James Bond the TV series....

[Captain Nash]

Not sure about that. This is one occassion when her obvious embarrassment at Bond's past may actually be the correct response.

I hope so.. Everyone knows my feelings on retro-izing the Bond films and that I think it's a bad idea.That's why using Devil May Care is a bad idea.Well, that and it's not a very good book.

That doesn't mean it couldn't be a good film in the right hands (ever read Jaws, he says, holding his nose)? But I'm against the idea of a period piece Bond. It would please some of the hardcore fans, but it would just confuse the casual moviegoer.

I wouldn't want to see a period piece Bond film.
Unless it was a completely different series to the EON one. I'd love to see a faithful adaptation of the Fleming novels made...in period.
I've often though it would make a wonderful tv series. You could make them all in the correct order, starting with Casino Royale, and having them play for say four episdodes per novel. I think that might be quite interesting.

[katied]

I've often though it would make a wonderful tv series. You could make them all in the correct order, starting with Casino Royale, and having them play for say four episdodes per novel. I think that might be quite interesting.

That is actually a really good idea-remember, CR originally was a teleplay on TV, but think of the limitations of the time it was made in... They could do do much more now!

[Omega]

Who could be trusted to make a tv series? The movie series was screwed up for long time now by "the people who know it best".

[katied]

Who could be trusted to make a tv series? The movie series was screwed up for long time now by "the people who know it best".

If it were unofficial-IOW free of Broccoli interference, and had the right writers and cast.. The other big drawback would be that the budget would be pretty big.

[katied]

Another idea: We have Public Television(paid for by taxpayers) here in the States. They have Masterpiece Theater(usually Jane Austen adaptations and the like) and Masterpiece Mystery.

I don't think either of them are very high budget,but they're very high quality and they get good actors.What about something like that for an adaptation of a Bond novel?

[Kristatos]

Who could be trusted to make a tv series? The movie series was screwed up for long time now by "the people who know it best".

Well, the BBC have a good track record for adaptations of classic novels. But I don't think it will happen until the Bond novels go into the public domain in about 40 years time. And even then, EON may be able to finagle something. The copyright laws were changed a few years ago to prevent still-profitable characters created in the 1930s like Superman and Mickey Mouse from entering the public domain.

[Captain Nash]

Who could be trusted to make a tv series? The movie series was screwed up for long time now by "the people who know it best".

Well, the BBC have a good track record for adaptations of classic novels. But I don't think it will happen until the Bond novels go into the public domain in about 40 years time. And even then, EON may be able to finagle something. The copyright laws were changed a few years ago to prevent still-profitable characters created in the 1930s like Superman and Mickey Mouse from entering the public domain.

Yes that's who I had in mind, when I was thinking about it.
The BBC would have the budget and means to make a Bond novel adaptation. They also excel like no-one else at this sort of thing.
If someone could secure the rights to adapt the novels only it would be a winner I'm sure.
Though it may be a case of getting the rights out of someones cold dead hands first. So I can't see it happening anytime soon. Though if EON were really smart they could make it in conjunction with the BBC.
I guess we can dream.

[Captain Nash]

Carrying on from an idea I posted in the bjmdds discussion, I was thinking it may be fun to come up with some cast ideas.

I've often though it would make a wonderful tv series. You could make them all in the correct order, starting with Casino Royale, and having them play for say four episdodes per novel. I think that might be quite interesting.

So being that you can cast any Bond you like, I'm sure some of you would enjoy this. Just be mindful that it's a TV series and not a large budget film, so A list actors are unlikely. But it might be a little fun.
I should also point out that this is based on a TV series that is a faithful adaptation of the Fleming novels, made as say a four part series per book. I had in mind someone like the BBC adapting this kind of series.
Let the mayhem begin...

[Captain Nash]

I've often though it would make a wonderful tv series. You could make them all in the correct order, starting with Casino Royale, and having them play for say four episdodes per novel. I think that might be quite interesting.

That is actually a really good idea-remember, CR originally was a teleplay on TV, but think of the limitations of the time it was made in... They could do do much more now!

Thanks katie, that's nice that we can agree on something. Small world eh?
I also think it would be better if it wasn't an EON controlled production, though in order to secure the rights, then EON would have to agree.
Something that's lets face it, just isn't going to happen.
A man can dream...and so can a women.

