Television series

The Saint

Name: The Saint
Genre: Drama, Action, Crime
Released: 1962
Cast: Roger Moore, Ivor Dean, Arnold Diamond, Manning Wilson, John Serret

Spy action
Vigilante
Dip in and out

Roger Moore as Simon Templar: a charming rogue who steals from criminals and gives to their victims, keeping a cut for himself. Sleek, witty, and irresistibly cool, this is 1960s spy-fi meets gentleman thief, all effortless charm and impeccable tailoring. For anyone who loves a hero who bends the rules with style.

TVMaze rating

3.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like gentleman-thief capers where a suave hero outwits crooks with a wink, a sense of style, and a stack of 1960s glamour.

Skip it if you want tightly plotted, grounded crime, since this is breezy episodic adventure where each case is wrapped up cleanly and the villains are often more cartoon than menacing.

What it asks of you: Each episode runs about fifty minutes and is light on continuity, so you can dip in and out without needing the earlier ones.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Persuaders1971

Roger Moore reunites with Tony Curtis as two wealthy adventurers solving mysteries across Europe. Same urbane charm, higher budget, and the chemistry between them is genuinely electric.

But The plots are sometimes thin and the humour leans heavily on '70s sensibilities that haven't aged uniformly well.

Danger: Diabolik1968

A stylish heist film about a gentleman criminal outsmarting authorities, with the same playful moral ambiguity and gorgeous production design. Italian spy-fi at its most fun.

But It's deliberately campy and the plot is secondary to the visual spectacle; patience required for slow, gorgeous scenes.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.1964

Suave spies in sharp suits trading wit and espionage. Same era, same elegant cool, same pleasure in watching impossibly attractive people solve problems with style and gadgetry.

But Earlier seasons move slowly; the procedural nature means some episodes feel like filler.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Saint

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Killing Eve2018

Both centre on protagonists whose charm and intelligence let them operate outside normal morality. The Saint steals from villains with a wink; Eve kills psychopaths with a smile. Same magnetism, inverted stakes.

A cat-and-mouse game between a psychopath and the woman hunting her, built entirely on witty dialogue and the thrill of two people who understand each other. Like The Saint, it's about charisma overcoming morality—but here, the fun becomes genuinely unsettling.

But It's violently dark and becomes increasingly grim; the tonal shift from playful to genuinely cruel alienates some viewers by season three.

Rififi1955

A diamond heist told with minimal dialogue and maximum style. The spiritual ancestor of every clever-thief story: morally grey, visually stunning, and utterly absorbing.

But It's a serious film noir, not lighter fare; some may find the pacing meditative rather than thrilling.

Ocean's Eleven1960

A celebrity-packed heist with Frank Sinatra as a charming rogue assembling a team. The same mix of glamour, wit, and lovable crime that makes The Saint tick.

But The plot is thin and it coasts on star power; modern heist films have spoiled us with tighter construction.

Alias Smith and Jones1971

Two outlaws given amnesty if they pull off increasingly elaborate cons. It's The Saint's American cousin: witty, episodic, and built on the chemistry between leads who actually like each other.

But It never quite reaches the stylistic heights it aims for, and some episodes lean too hard on broad comedy.

Modesty Blaise1966

A female thief-adventurer in a brightly coloured, tongue-in-cheek spy romp. Same DNA as The Saint—playful, glamorous, never taking itself seriously, with genuine affection for its morally flexible hero.

But The tonal mixture of camp and action is uneven; it's trying to do three things at once and doesn't always land.

The Avengers1961

Witty British spies in mod London with impossible chemistry. Like The Saint, it's more about the charm and the verbal sparring than the plot, and the production design is impeccable.

But Later seasons prioritize weirdness over story; it can feel like watching people show off rather than solving anything.

Barbarella1968

A gorgeous, campy space adventure where no one involved is taking any of it seriously. The same celebration of style over substance, colour over logic, and the pleasure of watching beautiful people in impossible situations.

But The dialogue is clunky, the script is flimsy, and the special effects are visibly cheap even by 1968 standards.

Lupin2021

A direct spiritual successor: the international gentleman thief living by his wits and charm, outsmarting authority while helping the wronged. This is what The Saint looks like when remade in a different era.

A French gentleman thief pulls off elaborate cons in modern Paris, driven by style and vengeance. It's The Saint remade for 2020s streaming: the same elegant heists, quicker pacing, and a protagonist who steals to expose corruption.

But The tone is often melodramatic; it mistakes emotional intensity for depth, and the plotting can feel arbitrary.

Le Samouraï1967

Both are about solitary operators moving through elegant spaces with perfect style and absolute competence. The Saint dazzles; Le Samouraï mesmerizes. Same mastery, different temperatures.

A hitman's methodical hunt across Paris, filmed with balletic precision and glacial style. The inverse of The Saint's warmth—same elegant cool, same meticulous professionalism, same European sophistication, but ice-cold instead of charming.

But It's a slow, meditative film with minimal dialogue; the pleasure is in atmosphere and visual geometry, not plot momentum or character warmth.