A high-quality, fondly-remembered show full of claustrophobic atmosphere and implied threats. Modern audiences might find the much slower pace, studio-bound settings and rudimentary special effects off-putting at first but once you get drawn into the weird world of S & S there's no going back. Highly recommended!
@@FloatingFatMan I don't know how easy it is to get these days either. That been written there is another reactor called "Medusa Cascade" who has done "Children of the Stones". So it can be done. She's also done "Sapphire & Steel" along with "Survivors", "The Changes", "Timeslip" and "The Nightmare Man".
At the risk of being slightly spoilery I must point out that clocks do NOT feature to this extent through the rest of the series! It's a fascinating show, one that succeeded despite its low budget, because of the wealth of ideas. I hope you do continue watching, it'll be fascinating to get your views.
One of the greatest, most original TV shows ever. Not sure if it is possible to spoil this show due to its utterly surreal nature. Don't worry. Clocks ticking were just a set up for this episode. As an intelligent person, I think you will love this show. Each story is called an assignment and assignment two is mind blowingly amazing, although this one is great too.
I love this show! I first saw it around 1980, and I can confirm that clocks are not a recurring feature. Sapphire is played by Joanna Lumley probably best known for her role in "Absolutely Fabulous". She is the daughter of an officer in the Gurkha Rifles and in the 21st century led a bitter fight to allow retired British Army Gurkha soldiers the "right to remain" in Britain. Sapphire and Steel was all about atmosphere and inspiring dread with almost no budget. A flashlight shining on a carpet became genuinely scary.
She was also known for playing Purdy in (The New Avengers), a Spy-Fi Tv show sequel to (The Avengers). Both British Tv shows former from Mid `70`s, Latter from 1961- 1969. Patrick Macnee starred in both Series as John Steed a gentleman spy.
Short answer: Yes please, I do think you would enjoy it. I first saw this when I was young and only rewatched it a couple of years ago on Britbox. Despite it's obvious low (see Doctor Who) budget, I felt that it really stood up. I don't think clocks or ticking are a major theme to the show, I think it was used here to emphasise time.
That’s a HUGE YES PLEASE from me!! S&S it’s absolutely superb. This was actually commissioned for ITV to try to compete with Doctor Who over on the BBC. Joanna Lumley (Sapphire) and David McCallum (Steele) have wonderful chemistry. I guarantee it will be worth you putting up with the occasional clock!😀👍😉
Also, I think you will get a great deal of enjoyment out of Sapphire’s wardrobe changes over the series. Joanna Lumley is of course a former model, and a one time Bond Girl, and knows how to carry off a good frock😀. And though it wasn’t included in the reaction edit, I loved Steele’s understated disapproval when he caught her out having a bit of fun switching costumes. It says a lot about their two personalities.
Another vote to watch. It’s a very entertaining series with two great leads. It has some real creepy moments. You can beat the clocks. They are not a feature in the other stories.
Yes, you should. David & Joanna are superb in this show about mysterious time 'detectives'. McCallum is best known for The Man from Uncle/NCIS and Lumley was 'Purdey' in the revamped sequel The New Avengers in the 1970's. Her haircut - the Purdey bob cut - sparked a national UK fashion trend. In fact, you should watch the original Avengers too, nothing to do with superheroes!. Lumley of course, went on to be chain pot-smoking boozing Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous, outrageously funny!. She's a national treasure here in the UK. Sapphire & Steel is low budget but atmospheric & creepy drama and is fondly remembered.
Yes! One of my Top Five favourite TV shows of all time (the others being Doctor Who, Babylon 5, Dark Shadows and Twin Peaks, in case anyone cares). I definitely think this show is at least Who-adjacent; the spookier eras of Who, anyway. That bit where the bedroom wall zooms away and the cloaked figure comes shambling towards us from the depths of the past really freaked younger me out. That's when I knew I had to watch all of this show.
Yes Alexa!! Sapphire and Steel! Joanna Lumley who plays Sapphire was in 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' and played Purdy in the New Avengers. She's best known for playing Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous. Do please stick with this Alexa, it's worth it. Trust your fellow Alphan!
You are in for a ride and a half in this series - especially some of the later series. No Spoilers but after you finish check out some of the weirdness of the production. Joanna Lumley was iconic as Purdey in, 'The New Avengers' of course! Alexa Chipman has been assigned!
