The Fiction Makers

I'm watching my favorite Saint episode -- (The Saint, starring Roger Moore as Simon Templar) -- "The Fiction Makers". Indeed, I like it so much that I took the name of one of the books mentioned in it, Volcano Seven, for the name of my own site - a tribute to diabolical masterminds everywhere.

Having said that, I must admit that the story has one major flaw that has me screaming at the TV screen more often than not.

The plot of the story is that Amos Klein is the author of several "caper books" in which an organization called Sword pulls off a variety of robberies, only to be foiled by hero Charles Lake.

In real life, Amos Klein is a woman, so her publisher is anxious to keep her real identity secret.

Also in real life, an organization of criminals led by a man calling himself Warlock, has actually created Sword, and using "Klein's" methods, have actually pulled off several robberies successfully. But they want a big score, and for that they need the real Amos Klein to write them a story.

So they attempt to kidnap "him" on the same day that Simon Templar is visiting her home in the country. They think Simon is Amos Klein, and the girl is his secretary. So they take them both.

So far all well and good. Except, thoughout the rest of the two part episode, Simon continually asks the girl, "What should we do," and she continually says, "I don't know."

I just wanted to slap the screenwriters silly. This woman is a genius, she's obviously written books with plots that work - otherwise the real life Sword would not be successful - so she should be the one coming up with a few ideas, anyway. But noooo. It's Simon, every time. Every time I hear Simon saying, "Well, what should we do?" - actually paying this woman the tribute of thinking she can come up with some good ideas - she always says, "I don't know." I just growl with frustration.

However, as I said, I love the main idea of the story - that a group of people can admire a fictional organizatoin so much rhat they come to emulate it.

If I ever win the lottery, or in other ways earn a million dollars or so, I shall buy an island and covert it into the same set used in the Gerry Anderson TV series Thunderbirds...see if I don't!