The Saint

Variety reports today a bit of news that I’ve known for months:  TNT is developing a new, TV series version of THE SAINT. The producer is William J. McDonald and even though he was involved in the horrendous movie version with Val Kilmer a few years ago, I’m told by sources in-the-know that this project will be more loyal to the character immortalized in the novels by Leslie Charteris.   Jorge Zamacona (HOMICIDE, WANTED) is writing the script.

6 thoughts on “The Saint”

  1. I can’t comment because I could never bring myself to watch the movie after seeing the trailer. That was NOT The Saint! I’ll reserve judgement on this new series.

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  2. If I have anything to say about it, and supposedly I do, the new SAINT TV project for TNT will retain the flavor of Charteris’ original.
    The Roger Moore series that began in 1962 used the “glob trotting celebrity” character found in Charteris later short stories, and due to the restrictive TV codes of the time, Charteris lamented that the Saint on TV bore as much similarity to his creation as Winnie the Pooh did to Captain Blood.
    Times have changed — restrictions have relaxed. Soooo…this version of The Saint will be the more dangerous and picaresque adventurer, having way too much fun as he takes on recalcitrant and contumacious oppressors while bedding the requisite bevy of beauties — including the mercurial and romantic Ms Patricia Holm. As all Saint fans know, Simon Templar parks his shoes in numerous international locales, but Holm is where he hangs his hat — or halo.
    Bill Macdonald asked me to serve as “consultant” to the project, and has honestly taken my suggestions to heart (and page). The show should be really cool, faithful to the character, and won’t have Charteris getting what he termed Graveyard Torque from spinning in his metaphoric grave. What I like best about the project, of course, is that I’m supposedly getting paid for my wit and wisdom. As with any TV or film project – or publishing for that matter — I will be 100% convinced when the check clears the bank. As Bill has never deceived me in the past, I trust it will all come out in the wash, even if the spin cycle makes me crazy.
    Burl Barer

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  3. I have recently finished my dive into 1930’s and 40’s detective fiction Dashiell
    Hammett etc. Besides giving my dog a name
    that being Dashiell I did notice one thing
    about manydetectives and adventures of
    that era. Sense of humor…even though it
    was often dark. I hope they keep the humor.

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