I'd love for you to react to this show Alexa. It's intelligent, mysterious and sometimes the concepts are pretty horrifying. You'll love it I'm sure and if you decide to react to it I'm in!!😊
Start the journey to the end you won't regret it. Having watched these on broadcast this series has a lasting impression in a time before video recordings, repeats and spoilers a week between episodes your imagination and memories would play a large part to enhance the Assignments/Adventures/Stories. In a unique case one assignment was interrupted by an industrial dispute mid way through and was off air for 11 weeks! On its return instead of resuming they repeated it from the beginning making that assignment even more memorable
One of the all-time greats, would love to see you continue with it! Joanna Lumley (Sapphire) had previously screen-tested to play one of the Moonbase girls in UFO, but sadly didn't get cast.
Hi Alexa I use to watch it late seventies on ITV it was made by one of the itv companies ATV in the midlands (Birmingham)ironically the same one who made captain scarlet etc,please keep watching ,if you was an element I would say jade so jade you’ve been assigned fathom out this show ❤ Take care and all the best Mark 😊😊
Ooh, Sapphire and Steel! Be prepared for some quite unsettling psychological horror. It's not the fastest paced series, and the studio-bound production, puts some people off, but it's a rewarding watch. If you enjoy this, may I recommend, 'The Changes'. Admittedly, it's a BBC young adult series, but it has themes that will resonate with you..
This is such a great series, Alexa, please do react to it, I promise that you won't be sorry. As for the clocks they only feature heavily in this episode so, don't worry.
I love this series Alexa and I was 11 when it was shown, and also I have got the dvd boxset and the children in this are awesome and having many clocks is awesome.
I would recommend this series. There are some great (spooky) stories coming up. Joanna Lumley was Purdey in "The New Avengers". More famously, she was Patsy in "Absolutely Fabulous".
This is a smart show and I would recommend the series. Each story is self-contained and really keeps you wondering. The "rules" governing each situation need to be worked out, and the feeling of menace, eeriness, grips the viewer. Episode was intended for children; the later episodes are never vicious or violent, but certainly can be grim. A very underrated and criminally overlooked series -- starring Joanna Lumley and David McCallum!
@jaykaufman9782 oh, I thought the whole show was aimed at children and they didn't mollycoddle us lol! I do remember one particular moment which should have scarred me for life!
With most shows of this era, the intro was there to tell you something about the main characters and give you a hint as to what sort of conflicts they'll have. The only message the S&S intro has is "Let me confuse you. Prepare to be confused." There's just enough internal logic to it to suggest that: no matter how strange things get, we are telling a comprehensible story. We promise.
This is a very cool series. You will love it. Lots of timey wimey stuff and some other cool stuff. Joanna Lumley was an incarnation of the Doctor in a comic version called "The Curse of Fatal Death". You likely saw her there. She also does a lot of documentaries. Recently, she did Joanna Lumley's Silk Road Adventure. I think she is one classy lady. David McCallum is cool as well. They are perfect in this series.
Highly recommended, but it does vary between assignments - assignment 2 always stuck in my mind right through from childhood until the DVD box set was eventually released. Only a few were ever made but they show what can be done on a limited budget. I understand that most of the budget went on paying the stars, but they do an excellent job.
Definitely watch this show. This story is the only one that has any clocks. Even then, clocks are only of any significance in the first and last episodes of this story (generally referred to as assignments). (that's not a spoiler, just a warning for the clock-phobic!) The next story will blow you away - again, no spoilers!
I hope you watch this. I loved this show, I wanted to be a medium atomic weight lol. Joanna Lumley is amazing and I fell in love all over again with David McCallum.
If you do decide to react to all the “assignments”, I honestly don’t think that you will regret it - and equally honestly, the sound of ticking clocks will be the least of your worries! Genuinely one of the cleverest, slow-burn works of twisted genius you will ever watch!
Unqualified yes. "Sapphire and Steel" is absolutely the finest fantasy/horror series I've ever seen. Just don't expect much in the way of answers. I met the series producer (Shaun O'Riordan) and writer (PJ Hammond) at a convention years ago. Nice couple of guys. PJ Hammond admitted that he himself didn't know what was going on in the stories half the time. I don't think it's giving anything away to say that the series itself argues that the Universe is stranger and more complex than we can imagine. I'd be surprised if humanity even understands 1% of how the Universe works at our current level of evolution. Funny you should say that "Sapphire and Steel" sounds like a spy series, since both the lead actors were well-known for appearing in such shows. David McCallum in "The Man From Uncle" and "The Invisible Man", and Joanna Lumley had recently played one of the leads in "The New Avengers", as well as having a small part in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and one or two Hammer films. Definitely watch the whole series. And don't worry about clocks. Clocks don't play a prominent part in all the stories. Some of them feature fridges and cameras instead.
