The special effects and sound were amazing for the time - excellent art direction regardless of the non existent budget. I don't know why people have problems with the plots or understanding what's going on - short attention spans? There was a radio series that came after this but it got too dogmatic and absurd and was bleak rather than just dark.
I remember watching the series when I was young, it blew me away at the time and the memory has been with me ever since, mind blowing. There has never been a program to equal it. The series was more about what you didn't see, it made you think.
Wether true or not I read in an old magazine that the head of ATV disliked the show due to his view on religion, so he used budget reasons to have it axed.
Sad that a visionary show flying high was axed at its peak that very few shows today have even gots close to let alone matched in quality of script writing or acting.
British sci fi thriller at its best and had me hooked and has not aged.
I absolutely love this series although assignments 3 and 5 were not so good the rest is just classic TV gold and goes to show that you really dont need big effects, big budgets and a cast of thousands to make brilliant programmes, just an talented director/producer, haunting music and sound fx, mood lighting and the best scripts on TV. PJ Hammond gives the world a masterclass in how to write amazing atmospheric scripts without breaking the bank. Pity ITV schedualing treated this series so badly.
I think as much as any other reason the casting of McCallum and Lumley was what made the show memorable. I'm not sure that a re-make would work because Saphire and Steel was very much of it's time and the way it was written, photographed and produced would not be followed properly by film makers today (or at least the TV executives wouldn't allow them to).
Great show! i had some mixed images in my head as a kid from this show, and a friend gave me the box set to watch...i really think this show was ahead of its time, it just has a strangness to it and the main characters were brilliant!....oh and what an ending!.
That was partly the point - certainly for Steel anyway, Sapphire was the diffuser and came across as very sweet. Steel was cold and emotionless and felt any sympathy towards humans was pointless and got in the way of the job in hand. I wouldn't say either were unlikeable though, they were good characterisations.
@Rumpio 2 is just a little bit long don't you think? 4 is succinct and really scary. I really like 5 too although the supporting cast let it down a little. But it's 3 that caused the nightmares. I still remember my dad telling me that it wasn't possible for pillows to fly and so I shouldn't be scared of them.....
Growing up in the US I watched Tomorrow People, and I loved it. I stumbled upon the intro, and after watching the first episode I love it. This has got to be the strangest show ever made. Thanks for posting this.
Thanks so much for posting this! I love Sapphire and Steel and have done since i was a little girl! There's precious little behind the scenes info on this so thanks again for sharing! :D
I remember seeing this on the top ten sci-fi programme. It introduced me to sapphire and steel. and i thought to myself i must watch that sometime, i saw the episodes on here eventually and fell in love with the whole thing and got the dvds, it's just brilliant! - which introduced me to something else with David Mccallum in besides NCIS and from there onto Man From UNCLE and so on. So i have to thank it for opening up a whole world of GREAT TV and a GREAT actor!
One of the best shows ever. I just finished rewatching it on DVD last night...that finale in the cafe..."I saw the future and it was OUR future." There is nothing but space...chilled me to the bone, the bleakest, most amazing final moment ever. Maybe the best ending ever for a TV show.
Yeah, I was gutted when it was over....I was so wanting more! For days, weeks, I walked past the shop where I got the DVDs and kept wishing I could go in and find more episodes! :) I just wanted MORE of that show, it was so addictive!
@straker2 The ending of the final assignment left me with the exact same feeling. It still sends chills down my spine to think about it. It's been a couple of years since I properly watched all of the assignments and I really should pull out the DVDs and experience the genius of this classic show once again. I originally got into S&S because I'm a fan of Joanna Lumley, but I ended up loving everything about it.
