<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Chronology </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Followed by </Th> <Td> Return of the Saint </Td> </Tr> <P> The Saint is an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the United Kingdom on ITV between 1962 and 1969 . It was based on the literary character Simon Templar created by Leslie Charteris in the 1920s and featured in many novels over the years . He was played by Roger Moore . Templar helps those whom conventional agencies are powerless or unwilling to assist or protect, often using methods that skirt or are outside the law . Chief Inspector Claud Eustace Teal, his nominal nemesis, considers Templar a common criminal, but often grudgingly tolerates his actions for the greater good . </P> <P> As a result of the strong performance in the United States of the first two black - and - white series in first - run syndication, NBC picked up the show as a summer replacement in its evening schedule in 1966 . The programme, therefore, ended its run with both trans - Atlantic primetime scheduling and colour episodes . It also proved popular beyond the UK and US, eventually airing in over 60 countries, and made a profit in excess of £ 350m for ITC . With almost 120 episodes, the programme is exceeded only by The Avengers as the most productive show of its genre produced in the UK . As with The Avengers, the colour episodes were originally broadcast in the UK in black and white, antedating the advent of colour transmissions on ITV . </P>

Who played the saint in the tv series