DVD: The Saint - The Early Episodes, Set 1
3 discs, 612 minutes (A&E Home Video)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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SO! You've faithfully collected the seven Saint box sets, have you? Thought you had the whole series and you could relax and enjoy them now, did you? Well you were WRONG, buddy, because you forgot all about the first two seasons, the ones that were filmed in glorious black & white. Ha! You've still got some collecting to do. The Season 1 box set introduces Simon Templar as personified by Roger Moore, and if you've never seen these early episodes, you'll be surprised to find there are some subtle differences between that character and Moore's better known Templar. For starters, Templar talks to the audience at the beginning of each episode, and sometimes again at the end. Black and White Templar isn't as quick to resort to fisticuffs as Color Templar, though situations where his charm and wit won't suffice do pop up enough to keep the fight fans entertained. Best of all, this guy isn't just a wolfhound; damsels in distress are already his main calling in life, but he's equally motivated by the plight of orphans living on the streets of Rome. Saint fans will enjoy watching Moore grow into the character of Simon Templar in these twelve black and white adventures from series' the debut season. No, you're not done buying that collection after all, but did you really want to be?

© 2005 - DJ Johnson