@IrishEyes1989 Yeah, it sure was a great show. I got to hear a couple of the Big Finish stories, but I missed David and Joanna. Such a pity there weren't more stories in the series, it was a real gem. Addictive viewing. I'm a bit of a filmmaker myself and Sappire and Steel had a huge influence on me. Most recently, the idea of present day people appearing in photographs from the past have fascinated me. And I noticed Kubrick's movie The Shining has this too!
sapphire bought a sof t feminine feel to the show but steele was colder
hamster700 1 month ago
Has anybody noticed that the recent Dr who scripts are starting to feel like episodes of Sapphire and steel
theviker 9 months ago
The special effects and sound were amazing for the time - excellent art direction regardless of the non existent budget. I don't know why people have problems with the plots or understanding what's going on - short attention spans? There was a radio series that came after this but it got too dogmatic and absurd and was bleak rather than just dark.
random007nadir 10 months ago
The special effects and sound were amazing for the time - excellent art direction regardless of the non existent budget.
random007nadir 10 months ago
TV in the late 70s was crazy
radiodarkhorse 1 year ago
I remember watching the series when I was young, it blew me away at the time and the memory has been with me ever since, mind blowing. There has never been a program to equal it. The series was more about what you didn't see, it made you think.
uncled39 1 year ago
THIS SERIES NEEDS TO BE PUT BACK ON TV AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
doctorw2 1 year ago
Wether true or not I read in an old magazine that the head of ATV disliked the show due to his view on religion, so he used budget reasons to have it axed.
Sad that a visionary show flying high was axed at its peak that very few shows today have even gots close to let alone matched in quality of script writing or acting.
British sci fi thriller at its best and had me hooked and has not aged.
Gazthfc 1 year ago
@Gazthfc I doubt religion had anything to do with it. Apparently it was affected by the strikes at the time.
zaftra 9 months ago
One of the most unique TV shows ever made, that's why I love it.
JohnnyTheWolfLupino 1 year ago
I absolutely love this series although assignments 3 and 5 were not so good the rest is just classic TV gold and goes to show that you really dont need big effects, big budgets and a cast of thousands to make brilliant programmes, just an talented director/producer, haunting music and sound fx, mood lighting and the best scripts on TV. PJ Hammond gives the world a masterclass in how to write amazing atmospheric scripts without breaking the bank. Pity ITV schedualing treated this series so badly.
cbatt91337 1 year ago
I just hate the glib script to this - lazy and contemptuous of its subject.
sibionic 1 year ago
@sibionic
Isn't there enough evidence of retro remaking today to proof that the past is way better, creative and as simple as it can be.
If you have an idea to make it better, I rather you share than making a senseless comment that's as lazy and contemptuous too.
porkisgood4u 1 year ago
@porkisgood4u you write well!
sibionic 8 months ago
I think as much as any other reason the casting of McCallum and Lumley was what made the show memorable. I'm not sure that a re-make would work because Saphire and Steel was very much of it's time and the way it was written, photographed and produced would not be followed properly by film makers today (or at least the TV executives wouldn't allow them to).
dafmurray 1 year ago
They should bring Sapphie & Steel back as a TV show now, the Audio Series was great, but lets have it back properly, that would be awesome.
giles852002 1 year ago
I miss this one!!! Brings shivers from my childhood!
m5rule 1 year ago
Just excellent! Many memories...
sandtoftfield 2 years ago
Great show! i had some mixed images in my head as a kid from this show, and a friend gave me the box set to watch...i really think this show was ahead of its time, it just has a strangness to it and the main characters were brilliant!....oh and what an ending!.
JONINXBOX 2 years ago
I'm watching adventure 4. I noticed that both Sapphire and Steel were pretty belligerent toward humans. They came off as unlikeable.
Did other viewers feel this way too?
tlyoung88 2 years ago
That was partly the point - certainly for Steel anyway, Sapphire was the diffuser and came across as very sweet. Steel was cold and emotionless and felt any sympathy towards humans was pointless and got in the way of the job in hand. I wouldn't say either were unlikeable though, they were good characterisations.
