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Sapphire And Steel : Special Edition Complete Series 1-6 Box Set [1979]

RRP: £59.99
Our Price: £46.89 (subject to change)

Mesmerising
Review date: 2008-03-11 Rating: 10 out of 10

Sapphire & Steel is probably the most atmospheric, imaginative, unsettling and certainly perplexing series ever made. Very little is ever fully explained, especially regarding the two main characters. We never really know who or what they are or where they come from. They just turn up at the start of each story. The stories themselves are wonderfully obscure and dark, dealing with themes such as time as a physical force entering into the present, a dark force that feeds on emotions and memories, a faceless shape that exists in every photograph ever taken... that's just a little taster of what this wonderful series has to offer. The episodes are superbly eerie and atmospheric, almost entirely shot in the studio with moody lighting, a minimal cast, chilling incidental music and imaginative direction. The pacing is very slow but this allows the atmosphere to build up. David McCallum and Joanna Lumley are simply magnificent in the title roles and really inhabit their parts perfectly. I can't praise this programme highly enough. It requires concentration at times, but is hugely rewarding. Buy it now! You won't be disappointed.

Reviews

All irregularities will be handled by the forces controlling each dimension...Oooer!
Review date: 2007-12-17 Rating: 10 out of 10

As the previous reviewer attests, this boxset is indeed a gem and to be recommended.

I have fond memories of Sapphire and Steel from childhood (originally broadcast 1979-1982)and watching this brings it all back for me. In fact the entire series has already been released on DVD (comprising six stories in all) but I'm pleased to say this version is far superior, certainly in terms of picture quality. I don't know if it's been digitally remastered (there's nothing in the packaging mentioning this and the sound definitely sounds like mono) but the picture on this Network release is significantly better than the Carlton one. There's some nice extras too including a documentary (admittedly rather short) and a wealth of photos from each "assignment". I also like the way that they've kept the "End of Part One" / "Part Two" bits for some of the assignments (gives you time to go and make a cuppa) and the "ATV" logo/intro as well (I kept expecting it to break into the "Crossroads" theme tune though). Nostalgia ahoy!

What about the programme itself? For the uninitiated, the best way to describe Sapphire and Steel is as a kind of UK precursor to the "X Files". Sapphire and Steel are two detectives from another place and time (we never DO find out their precise origins!), assigned to investigate "breaks in time" and related to this, various supernatural and unexplained events. As Sapphire describes it, "Time" is like a corridor, populated by creatures and "beings" who are constantly looking for ways to break into the present day and cause trouble. Elements from the past - e.g. old photographs, a ghost from World War 1 haunting a railway station, even something as simple as a child's nursery rhyme - act as triggers which allow the creatures to break through. And that's where S & S come in! Slightly unwieldy though it sounds, this is nevertheless an interesting concept and one which allows for endless dramatic possibilities.

The first and second stories, set in a farmhouse and a deserted railway station respectively, are particularly effective.

Story one uses the neat device of telling the story from the point of view of two young children, whose parents have vanished into thin air - thus drawing in the programme's desired audience - scary for kids though the show undoubtedly is! Never again will I be able to hear "Ring a Ring a Roses" without imagining something nasty coming out of my bedroom wall...

Story Two is a fan favourite and with its strong references to WW1, powerful stuff and probably the best of the run. Highlights include Sapphire transformed into a war-time girl and Steel trapped in a barbed wire fence, whistling soldiers and some horrible swirling darkness. And what happens to Sapphire near the end is totally freaky. The station set is utilised effectively too and looks brilliant (and this was 1979!)

Story three is a bit of a clunker though and a confused mess - all about scientists from the future carrying out some kind of "experiment", crossed with a bizarre plotline about animals and vivisection amongst other things. It doesn't really work and the bits with flying pillows and Steel being menaced by a stuffed swan now just look daft. Not to mention the very silly-looking monster at the end (and you thought Dr Who was bad sometimes...)

Regardless of this aberration, the remainder of the "run" is pretty good - including a 1930s Agatha Christie style story - and very watchable indeed.

By today's standards, some may say that Sapphire and Steel is slow moving, and without enough action, but I hasten to disagree. True, it can be quite "talky" but there is definitely enough to hold one's attention. The show is also low budget (it was shot almost entirely in the studio) but this works in a positive way - the quality of the show derives from the writing and the direction, not to mention the imaginative use of sets and lighting (the railway station set as I said is a highlight). There's a definite sense of unease and tension (leading one to wonder why S & S was billed as a kid's show - some parts really are unnerving to watch), also aided by some creepy incidental music (check out the jarring "piano" bits in Story Two!)

And last but definitely not least, the reason for the show's success can surely be attributed to the excellent performances of its lead actors. David McCallum as Steel lives up to his character's name - cold, terse and emotionless, preferring to focus on the logistics of a situation and sometimes quite ruthless as a result. Like all good heroes he also has superpowers (forgot to mention this, didn't I?) and can freeze objects to absolute zero, as well as possessing immense physical strength (handy, eh?)

Joanna Lumley as Sapphire is nothing less than wonderful. This is Ms Lumley post-Purdey (New Avengers) and pre-Pats (Absolutely Fabulous) and it's great to watch her in this role. Her cut-glass diction and posh demeanour don't detract from the excellence of the character - ultimately more caring than Steel, she is sometimes a bit of a "mother" character (looking after the children in Story One). As for her superpowers - she can, amongst other things, turn time back - cool! Cue lots of shots of her eyes glowing blue and a freaky "boom boom" heartbeat sound. Wish I could do that. And the males will be pleased to hear she wears some nice outfits during her tenure (okay, a little bit dated now e.g. the "hippy" dress in Story One and the hilarious "robot" wig in Story Three are fashion casualties - I really like her 1930s flapper look in Story Five though).

One more thing - the ending of the final story is not what you'd expect and I am still living with the aftershock today. Sapphire and Steel was an excellent and unusual piece of drama and one which I'd urge you to check out.

The work of a brilliant and bonkers brain!
Review date: 2007-09-07 Rating: 10 out of 10

It's tricky to know what to say about this. It left a huge invisible cartoon-like question mark above my head when I watched it as a young lad, and now as a grown up fellow, it's still there. That's not a bad thing of course, it's good to have to work on things. Who were Sapphire and Steel? I've absolutely no idea at all! Kind of supernatural trouble shooters. The enemy? Time. The concept of time being a molevolant being. Sounds weird? It is. BUT...it is also completely brilliant! It has such an unnerving vibe to it and at times is still very scary. The story that is about a deserted railway station is not one to watch with the lights off. It seems strange to think this was on at 7.30 on a weekday evening on ITV. It just would not get made these days, which is a shame as it is excellent and odd. Joanna Lumley and David McCullum are ideal as the lead roles and work off each other beautifully. Creepy and very entertaining. Strangely for Network, I don't like the cover of the dvd though; it looks a bit naff. Don't let this winge of mine put you off though. This is a gem!

Product Details/Specifications

Actor(s):
Joanna Lumley
David McCallum

Recording label: Network
Manufacturer: Network
EAN: 5027626274740
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 6
Format: Box set, PAL, Special Edition,
Release date: 2007-10-29
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 850 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1979
Language: English (Original Language)

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Sapphire And Steel : Special Edition Complete Series 1-6 Box Set [1979]

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