I would really like to see you react to this, it's such a unique series. Joanna LUmley and David McCallum are a great combination. I haven't seen this for a long time but I don't remember non-stop clock action throughout. I hope that's a comfort not a spoiler. Don't ever go into the Clock Room at the British Museum BTW
@@alexachipman It's so long since I was there, I thought I'd better check in case I'd dreamed it up. It does exist and it's officially called the Sir Henry and Lady Djanogly Gallery of Clocks and Watches. It was really beautiful actually, surprisingly so, and I remember there were three or four babies in strollers gazing in wonder at the perpetual movement. But yes, probably one fo you to miss! Take care x
Yes I think you should watch this, I also know what you mean about clocks, there is a timer on the boiler in my kitchen that when it's quiet, especially at night, encapsulates the passage of time like nothing else with its ticking.
IIRC, when this first appeared on British television it was hated by the TV critics and confounded the 'normies.' It found an audience though and another series I enjoyed at that time was The Adventure Game.
Hi Alexa I hope you are enjoying this awesome series, and also IMO Steel is like Avon in Blake,s Seven and I enjoyed your viewing and reactions to Blake,s Seven and also the children in this are awesome and Sapphire wears awesome outfits.
So far in the reactions I have recorded, Steel is much warmer than Avon (ironic considering his ability to freeze) he just does not like to depend on others.
I think even PJ Hammond knew what he was righting about during this psychedelic, paranormal drama. This was the ITV answer to classic Who. You're right about olde things attracting the spirits. I had an experience staying in the Bull Inn in Long Melford, Suffolk, a couple of years back. The same haunted inn that Vincent Price stayed in during Witch Finder General. I was sitting in the back fields at 11pm admiring the cathedral when I was harassed by an invisible entity.👻 Wait. If you hate clocks so much why do you have so many?
You might also like 'Time Slip' (1970 -71). David MacCullum - Man From Uncle, The Invisible Man, Colditz, The Great Escape. Joanna Lumley - The New Avengers, Absolutely Fabulous,
I would like to suggest a few different shows for pilot watching. Let me know if you already saw them. 1. Legend (1995) 2. Time Trax (1993) 3. Cleopatra 2525 (2000) 4. Jack of All Trades (2000) 5. Brisco County Junior (1993)
I'm a big fan of this show... But I tried showing it to some younger friends of mine and they just found it too old fashioned and slow moving... That's the only warning I would issue. It is creepy and sometimes dark, but I think you'll be able to handle that. The two stars are both huge in the UK... you might even say national treasures. Lumley is still going and massively popular today.
@gabriellegabbynoblecomics3913 yes, our beloved Steel has gone. The show depends on excellent acting, scripting and weirdness. The actors are allowed to pause and react. It gives them gravitas but if you're not used to it, yes, it's a slow burn.
I’ve only seen the first season, but I enjoyed it a lot. I don’t remember how much ticking clocks featured, but hopefully the other comments will put your mind at rest about it!
How I loved this show as a (probably too) young a child to view it when it first came out, and to this day. Used to stare into the mirror and will my blue eyes to do the same trick as Sapphire's .
it gets much more horrific in 1980s this was childrens program at 4 pm there 1 assinment that still gives me nightmares i wont tell you you will find it jaws was less scary
Don't worry the clocks only really feature in the first adventure, which IIRC is about 6 episodes, although time itself obviously features in other adventures. Don't like clocks either..or watches as they remind you of your life counting down to zero.
OMG! I have no memory of this series, but the title is like an itch I can’t reach. David McCallum AND Joanna Lumley! Two of my favorite action stars from my teenage years. I am now obsessed with finding out whether I did come across this. When The Avengers was ‘rebooted’ (1976?), Patrick Macnee returned without Diana Rigg. This was the first time I saw Joanna Lumley as Purdy. I had a massive crush on her.
I've watched the first two seasons. I keep meaning to get back to it at some point. It's 70's new agey pseudo science at its' cheesiest, but the acting and atmosphere are great.
@@alexachipman That makes me ridiculously happy. I wish I could watch Sapphire and Steel from the first time again. I still remember watching the first episode back in 1979 when I was a kid...
I don't why Alexa. But I get the impression you don't like clocks 🤔😉😉👍😂 btw 3M ear plugs will help filter out much of the air conditioning noise - better than being all hot.
This isn't a show I ever got into. It seemed to take itself too seriously and didn't feature much action. It felt very stilted and low budget. Basically it wasn't Blake's 7, which was everything I wanted in a science fiction show at that time, and this was no substitute.
