MovieChat Forums > Sapphire & Steel (1979) Discussion > Most disturbing?

Most disturbing?

posted 20 years ago by nordeuropa
18 replies | jump to latest

Sapphire and Steel was perhaps the most unsettling show ever made for family entertainment. But what were the most disturbing events shown from each Assignment? Here's my list:

A1: She lost her teddy bear! Really upset me as a child and I was so pleased they got it back for her in the end. The boy unable to make a sound was the stuff of nightmares as well.

A2: Best incidental music I've ever heard in any programme, sci-fi or otherwise. Takes you back to the summer of 1918, and then suddenly into a strange, cold limbo. But what about the ending and what they did to harmless old Tully? And suddenly everything was all right and you heard traffic in the background.

A3: That Changeling looked really scary especially when he shrieked and you couldn't see any teeth. I could never tell if that was intentional but it worked for me.

A4: The pinnacle in freaking out the Viewer! A faceless man who could walk out of photographs. The boy who turned to cardboard with a clap of thunder. And EVERYTHING that happened to Ruth. Even just that startled expression on her black and white image. This is the Adventure that gave me nightmares for weeks. (I was but a mere boy of 7!)

A5: Sorry to any fans but I was not so keen on this one and haven't seen it so much. Seem to remember a pretty woman with a knife in her hand which looked "wrong".

A6: In the pre-title scene when the woman just stares at the camera from the other side of the room. And of course the astonishing ending to the entire series.

[–] Equivocator75 20 years ago

Given the fact I was at primary school when this series was shown my memory is vague about specific episodes. But I do remember having nightmares as a child regarding one where this "thing" was in a wall- it may have been the same episode where a ghost or something kept singing "Pack up your troubles". For along time I was convinced the "thing" was in my bedroom wall....and the song whether from that episode or not still gives me chills when I hear it.

[–] Rachael89 19 years ago

Hi there

I think the thing in the wall is from adventure 3, well it is if it looks like a groovy 70's lava lamp affect! Another thing from that episode is a creepy baby man, if you se thye episode you'll know what I mean!

The ghost singing "pack all your troubles in your old kit bag" (old WW1 song) was definiely from adventure 2. That's really creepy! I still get creeped out when I ever hear that song or songs that are simalar to it!

If you want a good and thorough episode guide of the series this is a good link:

http://www.cix.co.uk/~nirvana/TVFilms/SappNSteel/Episodes.html

If you haven't seen them since primary school I'd buy the DVD's or something, they still remain scary today!

Best

Rachael

I'm a newbie and proud of it!

[–] nightranger86uk 19 years ago

For me, it has to be this lot:

1. Assignment IV: When 'The Shape' first reveals his 'face' (or lack of it). That freaked me out at the time.

2. Assignment I: When the boys 'mother' turns around in the basement. So did that!

3. Assignment II: Steel telling Sapphire "Leave that platform NOW", (with the marching and singing getting closer).

4. Assignment II: 'The Darkness' slowly enveloping everything, with that very sinister, dark harpsichord-like accompanying music.

There was something very disturbing about Sapphire and Steel, although it does take a little time to get your head around it, and figure out what's going on.

[–] lauren_c_mooney 19 years ago

Hi,
Was by far too young to catch the series originally (I'm 15) but my parents have the videos and I sort of grew up on it. I ADORE this series and it's so disappointing to see how little appreciation it gets: the acting was generally excellent (though a couple of the guest stars got on my nerves, like lady in cafe from Assignment VI and Heather from Assignment I), the plots were superb and even though the effects are a little outdated now the series is still excellent. I found it really scary when I was younger!
Of course, the best part of the series for me was the chemisty and the relationship between Sapphire and Steel, or especially Sapphire, Steel and Silver.
So, here are some of my top scary moments:
Assignment I: when Sapphire's in the portrait, when Rob's parents come get him and the first time they take time back.
Assignment II: God, the whole episode! The submarine, when Sapphire gets possessed, the songs, the marching... Haven't seen this one in a while, but I believe I actually had nightmares about it once!
Assignment III: Not THAT scary, though the bits when Sapphire and Silver respectively disappeared were kinda creepy, and some parts where the woman (her name escapes me) was getting the visions were a bit unnerving. Oh, and it's horrible when you find out what they did to the animals.
Assignment IV: This episode is really scary. Again, Ruth's story, the man with no face, the creepy kids, the poem ('When I was going up the stair...') and the end. The way that you think it's over and he's just threatening that poor woman and Steel tells her to find every photo ever taken of her and burn it. *Shiver*
Assignment V: Pretty scrary, actually. The bit when Sapphire goes kinda crazy and almost stabs herself, then Steel saves her life is scary but, at the same time, REALLY sweet... Sorry, off-topic. So, yeah, that, the multitude of deaths and specifically the man that tried to help them getting splashed in the face with that acid and dying... that was horrible because he was so sweet. And when the other man - Felix? - got poisoned. Sorry, you must forgive me, I've a terrible memory for names.
Assignment VI: When you realise all the people are agents coming to get them and they all just stand up... Oh, and the END! I love it and hate it, because it's the most simultaneously daring and unsatisfying end I think I've ever seen.
Wish they'd made more!