[Kristatos]

I suggest treating the novels individually, starting with the first.

I think for a TV Casino Royalethat was being made now, as opposed to the far future as it probably would be in real life, I'd cast Richard Armitage (Spooks, Robin Hood), who is already a familiar face on British TV screens, and very Bond-like. I've suggested Geoffrey Palmer for M before, though I don't know if the fact that he has appeared in an EON Bond film would rule him out. The Beeb might want to keep the TV series as separate from the films as possible.

I have to confess, it's been a long time since I've read any of the Fleming novels except OHMSS, which I re-read recently. I'd want to base my casting decisions on Fleming's descriptions, and I honestly can't remember how Fleming described Vesper, Le Chiffre and so on.

[katied]

It's a shame that the Bond novels won't go into public domain for many years yet. EON wouldn't sign off on a unofficial Bond film. Not with the current management,anyways.

[Omega]

A bbc and A&E collaboration maybe. Better than PBS in my book.

Could they take the cost of one movie $150 $200 million dollars and make the whole series? Would it even be possible for something like $15 million a adventure when it has to go around the world. If its going to be another CGI heavy Canadian back lot with a green screen for London type production it would be better if they left it alone.

[Goldeneye]

Merged the related post from BJMDDS General Discussion Thread.

[Kristatos]

A bbc and A&E collaboration maybe. Better than PBS in my book.

Could they take the cost of one movie $150 $200 million dollars and make the whole series? Would it even be possible for something like $15 million a adventure when it has to go around the world. If its going to be another CGI heavy Canadian back lot with a green screen for London type production it would be better if they left it alone.

Most of Fleming's novels wouldn't need a huge budget to adapt faithfully. The special effects and spectacular stunts were largely an innovation of the films. The novels were mostly on a smaller scale, though a few of them like Dr. No (ironically the film with the smallest budget by far) and YOLT, with its garden of death, might need a bigger budget.

[Dr. No]

love the idea of this! Did we ever get as far as casting last time we brought it up?

I would push for Dr No with black sand beaches

[Kristatos]

It's a shame that the Bond novels won't go into public domain for many years yet. EON wouldn't sign off on a unofficial Bond film. Not with the current management,anyways.

Having said that, I completely forgot about the radio adaptation of Goldfinger mentioned on another thread. If the Beeb can adapt it for radio, why not TV?

[Blowfeld]

It's a shame that the Bond novels won't go into public domain for many years yet. EON wouldn't sign off on a unofficial Bond film. Not with the current management,anyways.

Having said that, I completely forgot about the radio adaptation of Goldfinger mentioned on another thread. If the Beeb can adapt it for radio, why not TV?

Honestly don't know could it be allowed with EONs contract with the Fleming family because it is radio and not on film of any sort.

It would be dream realised if the BBC were to make a Bond series from Ian's books. BBC would need to recruit decent American actors for the stories that require it. The BBC has a few they like to use, actual Americans or blokes with decent American accents who I don't think would be appropriate for some of the stories. Playing Felix Leiter for instance.

[katied]

I love the idea of the radio plays..unfortunately U.S. radio is much more geared towards music or talk radio than radio plays. The radio play/radio serial was a common thing back in the days before everyone had TV(people my dad's age-he'll be 70's this year!) remember them fondly

[Kristatos]

I love the idea of the radio plays..unfortunately U.S. radio is much more geared towards music or talk radio than radio plays. The radio play/radio serial was a common thing back in the days before everyone had TV(people my dad's age-he'll be 70's this year!) remember them fondly

When I lived in the States, a friend of mine had digital radio in his car, and one of the stations played nothing but old radio drama shows like The Lone Ranger, The Shadow and something called Broadway Beat, which was a private eye show. It featured all the conventions of the genre like saxophone music and a laconic voiceover which have been parodied so often that it was quite strange to hear them played straight. You'd think that would make it hard to take it seriously, but I actually found it quite refreshing, sort of like finding something you'd forgotten you had.

Closer to our own age, anyone else remember the Star Wars radio serials, made (I think) for NPR but broadcast on the BBC?

[katied]

It seems to me that would be the sort of thing that would be perfect for satellite radio(I'm not sure if that's what you're referring to when you're talking about digital radio, or something else).