Taking things very seriously is the only way to go when all you've got to work with is a plain studio set and a couple of chairs! I don't see where having a bigger budget would have helped anyway - Blake's 7 on the other hand...! Joking aside I love them both. Despite each being sci-fi shows made for family audiences over exactly the same period they couldn't be more different.
@@chrisjackson5210 It's not always explicable why you pick up on some shows and not others. It can be something as simple as missing the first couple of episodes, which I think happened in this case, or it might have been scheduled against something else I preferred. So when I finally saw it, I didn't find the hook to keep me watching. I don't think I had my own tv at the time, so it was whatever the family watched, or nothing.
@@delorangeade I know what you mean. It's only with hindsight that I can really appreciate some of the aspects less obvious to children like writing, direction, sound design etc. Around the same time I was also watching Dr. Who, which if it had Daleks or Cybermen in it as far as I was concerned was fab, otherwise merely passing the time until they were in it again. Now I recognise many of those 'returning baddie' stories as some of the laziest written tat in that series. I always associate this bunch of TV shows with the nights drawing in, me and my brother eagerly racing downstairs to our single TV to catch the adverts for the new series of Who, B7 or S&S. These shows all lent themselves to the spooky excitement and build-up of Bonfire Night, Halloween and Christmas. It's slightly sad to think of youtube reactors sitting in some airless, overlit booth, missing out on that thrill.
@@chrisjackson5210 I very rarely re-watch tv shows, so it's almost always my first impressions that count. When it comes to Doctor Who I was never much of a fan of the Daleks or Cybermen, apart from Genesis of the Daleks so it was other kinds of stories I was into. The memorable ones for me were. The Daemons, Carnival of Monsters, The Green Death, The Pirate Planet, Robots of Death and the Peladon episodes. Yes, shows were very much tied to specific seasons of the year and tv watching was a family ritual, especially on Sunday evenings when we would all settle down to watch Poldark or The Onedin Line.
I wish someone would reboot this series for a modern audience. The stories were often excellent, but slow and heavily padded byy today's standards. Oh, and the budget, too. The bane of many a show back in the day... :-/
A high-quality, fondly-remembered show full of claustrophobic atmosphere and implied threats. Modern audiences might find the much slower pace, studio-bound settings and rudimentary special effects off-putting at first but once you get drawn into the weird world of S & S there's no going back. Highly recommended!
Yes, that sums up the features that may be a barrier for some. Alexa, I would recommend it, if you can get past the clocks...
Absolutely carry on with 'Sapphire & Steel' - one of our favourite series of all time!
This is one of the best British sf shows ever made. Please, please, please watch it, it's so good, I'm sure you will love it!
Everyone likes Sapphire & Steel.
Please continue to watch it.
You won't be disappointed.
Yes go for it Alexa.
Children of the stones would be great too!
Another amazing show, but not sure how easy it is to get hold of these days...
@@FloatingFatMan I don't know how easy it is to get these days either. That been written there is another reactor called "Medusa Cascade" who has done "Children of the Stones". So it can be done. She's also done "Sapphire & Steel" along with "Survivors", "The Changes", "Timeslip" and "The Nightmare Man".
At the risk of being slightly spoilery I must point out that clocks do NOT feature to this extent through the rest of the series!
It's a fascinating show, one that succeeded despite its low budget, because of the wealth of ideas. I hope you do continue watching, it'll be fascinating to get your views.
Yes, this episode is the only one a clock-phobic needs to worry about!👍
Hell yeah! It shows what can be achieved with good writing, good acting and direction rather than special effects.
One of the greatest, most original TV shows ever. Not sure if it is possible to spoil this show due to its utterly surreal nature. Don't worry. Clocks ticking were just a set up for this episode. As an intelligent person, I think you will love this show. Each story is called an assignment and assignment two is mind blowingly amazing, although this one is great too.
I love this show! I first saw it around 1980, and I can confirm that clocks are not a recurring feature. Sapphire is played by Joanna Lumley probably best known for her role in "Absolutely Fabulous". She is the daughter of an officer in the Gurkha Rifles and in the 21st century led a bitter fight to allow retired British Army Gurkha soldiers the "right to remain" in Britain. Sapphire and Steel was all about atmosphere and inspiring dread with almost no budget. A flashlight shining on a carpet became genuinely scary.
I remember Joanna Lumley as Purdey in The New Avengers TV show.
She was also known for playing Purdy in (The New Avengers), a Spy-Fi Tv show sequel to (The Avengers). Both British Tv shows former from Mid `70`s, Latter from 1961- 1969. Patrick Macnee starred in both Series as John Steed a gentleman spy.
