Intended as the pilot for an Australian-filmed, US-backed series based on Leslie Charteris' anti-hero. The series didn't sell, and the pilot was broadcast in the US as a summer filler.
As part of the CBS Summer Playhouse series, viewers were presented with a 1800 number to voice their opinion on whether the movie should be picked up as a full series. Like every other telefilm presented, The Saint was not picked up, regardless of feedback from audiences.