2002: 007′s swan song on ABC

In the fall of 2002, James Bond returned to his original U.S. television home, Walt Disney Co.’s ABC television network. It ended up being the end of a 30-year, on-and-off relationship between the fictional spy and ABC. 007′s television debut occurred on Sept. 17, 1972, when Goldfinger was shown by ABC. The network was 007′s [...]

Moonraker 30th anniversary addendum

ABC and James Bond has a long relationship. So here’s the opening to The ABC Sunday Night Movie when Moonraker appeared a few years after its 1979 debut in theaters. Ernie Anderson does the honors for the voiceover: And while we’re at it, here’s a 1980s repeat showing of From Russia With Love where Anderson [...]

The return of Ernst Stavro Blofeld?

As the Bond 23 silly season progresses, now we hear from the Guardian that 007′s betê noir, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, will be back to bedevil our hero in the next — and as yet, unscripted — James Bond movie. And, this time, in the personage of British actor Michael Sheen ( Frost/Nixon, Underworld, etc.) According [...]

1975: ABC promo for Diamonds Are Forever

For the 1975-76 television season, ABC included Diamonds Are Forever among its slate of theatrical movies it would show. Unlike the 1972-73 season, however, 007 wasn’t the biggest draw for ABC. In this promo, ABC begins showing previews of its movies around the 3:00 mark. Diamonds doesn’t show up until around the 6:15 mark. By [...]

A new career opportunity awaits!

From the “tripped over this while looking for something else” department: Her Majesty’s Secret Service is looking for new hires, in the capacity of Operations Officer. (We’re pretty sure that means “secret agent.”) We don’t know if this is how it was done in the old days — the Cold War years, let’s say — [...]

Writers announced for Bond 23

This press release just came in: MORGAN, PURVIS & WADE TO WORK ON BOND, JAMES BOND LOS ANGELES, CA June 12, 2009 – Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions Ltd and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures have today announced that Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, The Queen), Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (Quantum of Solace, Casino [...]

007, Our Man in Afghanistan?

The “silly season” of rumormongering between James Bond movies seems to have begun in earnest. Bond fan websites are reporting that the Telegraph UK is reporting that Bond fan websites are reporting that 007 may be bound for Afghanistan in his next screen adventure. Apparently a former member of the British Foreign Office’s drug task [...]

OHMSS voted No. 1 007 soundtrack

A recent poll at LastBroadcast puts John Barry’s soundtrack for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as the best in the 007 series. An excerpt: Comfortably winning with around a third of all votes, composer John Barry’s 1969 score for George Lazenby’s debut/swansong features some of the series’ most recognisable music, despite the film itself often [...]

Raymond Benson on Sound Authors podcast

On June 8, 007 author Raymond Benson stopped by the Sound Authors podcast for an interview with proprietor Dr. Kent Gustavson. After dealing with shoes, and ships, and sealing wax, and cabbages and kings, they got around to the topics of Benson’s new Spike Berenger thriller, Dark Side of the Morgue. It’s a follow-up to [...]

“Casino Royale” predigested for easy consumption — and laughs

The Books section of the Guardian’s website has been running a delightful humor series called “Digested Classics.” Author John Crace writes shortened parodies of famous novels, accurately catching their original authorial voice in a skillful pastiche. Up for the treatment this week is Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale. Crace manages to cram the entire story down [...]