You should definitely watch this. It's like nothing else I've ever seen.
One of my favorite series of all time! So happy you reviewed it!
Short answer: Yes please, I do think you would enjoy it.
I first saw this when I was young and only rewatched it a couple of years ago on Britbox.
Despite it's obvious low (see Doctor Who) budget, I felt that it really stood up.
I don't think clocks or ticking are a major theme to the show, I think it was used here to emphasise time.
That’s a HUGE YES PLEASE from me!! S&S it’s absolutely superb.
This was actually commissioned for ITV to try to compete with Doctor Who over on the BBC. Joanna Lumley (Sapphire) and David McCallum (Steele) have wonderful chemistry.
I guarantee it will be worth you putting up with the occasional clock!😀👍😉
Also, I think you will get a great deal of enjoyment out of Sapphire’s wardrobe changes over the series. Joanna Lumley is of course a former model, and a one time Bond Girl, and knows how to carry off a good frock😀. And though it wasn’t included in the reaction edit, I loved Steele’s understated disapproval when he caught her out having a bit of fun switching costumes. It says a lot about their two personalities.
Yes yes yes
Definitely!!!! Awsome show.
WOW I had forgotten this FABULOUS SHOW and now I remember how I loved this as a child.... Thank you for sharing
Another vote to watch. It’s a very entertaining series with two great leads.
It has some real creepy moments. You can beat the clocks. They are not a feature in the other stories.
This was a great show. Proper spooky and odd with strong atmosphere and two great leads.
Yes, you should. David & Joanna are superb in this show about mysterious time 'detectives'. McCallum is best known for The Man from Uncle/NCIS and Lumley was 'Purdey' in the revamped sequel The New Avengers in the 1970's. Her haircut - the Purdey bob cut - sparked a national UK fashion trend. In fact, you should watch the original Avengers too, nothing to do with superheroes!. Lumley of course, went on to be chain pot-smoking boozing Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous, outrageously funny!. She's a national treasure here in the UK. Sapphire & Steel is low budget but atmospheric & creepy drama and is fondly remembered.
Yes! One of my Top Five favourite TV shows of all time (the others being Doctor Who, Babylon 5, Dark Shadows and Twin Peaks, in case anyone cares). I definitely think this show is at least Who-adjacent; the spookier eras of Who, anyway. That bit where the bedroom wall zooms away and the cloaked figure comes shambling towards us from the depths of the past really freaked younger me out. That's when I knew I had to watch all of this show.
Dark Shadows! (One of my favorite series ever.)
Yes Alexa!! Sapphire and Steel! Joanna Lumley who plays Sapphire was in 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' and played Purdy in the New Avengers. She's best known for playing Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous. Do please stick with this Alexa, it's worth it. Trust your fellow Alphan!
Oh, you will have absolutely no regrets watching this fantastic series.Philip Hammond the creator,also wrote stories for Doctor who and Torchwood.
You are in for a ride and a half in this series - especially some of the later series. No Spoilers but after you finish check out some of the weirdness of the production.
Joanna Lumley was iconic as Purdey in, 'The New Avengers' of course!
Alexa Chipman has been assigned!
I'd love for you to react to this show Alexa. It's intelligent, mysterious and sometimes the concepts are pretty horrifying. You'll love it I'm sure and if you decide to react to it I'm in!!😊
"Sapphire and Steel"! WoW! Great series. More please!
Superb Brit fantasy show, real slow burn
Yes, you should definitely watch this
Start the journey to the end you won't regret it. Having watched these on broadcast this series has a lasting impression in a time before video recordings, repeats and spoilers a week between episodes your imagination and memories would play a large part to enhance the Assignments/Adventures/Stories.
In a unique case one assignment was interrupted by an industrial dispute mid way through and was off air for 11 weeks! On its return instead of resuming they repeated it from the beginning making that assignment even more memorable
Simple answer yes.
I think it would be a great show to react to.
One of the all-time greats, would love to see you continue with it! Joanna Lumley (Sapphire) had previously screen-tested to play one of the Moonbase girls in UFO, but sadly didn't get cast.
Thankyou for your commentaries and interviews on Jamie Anderson's YT channel.
Er… YES!! Der. It’s incredibly good.
Hi Alexa I use to watch it late seventies on ITV it was made by one of the itv companies ATV in the midlands (Birmingham)ironically the same one who made captain scarlet etc,please keep watching ,if you was an element I would say jade so jade you’ve been assigned fathom out this show ❤
Take care and all the best
Mark 😊😊
Ooh, Sapphire and Steel!
