Sapphire & Steel

Sapphire & Steel Main Cast

	David McCallum as Steel
	Joanna Lumley as Sapphire
	David Collings as Silver

Sapphire & Steel Merchandise

Sapphire & Steel Trailers and Clips

Sapphire & Steel - Synopsis

Sapphire & Steel is a complex and captivating science-fiction TV series that aired from 1979 to 1982. The series revolves around a special force of interdimensional operatives, Sapphire and Steel, whose primary task is to protect the universe from evil forces seeking to disrupt the timeline. These operatives, who materialize on Earth in human form, are endowed with unique abilities that help them resolve various anomalies affecting time.

Sapphire, portrayed by Joanna Lumley, has the power to manipulate time in small ways. She can ascertain the age or historical details of an object through touch (psychometry), and her most prominent ability is to "take back time," allowing her to rewind time in a localized area to view the past. She also possesses the ability to gather information about people, including their ages, backgrounds, and psychological insights, sometimes seemingly through telepathic means from an external source. Her powers extend to manipulating emotions and projecting illusions.

Steel, played by David McCallum, exhibits different abilities. He can lower his temperature to absolute zero, which helps him destroy remnants of Time, often manifesting as 'ghosts.' He has immense strength, a degree of invulnerability, and telekinetic powers, which include paralyzing people with a look and manipulating metal.

The operatives, including Sapphire and Steel, have the ability to teleport over great distances and communicate telepathically. In some instances, such as in Adventure 5, they can temporarily grant these abilities to humans.

The series also introduces other operatives with unique powers. For example, Silver, a Technician and Specialist, is skilled with electronics and gadgets and can transform or replicate small objects. Lead, another operative, possesses superhuman strength and acts as necessary insulation for Steel when he freezes himself.

Sapphire & Steel is known for its atmospheric storytelling, driven in part by its minimal use of special effects and simple staging, which contributed to the show's eerie and uneasy feel. The series, created by P.J. Hammond, ran for four years and includes 34 episodes. Each episode generally contains a summary of the preceding one, aiding the continuity of its complex narrative.

The series ends on a cliffhanger, with Sapphire and Steel trapped in a motorway café floating through space, apparently for eternity, set by entities known as Transient Beings as a trap. The show, despite its abrupt end, left a lasting impact on its audience and is remembered for its innovative approach to science fiction.

Sapphire & Steel Show Details

• Created by: Peter Hammond
• Total number of seasons: 4
• Total number of episodes: 34
• Date first episode aired: 10 July 1979
• Date final episode aired: 31 August 1982
• Show status: Cancelled

Sapphire & Steel Season 1 Episodes

1. Assignment 1, Part 1: Sapphire and Steel arrive at the house and begin to explore the time disturbances.
2. Assignment 1, Part 2: They discover the nursery rhyme is the key to the time break.
3. Assignment 1, Part 3: Sapphire and Steel delve deeper into the mystery, confronting eerie manifestations.
4. Assignment 1, Part 4: The time break intensifies, endangering their mission.
5. Assignment 1, Part 5: A critical discovery leads to a plan to seal the break.
6. Assignment 1, Part 6: Sapphire and Steel execute their plan, racing against time to restore order.
7. Assignment 2, Part 1: Sapphire and Steel arrive at the abandoned railway station.
8. Assignment 2, Part 2: They encounter the ghosts of soldiers from 1915 and try to understand their connection to the time disturbance.
9. Assignment 2, Part 3: The mystery deepens with more supernatural occurrences.
10. Assignment 2, Part 4: Sapphire and Steel discover a link between the present and the past.
11. Assignment 2, Part 5: They devise a strategy to deal with the haunting.
12. Assignment 2, Part 6: The plan is put into action in a dramatic confrontation with the forces of time.
13. Assignment 2, Part 7: Tensions rise as the situation becomes more perilous.
14. Assignment 2, Part 8: The thrilling conclusion, where Sapphire and Steel face the ultimate challenge to resolve the haunting at the railway station.

Sapphire & Steel Season 2 Episodes

1. Assignment 3 (Part 1): Sapphire and Steel find themselves in a derelict railway station where time has been disrupted, leading to a chilling encounter with ghostly figures.
2. Assignment 3 (Part 2): The mysteries surrounding the haunted station deepen as Sapphire and Steel attempt to unravel the time disturbances and face new dangers.
3. Assignment 3 (Part 3): Time continues to unravel, and the sinister presence haunting the station becomes more powerful, putting Sapphire and Steel's mission in jeopardy.
4. Assignment 3 (Part 4): The battle against time distortion reaches its climax as Sapphire and Steel confront the malevolent forces that threaten to break through.
5. Assignment 3 (Part 5): Sapphire and Steel must use all their abilities to confront the source of the time disturbances and restore order.
6. Assignment 3 (Part 6): In the final installment of Assignment 3, the true nature of the station's haunting is revealed, and the mission comes to a dramatic conclusion.
7. Assignment 4 (Part 1): Sapphire and Steel are called to a remote farmhouse where a mysterious family, known as the 'Manhunters,' possesses a terrifying ability to hunt people through time.
8. Assignment 4 (Part 2): The secrets of the Manhunters and their ability to manipulate time begin to unravel as Sapphire and Steel dig deeper into the farmhouse's mysteries.
9. Assignment 4 (Part 3): The deadly game of cat and mouse with the Manhunters intensifies, as Sapphire and Steel race against time to stop their malevolent pursuit.
10. Assignment 4 (Part 4): In the final confrontation with the Manhunters, Sapphire and Steel must use all their powers to put an end to the deadly threat they pose.

Sapphire & Steel Season 3 Episodes

1. Assignment 5, Part 1: Sapphire and Steel arrive at a 1930's party, where time anomalies start to occur among the guests.
2. Assignment 5, Part 2: They begin to investigate the bizarre events, suspecting a deep-rooted temporal disturbance.
3. Assignment 5, Part 3: The agents encounter unsettling phenomena linked to the party's attendees and their history.
4. Assignment 5, Part 4: Delving into the past of the wealthy businessman, Sapphire and Steel uncover hidden secrets.
5. Assignment 5, Part 5: The complexity of the time distortion becomes clearer as they close in on the source.
6. Assignment 5, Part 6: In a gripping finale, they confront the heart of the disturbance to restore normalcy.

Sapphire & Steel Season 4 Episodes

1. Assignment 6, Part 1: Set in a garage in 1982, Sapphire and Steel encounter a car from 1948 and a couple from the same era, sparking a complex mystery involving time disturbances.
2. Assignment 6, Part 2: The agents delve into the enigmatic situation, where different time periods converge, leading to more questions about their surroundings.
3. Assignment 6, Part 3: As the investigation continues, Sapphire and Steel face unusual characters and clues that deepen the mystery of the garage and its temporal anomalies.
4. Assignment 6, Part 4: The assignment reaches a climactic conclusion, leaving Sapphire and Steel in a haunting and unresolved predicament, marking a defining moment for the series.