The Persuaders

In the 1970’s Roger Moore was famous for playing Simon Templer in The Saint television series. The character was created by writer Leslie Charteris. He wrote many novels starring the wealthy sleuth. Mr. Charteris also wrote some radio episodes of Sherlock Holmes. While there was a radio seriesof THe Saint in the 1940’s and 50’s with Vincent Price in the title role I don’t know for certain that Mr. Charteris wrote for that series. It is said that Charteris was not happy that his character seemed to have long term success escape him. Then they started The Saint TV series in 1962. It ran for 5 years in England and 2 years in America. He felt vindicated that his character finally obtained the success that he deserved. Since the character has had novels, a radio and TV series and a movie made about him I think he has had a lot of long term success. Mr. Charteris loved to draw as a kid but wasn’t very good at it so he only drew stick figures. Thus the symbol of the Saint was created.
Before this gets to be just about The Saint I need to remind you that this is really about the Persuaders. The second half or the team was Tony Curtis. While Mr. Curtis has done many series like Vegas, McCoy and basically voiced himself in an episode of The Flintstones as Stoney Curtis, he was mainly known for his movies. The first series he did where he was not a guest star but one of the regular stars of the show was The Persuaders.
The show was produced in England and ran in America opposite Mission Impossible. While the show was a hit in Europe, being opposite MI doomed it in America. They must have tried to get their money’s worth in the USA because I remember watching it on Sunday afternoons in the 70’s. The series started with Roger Moore as Lord Brett Sinclair who was born to wealth. He gets in a fight with an American self- made Millionaire Danny Wilde. They trashed the place. A retired Judge tells them that unless they help him stop crime among the wealthy he will put them in jail. Not wanting to go to jail they become the Persuaders. The show was one of the most expensive produced in England as it filmed on location in France, Sweden, Italy etc. Perhaps being so expensive is what got the show cancelled. They only produced about 24 episodes. It's cancellation came as a surprise to the stars. However, the show must have given Mr. Curtis a taste to do more television and the cancellation of the series set Mr. Moore free to accept the offer to play James Bond. He had turned down the offer twice due to being committed to The Saint and The Persuaders when they offered it to him before. Here is a link to a website for The Persuaders.