Be prepared for some quite unsettling psychological horror. It's not the fastest paced series, and the studio-bound production, puts some people off, but it's a rewarding watch.
If you enjoy this, may I recommend, 'The Changes'. Admittedly, it's a BBC young adult series, but it has themes that will resonate with you..
This is such a great series, Alexa, please do react to it, I promise that you won't be sorry. As for the clocks they only feature heavily in this episode so, don't worry.
I love this series Alexa and I was 11 when it was shown, and also I have got the dvd boxset and the children in this are awesome and having many clocks is awesome.
I would recommend this series. There are some great (spooky) stories coming up.
Joanna Lumley was Purdey in "The New Avengers". More famously, she was Patsy in "Absolutely Fabulous".
I have never seen Absolutely Fabulous :) the name sounds vaguely familiar.
This is WELL worth sticking with. There really is nothing else like it :)
This is a smart show and I would recommend the series. Each story is self-contained and really keeps you wondering. The "rules" governing each situation need to be worked out, and the feeling of menace, eeriness, grips the viewer. Episode was intended for children; the later episodes are never vicious or violent, but certainly can be grim. A very underrated and criminally overlooked series -- starring Joanna Lumley and David McCallum!
Just re-read my post -- I meant to write "Episode One" was intended for children.
@jaykaufman9782 oh, I thought the whole show was aimed at children and they didn't mollycoddle us lol! I do remember one particular moment which should have scarred me for life!
With most shows of this era, the intro was there to tell you something about the main characters and give you a hint as to what sort of conflicts they'll have. The only message the S&S intro has is "Let me confuse you. Prepare to be confused." There's just enough internal logic to it to suggest that: no matter how strange things get, we are telling a comprehensible story. We promise.
Absolutely react to this show - its highly recommended.
I hope you watch this, as I haven't seen this since I was a child. No spoilers, but I remember the series finale as something entirely unexpected.
yes watch.
This is a very cool series. You will love it. Lots of timey wimey stuff and some other cool stuff. Joanna Lumley was an incarnation of the Doctor in a comic version called "The Curse of Fatal Death". You likely saw her there. She also does a lot of documentaries. Recently, she did Joanna Lumley's Silk Road Adventure. I think she is one classy lady. David McCallum is cool as well. They are perfect in this series.
this is my favourite kids scifi/horror show it even beats doctor who for me
Highly recommended, but it does vary between assignments - assignment 2 always stuck in my mind right through from childhood until the DVD box set was eventually released. Only a few were ever made but they show what can be done on a limited budget. I understand that most of the budget went on paying the stars, but they do an excellent job.
Definitely watch this show. This story is the only one that has any clocks. Even then, clocks are only of any significance in the first and last episodes of this story (generally referred to as assignments). (that's not a spoiler, just a warning for the clock-phobic!) The next story will blow you away - again, no spoilers!
I wish I had been 9 or 10 years older than 11 when, this series was shown I like the acting and the sets are awesome too.
Great tv series 😊
I hope you watch this. I loved this show, I wanted to be a medium atomic weight lol. Joanna Lumley is amazing and I fell in love all over again with David McCallum.
Prime for a remake, though almost impossible not to screw it up.
Watch more, less clocks after story 1!
YES, WATCH IT!!!
Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!!!!!!!
If you do decide to react to all the “assignments”, I honestly don’t think that you will regret it - and equally honestly, the sound of ticking clocks will be the least of your worries! Genuinely one of the cleverest, slow-burn works of twisted genius you will ever watch!
Unqualified yes. "Sapphire and Steel" is absolutely the finest fantasy/horror series I've ever seen. Just don't expect much in the way of answers. I met the series producer (Shaun O'Riordan) and writer (PJ Hammond) at a convention years ago. Nice couple of guys. PJ Hammond admitted that he himself didn't know what was going on in the stories half the time. I don't think it's giving anything away to say that the series itself argues that the Universe is stranger and more complex than we can imagine. I'd be surprised if humanity even understands 1% of how the Universe works at our current level of evolution.
Funny you should say that "Sapphire and Steel" sounds like a spy series, since both the lead actors were well-known for appearing in such shows. David McCallum in "The Man From Uncle" and "The Invisible Man", and Joanna Lumley had recently played one of the leads in "The New Avengers", as well as having a small part in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and one or two Hammer films.
Definitely watch the whole series. And don't worry about clocks. Clocks don't play a prominent part in all the stories. Some of them feature fridges and cameras instead.
