"Return of the Saint" The Arrangement (1978)

Director:

Peter Medak

Writers:

Leslie Charteris (novels)
Anthony Terpiloff (screenplay)

TV Series:

"Return of the Saint" (1978)

Original Air Date:

5 November 1978 (Season 1, Episode 9)

Genre:

Adventure | Crime

Plot:

When Greer Stevens suggests to Sheila Northcott that each woman kills the other's husband, Sheila does...

Plot Keywords:

Criminal | Drugs | Mission | Terrorist | Agent

Cast

Ian Ogilvy	...	Simon Templar
Carolyn Seymour	...	Lady Greer Stevens
Sarah Douglas	...	Sheila Northcott
Michael Medwin	...	Guy Northcott
Donald Pickering	...	Sir Trevor Stevens
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Burton	...	Doctor Evans
Sandra Dickinson	...	Girl at Airport
Jane Hayden	...	Aileen
David Healy	...	Hansen
Reg Lye	...	Lou
Ian McCulloch	...	Inspector Stone
Gregory Munroe	...	Otis
Edmund Pegge	...	Police Officer
Brian Pettifer	...	Bartender
Vikki Richards	...	Nina
The Saints	...	Punk Rock Band

Strangers on a plane?

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Simon is on a plane with two gorgeous women - Sheila Northcott ( Sarah Douglas ), a successful novelist, and Lady Greer Stevens ( Carolyn Seymour ), free-spirited wife of a prominent British M.P. The former is in the midst of a divorce, whilst the latter is bored with her spouse. When Lady Greer proposes that they kill each other's husbands, Sheila laughs it off. But Her Ladyship is not joking.

Some time later, Sheila's estranged husband Guy ( Michael Medwin ) falls to his death from a balcony. Lady Greer has fulfilled her end of the bargain. Now she wants Sheila to murder Sir Trevor. When the novelist refuses to comply, Lady Stevens kidnaps her young sister...

As you may have already guessed, this Anthony Terpiloff-scripted plot is a rip-off of Patricia Highsmith's 'Strangers On A Train', which was memorably filmed in 1951 by Alfred Hitchcock. It works well enough as a 'Saint' episode, though why no acknowledgement of the story's origin is given is strange. Had Lady Greer said to Sheila on the plane: "Did you ever see that old movie with Robert Walker and Farley Granger? The one where they swapped murder victims? Why don't we copy it?" fine, but instead she behaves as though it is entirely her own idea.

I'm giving this ten out of ten mainly for the fabulous performance by Carolyn Seymour as the psychotic 'Lady Greer'. Her husband at that time, Peter Medak, directed the episode. He also found work for his wife in the 'Space: 1999' episode 'Seance Spectre', and the films 'The Ruling Class', and 'The Odd Job' ( now that's what I call a good husband ). She is not only beautiful but lethal, like a 'Dynasty' character with Bipolar Disorder. The sort of woman who would take you to bed one minute, then knife you in the back the next. Why Seymour never did a Bond movie is perplexing.

Sarah Douglas, who plays 'Sheila', is equally gorgeous, and like Seymour later found success in America.

Michael Medwin was 'Corporal Springer' in Granada's 'The Army Game' but is probably best remembered by television fans for his role as 'Don Satchley' in the hit B.B.C. detective drama 'Shoestring'. Ian McCulloch, who plays 'Inspector Stone', was 'Greg Preston' in the original ( and best ) 'Survivors'. As 'bartender', we get a glimpse of future 'Rab C.Nesbitt' star Brian Pettifer.

The tone of the episode is dark by 'Saint' standards, as though the real '70's were struggling to break through into the Saint's cosy fantasy world. We even get to see a concert by the aptly-named Punk band 'The Saints'! It is hard to believe it is the same show that had earlier served up nonsense like 'The Nightmare Man' and 'Duel In Venice'. A good dose of reality was what this show badly needed.