By the way, adventure 4 is the best of the 6!
michaelleacy 2 years ago
Yes. He's in every photograph you know.
sibionic 1 year ago
@michaelleacy Agreed, watched Adventure 4 on VHS when I was 6 or 7 and that man with no face was in my nightmares for years! lol.
giles852002 1 year ago
@michaelleacy absolutely right. Assignment4 made me pee myself when I was 5...literally
banneradders 1 year ago
@michaelleacy No! Adventure 2! The one with Tully at the railway station! (Poor Tully)
Rumpio 1 month ago
@Rumpio 2 is just a little bit long don't you think? 4 is succinct and really scary. I really like 5 too although the supporting cast let it down a little. But it's 3 that caused the nightmares. I still remember my dad telling me that it wasn't possible for pillows to fly and so I shouldn't be scared of them.....
VivaZeBone 4 weeks ago
This used terrify me. I was 5 and saw an episode where something attacked one of them from a pillow? Or am I remembering it wrong?
WillyDIreland 2 years ago
WillyDIreland, agree with you there this scared the crap out of me. The episode that most scared me was the one where there was a man with no face.
Scooby71Doo 2 years ago
yes,this has to be the weirdest(and scariest)TV programme ever!!
kenpoman100 2 years ago 3
Growing up in the US I watched Tomorrow People, and I loved it. I stumbled upon the intro, and after watching the first episode I love it. This has got to be the strangest show ever made. Thanks for posting this.
Aestros909 2 years ago
Thanks so much for posting this! I love Sapphire and Steel and have done since i was a little girl! There's precious little behind the scenes info on this so thanks again for sharing! :D
HippyDigger 2 years ago 3
Some audio programs were made which continued the story after the final show.
eldersprig 2 years ago
I remember seeing this on the top ten sci-fi programme. It introduced me to sapphire and steel. and i thought to myself i must watch that sometime, i saw the episodes on here eventually and fell in love with the whole thing and got the dvds, it's just brilliant! - which introduced me to something else with David Mccallum in besides NCIS and from there onto Man From UNCLE and so on. So i have to thank it for opening up a whole world of GREAT TV and a GREAT actor!
MuddyDragon 2 years ago 2
One of the best shows ever. I just finished rewatching it on DVD last night...that finale in the cafe..."I saw the future and it was OUR future." There is nothing but space...chilled me to the bone, the bleakest, most amazing final moment ever. Maybe the best ending ever for a TV show.
Ade
straker2 2 years ago 10
I agree that the ending was one of the most chilling ever. Such a brilliant programme!
holy5lacker 2 years ago
Yeah, I was gutted when it was over....I was so wanting more! For days, weeks, I walked past the shop where I got the DVDs and kept wishing I could go in and find more episodes! :) I just wanted MORE of that show, it was so addictive!
Ade
straker2 2 years ago
@straker2 Well said Straker2, you nailed it.
PeterSodhi 1 year ago
@straker2 The ending of the final assignment left me with the exact same feeling. It still sends chills down my spine to think about it. It's been a couple of years since I properly watched all of the assignments and I really should pull out the DVDs and experience the genius of this classic show once again. I originally got into S&S because I'm a fan of Joanna Lumley, but I ended up loving everything about it.
IrishEyes1989 3 months ago
@IrishEyes1989 Yeah, it sure was a great show. I got to hear a couple of the Big Finish stories, but I missed David and Joanna. Such a pity there weren't more stories in the series, it was a real gem. Addictive viewing. I'm a bit of a filmmaker myself and Sappire and Steel had a huge influence on me. Most recently, the idea of present day people appearing in photographs from the past have fascinated me. And I noticed Kubrick's movie The Shining has this too!
straker2 3 months ago
What a fantastic show. Thanks for posting this!
ineendubh 2 years ago 2
My ultimate favorite McCallum series! He was so gorgeous in this, I even dream of Steel!
1996azcpa 3 years ago 11
Well, from the looks of David, I'd guess this was filmed around the time he was doing "Max Bickford".
Yes, it would be wonderful if they could do it all again, wouldn't it, and they were two blond-bombshells, weren't they?
Love S&S! I watch the DVDs frequently. Great post - thanks so much!
kitti0702 3 years ago 3