YES!!!
I would really like to see you react to this, it's such a unique series. Joanna LUmley and David McCallum are a great combination.
I haven't seen this for a long time but I don't remember non-stop clock action throughout. I hope that's a comfort not a spoiler. Don't ever go into the Clock Room at the British Museum BTW
Just hearing the words “clock room” is terrifying!
@@alexachipman It's so long since I was there, I thought I'd better check in case I'd dreamed it up. It does exist and it's officially called the Sir Henry and Lady Djanogly Gallery of Clocks and Watches. It was really beautiful actually, surprisingly so, and I remember there were three or four babies in strollers gazing in wonder at the perpetual movement. But yes, probably one fo you to miss! Take care x
Yes I think you should watch this, I also know what you mean about clocks, there is a timer on the boiler in my kitchen that when it's quiet, especially at night, encapsulates the passage of time like nothing else with its ticking.
IIRC, when this first appeared on British television it was hated by the TV critics and confounded the 'normies.' It found an audience though and another series I enjoyed at that time was The Adventure Game.
Hi Alexa I hope you are enjoying this awesome series, and also IMO Steel is like Avon in Blake,s Seven and I enjoyed your viewing and reactions to Blake,s Seven and also the children in this are awesome and Sapphire wears awesome outfits.
So far in the reactions I have recorded, Steel is much warmer than Avon (ironic considering his ability to freeze) he just does not like to depend on others.
"Should I Watch This?"
Yes, please. 🙂
Yes please Alexa! I have good memories of this show from my childhood.
great series quite spooky i rember the first two seasons were very good.
definitely a thumbs up from me
This is definitely a watcher! I've been waiting and hoping you'd decide to give this one a try! Still one of my favourite shows from the 70's/80's.
I've been curious about S & S for a while now, and it's great to get to know the show alongside you 😃
I think even PJ Hammond knew what he was righting about during this psychedelic, paranormal drama. This was the ITV answer to classic Who. You're right about olde things attracting the spirits. I had an experience staying in the Bull Inn in Long Melford, Suffolk, a couple of years back. The same haunted inn that Vincent Price stayed in during Witch Finder General. I was sitting in the back fields at 11pm admiring the cathedral when I was harassed by an invisible entity.👻 Wait. If you hate clocks so much why do you have so many?
You might also like 'Time Slip' (1970 -71). David MacCullum - Man From Uncle, The Invisible Man, Colditz, The Great Escape. Joanna Lumley - The New Avengers, Absolutely Fabulous,
Yes, this was a good show. I originally watched it when the San Jose PBS station was broadcasting the show.
I would like to suggest a few different shows for pilot watching. Let me know if you already saw them.
1. Legend (1995)
2. Time Trax (1993)
3. Cleopatra 2525 (2000)
4. Jack of All Trades (2000)
5. Brisco County Junior (1993)
Jack of All Trades is such a lost gem of a show!
I'm a big fan of this show... But I tried showing it to some younger friends of mine and they just found it too old fashioned and slow moving... That's the only warning I would issue. It is creepy and sometimes dark, but I think you'll be able to handle that. The two stars are both huge in the UK... you might even say national treasures. Lumley is still going and massively popular today.
@gabriellegabbynoblecomics3913 yes, our beloved Steel has gone.
The show depends on excellent acting, scripting and weirdness. The actors are allowed to pause and react. It gives them gravitas but if you're not used to it, yes, it's a slow burn.
I’ve only seen the first season, but I enjoyed it a lot. I don’t remember how much ticking clocks featured, but hopefully the other comments will put your mind at rest about it!
Joanne Lumley was in The New Avengers and Absolutely Fabulous.
How I loved this show as a (probably too) young a child to view it when it first came out, and to this day. Used to stare into the mirror and will my blue eyes to do the same trick as Sapphire's .
Who knows, maybe someday they will!
it gets much more horrific in 1980s this was childrens program at 4 pm there 1 assinment that still gives me nightmares i wont tell you you will find it jaws was less scary
I used to work in a shop hiring out vintage costumes. We always felt some of the costumes brought friends with them.
I implore to to keep watching episodes of Sapphire and Steel. Spoiler - you will NOT be disappointed
I love this series, my fav episode is the 5th one, its a mystery sort of weirdness
Don't worry the clocks only really feature in the first adventure, which IIRC is about 6 episodes, although time itself obviously features in other adventures. Don't like clocks either..or watches as they remind you of your life counting down to zero.
