A potential James Bond TV series

edited April 2015 in Bond 26 & Beyond Posts: 56
I just finished reading the three first Bond novels and in the middle of Moonraker I came to think of the possiblity to make a television adaption much in the same fashion as they did with Sherlock for all of the novels. They could be set in the 1950s and being truthful to the original novels (almost) as the movies has departed a bit from the original novels, especially Moonraker which for me works better in the book than on film. The opening sequence in Moonraker with Bond practicing some shooting and visiting M:s office is fantastic. I get a little bit of the same feeling with SkyFall. But that aside, wouldn´t a televison series of the highest BBC quality be something? Get rid of the musts that the films has brought and create an alternative Bond universe.
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Comments

  • Posts: 4,813
    I'd watch it religiously, that's for damn sure
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,350
    Didn't we have a thread on this only yesterday?
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Samuel001 wrote:
    Didn't we have a thread on this only yesterday?

    It may be one in the same, just with an altered thread title.
  • edited March 2012 Posts: 138
    No, I don't like the idea of a live action parallel for film or TV. It opens up all sorts of questions about which is better etc. and it could lead to more inconsistency in the direction that the films take. Keep the release of Bond films simple and considered and the franchise won't burn itself out.

    However I would welcome more books or maybe a series of animated adventures that are up to an hour long. These would be separate enough from the films to not cause issues but be entertaining and allow the franchise to try new things, storywise.
  • edited March 2012 Posts: 157
    http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/comment/82018#Comment_82018

    This week we were discussing this ideia in the topic above. I don't know if there is already a thread for it.

  • Posts: 4,813
    Christ, how about 'welcome to the forum' instead of the 'we did this already' spiel ;;)
  • DiscoVolanteDiscoVolante Stockholm, Sweden
    edited March 2012 Posts: 1,347
    <b>Moved from 'News' to 'General Discussion'</b>

    Welcome to the forums Lofqvist, and I like your idea :)
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    Gus82 wrote:
    However I would welcome more books or maybe a series of animated adventures that are up to an hour long. These would be separate enough from the films to not cause issues but be entertaining and allow the franchise to try new things, storywise.

    More books would be best, but if they do another animated series, I hope it's better and more serious than James Bond Jr. Maybe if it's done with a "Young Justice" type animation style, it'll work better, I don't know.
  • DB5DB5
    Posts: 408
    Well I would love to see tv adaptations of the Fleming Bond novels, but I can't see how this would ever happen. The Fleming estate sold the rights to James Bond to Eon productions. They hold the exclusive rights to all the titles, with the possible exception of "Thunderball" (see NSNA). So why would they want to mess with their franchise? If people wish to see a screen adaptation of the Fleming titles, they can do so now. Yes, maybe they could make a few dollars selling the remake rights to another company. But how much would that cost them in the long run? Knowing the young generation, which to my continued dismay generally associates "newer" with "better," the public would eventually abandon the "old" movies for the new "tv movies." And so we would eventually lose "the classics." My advice, let's quit while we're ahead!

  • Posts: 7,653
    Not interested.
  • Posts: 56
    Sorry if I doubleposted, should have checked. Thanks for the welcome!
  • St_GeorgeSt_George Shuttling Drax's lovelies to the space doughnut - happy 40th, MR!
    edited March 2012 Posts: 1,699
    Can't see how a 'faithful' '50s-set Bond TV adaptation series would be particularly in the vein of Sherlock when the latter updates Conan Doyle's detective and stories to the modern day - and in the last series became increasingly more fantastical.

    In any case, there's absolutely no chance of this happening while Eon have the rights to putting Bond on-screen. And they're not going to give them up any time soon at all. Plus, for me, unless such TV adpatations as were suggested in the OP were of the hightest quality - given the obviously huge success of the film series - they'd always be considered comparatively second-rate, I'd imagine...
  • Posts: 562
    It would be awesome to see a 21 episdoe TV mini-series faithfully adapted from Fleming's work and done as period pieces!

    Of course, as a few have mentioned, I highly doubt that it's even possible to do...
  • Posts: 1,548
    YES,YES,YES, but it will never happen for legal reasons etc. Something along the lines of Smallville with a young hero in the making finding his way in the world.
  • Posts: 774
    Personally I think some of the Young Bond books could be good TV shows/TV movies. Like Young Indiana Jones from back in the 90s.
  • Posts: 32
    For a long time I have thought this would be a great idea, having a separate high-quality TV series of James Bond as a period piece. The advantage of having a TV series is that the episodes could be as long or as short as necessary. For long stories such as OHMSS they could be continued across three or four episodes, while short stories like Quantum of Solace and The Living Daylights could be stand alone stories.

    However, I don't think it would be very likely, as I don't think the copyright holders would want a TV series competing with their big-budget movies.
  • Posts: 562
    Volante wrote:
    Personally I think some of the Young Bond books could be good TV shows/TV movies.

    Please, no.

    No Bond 'Expanded Universe'/Young Bond should ever be put on film. If you're going to make a Bond TV programme, make it Bond as Fleming wrote it.

  • edited March 2012 Posts: 157
    [
    Agent005 wrote:
    Volante wrote:
    Personally I think some of the Young Bond books could be good TV shows/TV movies.

