"Director: Roger Moore"

• The Saint - The Complete Series 1 | DVD | (17/05/2004) from £79.95   |  Saving you £-19.96 (N/A%)   |  RRP £59.99

  Long before assuming the mantle of 007, Roger Moore made his name as suave, ultra-sophisticated amateur sleuth Simon Templar in The Saint. First broadcast in 1962--coincidentally the year Dr No appeared in cinemas--the show ran until 1969, by which time Moore was internationally famous and poised to make the move to big-screen Bond. Simon Templar suits Moore's personality well: he plays Leslie Charteris's creation with the merest raised eyebrow reaction to imminent danger and the unflappable demeanour of a man whose first concern is to prevent any creases in his Saville Row suit. Templar's dialogue is sprinkled with trendy Americanisms and the show is filled with American supporting actors in a blatant attempt to sell it to a transatlantic audience (the attempt failed, which is why Moore took on The Persuaders in 1967). A bevy of exotic women and even more exotic foreign locations establish it as a product of the Jet Set era, even though most of the production is in fact studio-bound aside from a handful of establishing shots. The second episode, "The Latin Touch", is typical: supposedly the action takes place in Rome, but its sense of location is fatally undermined by some distinctly dodgy back projection and the casting of Warren (Alf Garnett) Mitchell as an Italian taxi driver. Sophisticated it once was, but it all seems rather quaint now: the suits, the old school tie, the phallic sports car (a Volvo!), and Templar's smug, patronising attitude all grate on modern sensibilities. This is one for nostalgia lovers, certainly, but it hasn't dated too well. On the DVD:Although billed as Series 1, this 10-disc box set contains the first 39 black-and-white episodes, dating from 1962-64. There are a handful of extra features on the first four discs, including some text biographies and fact files, plus an interview with series creator Robert S Baker. Picture and mono sound quality are generally poor, reflecting the age of the original material, which doesn't appear to have been remastered. Still, it's adequate for what it is and shouldn't deter fans from acquiring this generous collection of a cult TV classic. --Mark Walker

• The Persuaders - Vol. 3 - Power Switch / Time And Place / Someone Like Me / Anyone Can Play | DVD | (14/05/2001) from £7.25   |  Saving you £10.00 (166.95%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Danny Wilde (Tony Curtis) a street-smart self-made millionaire from the Bronx. Lord Brett Sinclair (Roger Moore) an upper-crust member of the British establishment. As opposite as two men can possibly be together they're 'The Persuaders!' Moving throughout the glittering capitals of Europe they are the seekers of justice in an unjust world. Episode 7 - Powerswitch: The body of a beautiful girl found floating in a Cote d'Azure bay plunges Danny and Brett into deep water. When it is discovered she has been murdered there are sinister implications for the Persuaders! Episode 8 - The Time And The Place: Danny and Brett stop to help a pretty girl whose car seems to have broken down but danger awaits when Danny comes across a man's body nearby then the girl vanishes. Episode 9 - Someone Like Me: Danny is faced with someone masquerading as Brett Sinclair. If dealing with the forceof Brett wasn't enough he now has to work out who is the imposter and who is the real McCoy - or is something more serious at play? Episode 10 - Anyone Can Play: While gambling at the seaside resort of Brighton a case of mistaken identity finds Danny playing a roulette game he can't lose. Unexpectedly Danny has become a communist network's paymaster Brett is inevitably involved and a whole series of bewildering events follow...

• The Persuaders: The Complete Series (Repackaged) | DVD | (01/11/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £39.99

  A 9 disc set featuring the complete collection (all 24 episodes ever produced) of the cult TV series featuring John Barry's classic theme tune! Upper crust Lord Brett Sinclair (Roger Moore) and nouveau riche Danny Wilde (Tony Curtis) two wealthy playboys from very different backgrounds are paired up by a stern judge who tasks them with becoming international crimestoppers.... Episodes Comprise: 1. Overture 2. The Gold Napoleon 3. Take Seven 4. Greensleeves 5. Powerswitch 6. The Time and the Place 7. Someone Like Me 8. Anyone Can Play 9. The Old the New and the Deadly 10. Angie Angie 11. Chain of Events 12. That's Me Over There 13. The Long Goodbye 14. The Man in the Middle 15. Element of Risk 16. A Home of One's Own 17. Five Miles to Midnight 18. Nuisance Value 19. The Morning After 20. Read and Destroy 21. A Death in the Family 22. The Ozerov Inheritance 23. To the Death Baby 24. Someone Waiting