OMG! I have no memory of this series, but the title is like an itch I can’t reach. David McCallum AND Joanna Lumley! Two of my favorite action stars from my teenage years. I am now obsessed with finding out whether I did come across this. When The Avengers was ‘rebooted’ (1976?), Patrick Macnee returned without Diana Rigg. This was the first time I saw Joanna Lumley as Purdy. I had a massive crush on her.
@@tehawfulestface1337 you would love this show, honestly. Joanna Lumley can make standing up straight into a ballet movement.
a story all about you never seeing the show in the subject - amazing "Awful Face"
You should watch this!
Oh I am already in Story 2 on patreon. It comes out every Monday here on the main channel- we are on Story 1.
Yes, plain as your nose on your face. PS, did Randall and Hopkirk (deceased) ever appear on your radar.
I've watched the first two seasons. I keep meaning to get back to it at some point. It's 70's new agey pseudo science at its' cheesiest, but the acting and atmosphere are great.
Please do all of Sapphire And Steel. The last story is in my opinion the greatest piece of TV drama ever.
It already started on Patreon. Public TH-cam will get it after Robin of Sherwood finishes, in the Monday slot.
@@alexachipman That makes me ridiculously happy. I wish I could watch Sapphire and Steel from the first time again. I still remember watching the first episode back in 1979 when I was a kid...
4:45 The start of your review reminded me of the movie Somewhere in Time (1980), which you reacted to a couple of years ago.
I miss the days when television programmes had more clocks. They're not for everyone, apparently.
Have you ever thought of trying classic 70s Dr Who, eg 4th or 3rd Drs?
I have already seen them all multiple times, but I occasionally do livestreams about it - check the livestream tab :)
I don't why Alexa. But I get the impression you don't like clocks 🤔😉😉👍😂 btw 3M ear plugs will help filter out much of the air conditioning noise - better than being all hot.
Alas I can easily hear through those. Gotta love being a bit on the spectrum 😭
@@alexachipman sorry to hear that Alexa .
This isn't a show I ever got into. It seemed to take itself too seriously and didn't feature much action. It felt very stilted and low budget. Basically it wasn't Blake's 7, which was everything I wanted in a science fiction show at that time, and this was no substitute.
Taking things very seriously is the only way to go when all you've got to work with is a plain studio set and a couple of chairs! I don't see where having a bigger budget would have helped anyway - Blake's 7 on the other hand...! Joking aside I love them both. Despite each being sci-fi shows made for family audiences over exactly the same period they couldn't be more different.
@@chrisjackson5210 It's not always explicable why you pick up on some shows and not others. It can be something as simple as missing the first couple of episodes, which I think happened in this case, or it might have been scheduled against something else I preferred. So when I finally saw it, I didn't find the hook to keep me watching. I don't think I had my own tv at the time, so it was whatever the family watched, or nothing.
@@delorangeade I know what you mean. It's only with hindsight that I can really appreciate some of the aspects less obvious to children like writing, direction, sound design etc. Around the same time I was also watching Dr. Who, which if it had Daleks or Cybermen in it as far as I was concerned was fab, otherwise merely passing the time until they were in it again. Now I recognise many of those 'returning baddie' stories as some of the laziest written tat in that series.
I always associate this bunch of TV shows with the nights drawing in, me and my brother eagerly racing downstairs to our single TV to catch the adverts for the new series of Who, B7 or S&S. These shows all lent themselves to the spooky excitement and build-up of Bonfire Night, Halloween and Christmas. It's slightly sad to think of youtube reactors sitting in some airless, overlit booth, missing out on that thrill.
@@chrisjackson5210 I very rarely re-watch tv shows, so it's almost always my first impressions that count. When it comes to Doctor Who I was never much of a fan of the Daleks or Cybermen, apart from Genesis of the Daleks so it was other kinds of stories I was into. The memorable ones for me were. The Daemons, Carnival of Monsters, The Green Death, The Pirate Planet, Robots of Death and the Peladon episodes. Yes, shows were very much tied to specific seasons of the year and tv watching was a family ritual, especially on Sunday evenings when we would all settle down to watch Poldark or The Onedin Line.
Have you ever tried watching the 2 shows made for children Timeslip or Children of the Stones?
joanna lumely patsy absolutly fadulous
Never seen that, it must have been something else I recognized her from!
@@alexachipman you should proble do absolutely fabulous patsy somthing to behold llolololololo
I wish someone would reboot this series for a modern audience. The stories were often excellent, but slow and heavily padded byy today's standards. Oh, and the budget, too. The bane of many a show back in the day... :-/
Hatred of clocks and fans: you must be chatoic......
Mildly autistic actually.