Sapphire and Steel @ dismal light

Introduction to the 1992 edition of the Sapphire and Steel novel

by Peter J Hammond

I am a writer who has always been intrigued by stories of investigation and sci-fi fantasy. Although the two subjects are quite diverse, I have attempted to link them, whenever possible, in my work. When writing for numerous TV crime dramas, such as The Gentle Touch and The Bill, I've always concentrated on the more chilling and atmospheric stories. In children's fantasy programmes, like ITV's Ace of Wands, my heroes often used detection techniques to help rid the world of its supernatural enemies. It therefore seemed a natural progression to eventually fuse these two story elements together and create Sapphire and Steel. This successful TV series showed the adventures of two 'time detectives', assigned to locate and eliminate threats that aimed to destroy Earth's time fabric.

The Early influence of writers such as H.G. Wells, Ray Bradbury and even J. B. Priestley, fuelled my interest in the use, or misuse, of time as the basis for a possible TV series. But, rather than depend upon the familiar conception of people travelling backwards and forwards in time, I decided to reverse the process. The Sapphire and Steel stories deal solely with time breaking into the present, thereby creating danger and havoc. The task of the 'time detectives' is to locate the source of the break and tackle the malevolent forces that have found a way through. They must seal the time fabric to restore the Earth's equilibrium.

When the series appeared in the late 1970s, it took the TV viewing public by surprise. Some were baffled by it, but most mystery, sci-fi and fantasy fans were intrigued by its originality and imaginative stories. High viewing figures substantiated this and the Sapphire and Steel cult began, with fan letters from as far as Singapore and Czechoslovakia. And the fascination for this series has remained. One fan from Wales, who was a schoolgirl when she first watched the series, still continues to write to me. She is now married with a young family. So now, with the release of the adventures on video, a whole new generation can enjoy the exploits of Sapphire and Steel.

Sapphire and Steel were helped in their adventures, from time to time, with other back-up elements. Lead, a huge, powerful character who used his strength to insulate the others in moments of extreme danger, made an appearance in Adventure One. Silver, a gadget-happy technician, appeared in two further episodes. And there are other helpers, not yet seen: characters such as Gold, Diamond, Copper and Jet.

At the end of the last series, our hero and heroine made one or two 'earthly' mistakes, and were locked away indefinitely in a 1940s cafe in the sky. But when the Earth is threatened once more, Sapphire and Steel could be released from their prison to carry on with their assigned task - repairing the holes in time.

Last update: 01 Jan 2003
Page created: 01 Jan 2003