The Saint', Leslie Charteris' classic literary character:

Near the end of the video, Sir Roger Moore and Ian Ogilvie share a phone conversation in which they discuss Simon Templar. Ogilvie sounds determined to wipe out the entire family line, while Moore cautions him that the world will always need a saint.

In case you didn't know, both men played Templar in previous TV incarnations. Roger Moore will always be the perfect incarnation of 'The Saint' from back in the 1960s, while Ogilvie took on the role in the late 1970s.

The IMDb lists Ogilvie's character as "The Fixer", but surprisingly there's no mention of Moore. It's highly doubtful that The Fixer was also the second Templar, but the possibility remains that Moore is playing the patriarch of Clan Templar.

There's no problem if he's not, as so many TV characters resemble each other - that original Simon Templar looks just like Lord Bret Sinclair of 'The Persuaders!'.

But it still could be that the new Simon Templar, played by Adam Rayner, is the grandson of the original... and also the son of Ogilvie's version.  And that's why I plan on keeping this remake in Earth Prime-Time.  (I may be proven wrong later.....)

When the remake came out back in the late 70s, it was suggested that Ogilvie's Templar was the son of the original. This meant that at that same time on the networks there were two TV characters who could claim Roger Moore characters as "Daddy". The other one was Ben Maverick of 'Young Maverick' who was the son of Beau Maverick.

Hopefully this TV movie of 'The Saint' will be on American TV this year. Whether it goes to series, is unknown. But at least the character will have re-established himself in Earth Prime-Time.

BCnU!