Simon Templar, better known as The Saint, is a British fictional character created by Leslie Charteris. He is a thief but targets corrupt politicians, warmongers, and other lowlifes, similar in vein to Robin Hood.
A British TV series titled The Saint, based on the books by Charteris, was produced between 1962 and 1969, starring a pre-James Bond Roger Moore as Simon Templar. That version first aired on ITV in the United Kingdom and was later picked up for American audiences by NBC.
A 1978 TV sequel also aired on ITV (as well as on CBS in the United States), Return of the Saint, starred Ian Ogilvy as the title character.
In 1997, a movie version of The Saint starring Val Kilmer as Templar, based very loosely on the Charteris books and the previous TV shows, was released.
Categories: [Fictional Characters]