History Series / SapphireAndSteel

From 2005 to 2008, Creator/BigFinish released a series of ''Sapphire & Steel'' [[AudioAdaptation audio dramas]]; unusually for Big Finish's audio ranges, the original cast did ''not'' return--bar David Collings as Silver--so Susannah Harker and Creator/DavidWarner were cast in the title roles in a case of TheNthDoctor, which was appropriate anyway. ([=McCallum=], a series regular on ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', was living in the [=US=]; Lumley simply declined. That said, both are on record as still fond of the series and proud of their work on it.) The series expanding the supporting cast of Elements, adding Gold and Ruby. The range is currently unavailable due to licensing issues.

* BittersweetEnding

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Dr. [=McDee=]]]

''Sapphire and Steel'' (1979-1982) is a British series sitting squarely at the intersection of ScienceFantasy and {{Horror}}. It was created by ATV, one of Creator/{{ITV}}'s regional franchises, and was probably the best of ITV's several attempts to produce or buy an [[DuelingShows answer]] to Creator/TheBBC's classic-era ''Series/DoctorWho''. The title characters, played by Creator/JoannaLumley and Creator/DavidMcCallum, are stoic inter-dimensional agents who protect... um, something. The opening monologue above is really all the explanation we ever get. Their role seems to involve preventing [[EldritchAbomination Lovecraftian horrors]] from slipping in through weak spots in time and snatching things. Exactly what this means -- or for that matter, what Sapphire and Steel ''themselves'' really are -- never quite becomes clear.

* HumansAreMorons: A view held in varying degrees by all the Elements because of how often it is humanity through whose meddling and inventiveness that creates ways for Time to start escaping and wreaking havoc. Steel sees humans as stupid, but will fight to his last breath to save them, though if what they do threatens the stability of the rest of the universe, he would not hesitate to sacrifice them as an acceptable loss; Sapphire more thinks humanity has more a [[HumansAreFlawed charming, if troublesome, flaw]] of being very imaginative and ambitious and thinks the universe would be a much poorer place without them; Gold thinks humans are straight up morons who should be wiped from the universe to save the Elements and the rest of the universe the trouble they cause; and Silver sees humans as morons for getting into and creating things of which they do not fully count the consequences, but he admires their ingenuity and inventiveness and does not particularly begrudge them the amount of work they cause him.

''Sapphire and Steel'' (1979-1982) is a British series sitting squarely at the intersection of ScienceFantasy and {{Horror}}. It was created by ATV, one of Creator/{{ITV}}'s regional franchises, and was probably the best of ITV's several attempts to produce or buy in an [[DuelingShows answer]] to Creator/TheBBC's classic-era ''Series/DoctorWho''. The title characters, played by Creator/JoannaLumley and Creator/DavidMcCallum, are stoic inter-dimensional agents who protect... um, something. The opening monologue above is really all the explanation we ever get. Their role seems to involve preventing [[EldritchAbomination Lovecraftian horrors]] from slipping in through weak spots in time and snatching things. Exactly what this means -- or for that matter, what Sapphire and Steel ''themselves'' really are -- never quite becomes clear.

* DistressBall: Sapphire needs to be rescued an awful lot. According to WordOfGod, this was deliberate and meant to be justified in the context of their roles: Sapphire was conceived as the member of the duo who investigated and sensed what was going on, and Steel as the one who did things about it. Because her powers were more about detecting danger than getting out of it, this meant that hers was actually the more dangerous role of the two.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Liz is implied to be a [[HookerWithAHeartOfGold sex worker]], but this is never directly stated onscreen. The closest we get are references to her working late nights in a club "When [she's] allowed to," for which she wears a lot of makeup and a variety of wigs.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

''Sapphire and Steel'' probably influenced ''Series/TheXFiles'' and ''Series/BabylonFive''. Its creator, Peter J. Hammond, would go on to write for ''Series/MidsomerMurders''. He would also stand responsible for two of the most bizarre episodes of ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'', "[[Recap/TorchwoodS1E5SmallWorlds Small Worlds]]" and "[[Recap/TorchwoodS2E10FromOutOfTheRain From Out of the Rain]]", which are [[SpiritualSuccessor more like]] ''Sapphire and Steel'' than they are most other ''Torchwood'' episodes. He also wrote the ''Series/DoctorWho'' story "[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoTLSS1E5Paradise5 Paradise 5]]", which would have been part of the original Season 23 (which was cancelled), and was eventually produced by Creator/BigFinish.

* SharpDressedMan: When they drop their human disguises, the three men appear in uniform gray business suits (the woman becomes a WomanInBlack in a black skirt and veil).

* PsychopathicManchild: The changeling, as he's a baby raised to adulthood and mind-controlled by [[spoiler:an insane piece of biotech]].

* UnresolvedSexualTension: Sapphire and Steel, of course; Sapphire and Silver, of whom Steel gets adorably jealous in Assignment 3. {{Fanon}} also assumes {{UST}} between Steel & Jet based on Jet "sending her love" in Assignment 1.

* DistressBall: Sapphire needs to be rescued an awful lot. According to WordOfGod, this was deliberate and meant to be justified in the context of their roles: Sapphire was conceived as the member of the duo who investigated and sensed what was going on, and Steel as the one who did things about it. Because her powers were more about detecting danger than getting out of it, this meant that hers was actually the more dangerous role of the two.[[invoked]]

* VideoInsideFilmOutside: In Assignment 3, the establishing shots of the apartment building and the scenes on the roof are filmed. Every other story was studio-bound and video-only, even for scenes set outdoors. [[invoked]]

* DistressBall: Sapphire needs to be rescued an awful lot. According to WordOfGod, this was deliberate and meant to be justified in the context of their roles: Sapphire was conceived as the member of the duo who investigated and sensed what was going on, and Steel as the one who did things about it. Because her powers were more about detecting danger than getting out of it, this meant that hers was actually the more dangerous role of the two.

* UnresolvedSexualTension: Sapphire & Steel, of course; Sapphire & Silver, of whom Steel gets adorably jealous in Assignment 3. {{Fanon}} also assumes {{UST}} between Steel & Jet based on Jet "sending her love" in Assignment 1.

* VideoInsideFilmOutside: In Assignment 3, the establishing shots of the apartment building and the scenes on the roof are filmed. Every other story was studio-bound and video-only, even for scenes set outdoors.

* MistakenForCheating: In an oddly intentional way. The 1940s couple are, according to Sapphire's reading, married "but not to each other". Later it turns out they're both Transient Beings in disguise (so they must have been able to project a false reading) and apparently an UnholyMatrimony, appearing together at the end to gloat about trapping Sapphire and Steel.

* YourCheatingHeart: The 1940s couple are, according to Sapphire's reading, married "but not to each other". Subverted when it turns out they're both Transient Beings in disguise (so they must have been able to project a false reading) and apparently an UnholyMatrimony, appearing together at the end to gloat about trapping Sapphire and Steel.

* InsufferableGenius: Gold

* IronicNurseryTune: In any number of the audios.
* TheMole: [[spoiler: Gold]]

* SmugSnake: Gold

* MoodDissonance: After they have won by [[spoiler:abandoning Mr. Tully to a horrible death at best and eternal torment at worst]], Sapphire and Steel literally skip off into nothingness doing jazz hands, in what almost looks like a parody of the Creator/MorecambeAndWise ending sequence.

* BigNo: The ghost of the soldier.

* {{Retirony}}: The fighter pilot, who died in a crash on his last flight before he was due to be demobilized.
** The soldier was shot and killed eleven minutes ''after'' the armistice was declared.