[–] nordeuropa 19 years ago

Wish they'd made more!

Me too! When it was still fresh. But please no remake. Television has changed so much in the intervening years (for better AND for worse) and if a remake was announced, I'd be dreading the loss of unique atmosphere and minimalist sets in favour of action and special effects. If anything, Sapphire and Steel would be great for a theatrical play! I'd certainly go to see it.

[–] kinetica 18 years ago

That would be WONDERFUL, very worth going to see.

Ticks Ticks thousands of ticks, and not one blessed TOCK among them!

[–] purplemirkin-IMDb 19 years ago

"The pinnacle in freaking out the Viewer! A faceless man who could walk out of photographs"

I had this as wallpaper and a screen saver on my PC at work but it was too disturbing even after twenty-odd years.

[–] Albatross2 18 years ago

Episode four. The little girl saying,."Can we hurt them? Oh, please let us hurt them."

[–] EnZa_Pylamas 18 years ago

When I was a kid I was already scared by the title music.

Crying department is upstairs, Lady.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] a-carlton 18 years ago

I think everyone has covered my most disturbing moments. I remember being scared for ages of having my photo taken after that episode with the man hoping in and out of photos - and I was 17 when this was first shown.

When I am crazy about a show I usually love all the episodes but with Saphire and Steel I find some I can't stand and some I really love. I am hopeless at episode names but, I keep re-watching the ones set on the railway station, the photo one, the one with the nursery rhymes and Lord Mulreens 1930s party, I carn't stand the very last one which had a really naff ending and I am still trying to find anything to like about the future couple stuck in a box like flat/appartment with their baby that grew up too fast.

[–] jrv-3 17 years ago

For me the most unsettling moments were:

Adv 2:
Steel: Take us back Sapphire.
Sapphire: Just the Two of us?
Steel: Yes just the two of us.........and Mr Tully

Tully: Winning? Are we?
[and you're not sure just how much Tully may have overheard]

If you've seen Adv 2 you'll know what i mean.

[–] Perkin-warbeck 17 years ago

Assignment IV :
"As I was walking up the stairs
I meet a man who wasn't there
He wasn't there again today
I wish that man would go away"

[–] belacane 17 years ago

I'm stunned and disturbed by what Steel did to Mr. Tully. I still can't believe it. My husband and I have been watching the episodes on DVD for a week or 2 and at least once a day I start raving about how cruel that was. We've only seen the first 3 adventures, though.

The dead children in Adventure 3 (in the rural experiment capsule) bothered me but that's because they look so much like my own son.

And in Adventure 1, I was really bothered by the fact that they (and the boy) kept telling the little girl to keep out of the way, stay in the kitchen, or whatever, and then nobody checked in on her to make sure she was doing it, so she kept wandering off. It seemed like really shoddy work; if it was that important to keep her out of things, they should have made the boy stay with her at all times.

On the other hand, the funniest thing in the whole series is the "Skutter"-like animal/machine thing from the wall in #3. I always thought Red Dwarf had some of the cheapest special effects ever, but that thing tops my list.

"Quick! It's coming! Dance like an eggplant!"

[–] Sid-Blitzen 17 years ago

I never really "got" Sapphire and Steel, but now I am curious. What happened to Mr Tully?

[–] Ger-El 16 years ago

he effectively got sacrificed to the entity controlling time

a superb story

[–] apostasia 14 years ago

Another vote for the faceless man moving through photographs - gave me nightmares for years as a child. Brilliant stuff.

And the end of Assignment VI! Up there with Blake's 7 as greatest ending ever.

Just a painted face on a trip down suicide row

[–] ZoneFighter 13 years ago

I think at this point, Tully knew what was coming.