Sapphire & Steel

As a teenager I lapped up every episode of this magnificent, highly informative and truly the most intelligent B.B.C. Sci.Fi. series.

The actors Joanne Lumley and David Mc Callum brought magic to the series as two investigators into the paranormal.The series was streets ahead of anything on TV in those days.

It was also educational, taking episodes from history and weaving them into the plotlines.

I vaguely remember watching S&S on first broadcast, and clutching a handy sofa cushion. Watching it again, curtesy of the DVD collection (and at least 20 years older,) It still makes me shiver. Story is great, characterisation & acting excellent, and effects as expected (it works for me, and to see CGI implementations of `TIME` couldn`t be as effective as eerie pools of light).

Still, watching again as a fierce man (cough, possibly,) I still experience the same shivers I did first time round. Believe me, as a psychological thriller, it really works. Situations, and snippets of dialogue from the series, tend to surface when I try to get to sleep. This will soon pass, as it did 20-odd years ago...

Extras, they`re interesting - copies of TV times articles, and production stills related to each episode. Adequate, interesting, but not exceptionable.

My taste in science fiction and fantasy entertainment is a strange thing. I hated "Lord of the Rings," but I love a good Godzilla movie. "Doctor Who" is fantastic, "Star Wars" leaves me cold. I think it's fair to say that I like interesting concepts more than expensive special effects, and I'm particularly fond of fantasy entertainment from other countries since it often has entirely different sensibilities from the action-oriented stuff that Americans produce.

So, it's no surprise that I loved watching "Sapphire and Steel" over my Christmas break! Talk about interesting concepts...the whole show is a mass of enigmas, time paradoxes, all kinds of weird and wonderful ideas. And it's not just cold, cerebral stuff; the strangely warm rapport between Sapphire, Steel, and the people they help holds it all together. And you know what? I really like the slow pacing and the stifled feeling created by the use of confining sets. For such a low-budget production, "Sapphire and Steel" is oddly terrifying sometimes, and I've got to give credit to its production team for stretching the TV medium so effectively.

It's more humane than "Twilight Zone," more fascinating than "X-Files," and, like so many other great British shows, it had the dignity to end before it got tiresome! Get out and buy the DVD boxed set now...it's worth it.

I'll admit it; I'm not the biggest fan sci-fi television. I'm not a Star Wars or X-Files fanatic. When I read about Sapphire & Steel, I wasn't expecting much. I figured that if I didn't like it, I could MST it. (MST stands for Mystery Science Theater 3000, read my comments about it if you've never heard of it before) To my surprise, I didn't need to use my fleeting talent for mocking films. I became hooked on Sapphire & Steel after I watched the first episode.

I was intrigued by the premise of the entire show. Sapphire and Steel, played by Joanna Lumley and David McCallum, are extraterrestrial beings (for lack of better explanation – none is ever really given or necessary as to who they really are) sent on different assignments including breaks in time, people being locked in pictures, and ghosts seeking revenge for their wrongful deaths.

I was wrong to write this show off as another X-Files. Sapphire and Steel is much more thought provoking, mysterious, and different from all the other shows floating around out there. The series finale was one of the best ends to a television show I've ever seen! If I had the money, I'd buy the entire six-season DVD set, but since I'm broke I'll have to live with repeatedly renting it from Netflix. It's a definite guilty pleasure of mine.

10/10 - I recommend it anyone with an open-mind who has a couple of hours to kill on a rainy day.

I remember this show from when i was a child. I was always getting ready for bed when it was shown and always managed to stay up and be terrified for the rest of the night. It involved two almost extra terrestrial agents who were assigned to earth to fix rips in time that were being caused by dark forces. Stunningly acted and creepy as hell with an almost intense and oppressive atmosphere. Joanna Lumley and David Macallum are perfectly cast as the two beings and despite the budget, the sets look great, almost as if you were watching a play at times. The spookiest story and the one that everyone seems to remember is the story set in a deserted railway station involving dead soldiers. Watched the DVD release recently and it still packs a punch. Highly recommended for anyone who loves creepy stuff.