    Please, no.

    No Bond 'Expanded Universe'/Young Bond should ever be put on film. If you're going to make a Bond TV programme, make it Bond as Fleming wrote it.

    And no animated series, please. We deserve a truly adaptation of Fleming books. Something that we will never see in the big screen because Hollywood blockbusters are rolling down the hill. Each day more and more. Nowadays James Bond movies are just bland action movies. (Sorry to say that. Thanks god there's a hope Sam Mendes can do something about it).

    In the beginning of the series, the films were all about espionage and adventure. Now all we have is a bunch of chases and explosions - with a little taste of soap opera - in a 100+ minutes running time. Bond is more than that.

    As a matter of fact, there is a Bond that we never saw in live action. Well, actually Timothy was that Bond, but in the wrong surrounding. HBO could bring those Fleming elements lost in film translation. A more mature audiences oriented series could do no harm to anyone with more than 18. And the film series would be ok with that, because the audiences will be different. Aesthetically "vintage" mature espionage thrillers and action blockbusters. Just a question of choice.

    [Pls, excuse my bad English!]
  • Posts: 774
    Agent005 wrote:
    Volante wrote:
    Personally I think some of the Young Bond books could be good TV shows/TV movies.

    Please, no.

    No Bond 'Expanded Universe'/Young Bond should ever be put on film. If you're going to make a Bond TV programme, make it Bond as Fleming wrote it.

    That's what I thought about the Young Indiana Jones series. I should make it clear, I'd much prefer EON concentrated on the main series rather than a TV reboot. But if it absolutely had to happen, I'd like it to be something that could engage young people.

    My nephew became a fan of Bond through the Young Bond books. He also became a fan of Star Wars through the Clone Wars TV series (which is surprisingly good).
  • edited March 2012 Posts: 157
    Volante wrote:
    Agent005 wrote:
    Volante wrote:
    Personally I think some of the Young Bond books could be good TV shows/TV movies.

    Please, no.

    No Bond 'Expanded Universe'/Young Bond should ever be put on film. If you're going to make a Bond TV programme, make it Bond as Fleming wrote it.

    That's what I thought about the Young Indiana Jones series. I should make it clear, I'd much prefer EON concentrated on the main series rather than a TV reboot. But if it absolutely had to happen, I'd like it to be something that could engage young people.

    My nephew became a fan of Bond through the Young Bond books. He also became a fan of Star Wars through the Clone Wars TV series (which is surprisingly good).

    Yeah, Young Bond would be fine, as long the script is based on Charlie Higson's books.

  • Posts: 56
    Michael Fassbender could get away with it but the Bond of the books are for me Jeremy Northam. Maybe getting a little bit old though. Sad.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,882
    I'd like to see this happen, though not with Fassbender. I think a relative unknown might be a better choice. As for Jeremy Northam, he might be a tad old for Bond now, he turns 51 this year. If he ever had a shot at Bond, it would have been in the 1990's, instead of Brosnan
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Agent005 wrote:
    Volante wrote:
    Personally I think some of the Young Bond books could be good TV shows/TV movies.

    Please, no.

    No Bond 'Expanded Universe'/Young Bond should ever be put on film. If you're going to make a Bond TV programme, make it Bond as Fleming wrote it.

    Whilst I agree heartily with you, now that Harry Potters dead and buried theres a young audience out there to be tapped. Young Bond done properly could be a) a nice earner and b) something to capture an entirely new generation into the Bond universe.

    That said as a Fleming dinosaur I'm dead set against anything that encourages children into cinemas. If I had my way all Bond films would have the violence of Fleming and be an 18.
  • I had always wanted a series for James Bond, but with a purpose in mind. The idea being that whenever it became time to pass on the Tuxedo there could be a trial run with a list of actors that made the cut. After auditioning for the producers, the actors could audition for us... A television series where a different actor plays Bond every episode. As far as the voting system, something comparable to American Idol... For it to work the producers would have to choose realistic candidates so it's not all one sided i.e. the girls would vote for Orlando Bloom. This might also take the pressure off the producers by knowing they made the right choice because it would be more likely that only fans truly interested would vote.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    James_A_F wrote:
    I had always wanted a series for James Bond, but with a purpose in mind. The idea being that whenever it became time to pass on the Tuxedo there could be a trial run with a list of actors that made the cut. After auditioning for the producers, the actors could audition for us... A television series where a different actor plays Bond every episode. As far as the voting system, something comparable to American Idol... For it to work the producers would have to choose realistic candidates so it's not all one sided i.e. the girls would vote for Orlando Bloom. This might also take the pressure off the producers by knowing they made the right choice because it would be more likely that only fans truly interested would vote.

    Thats a great idea in principal but is floored by one tiny problem:
    The general public are f**king retards.

    Can you imagine the likes of 007RM being allowed the vote?
    This would be the end of the series.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    I'm more than content with the current process of how the films are produces and made. The role of Bond is a coveted role. It should not be handed out willy nilly like they've done and are still doing with superman. Also, if we are gonna get something besides the movies, then I'm all for direct to DVDs animated movies of the young Bond novels and that's simply because not are they only excellent reads but it doesn't interrupt or present adverse factors to the live action Bond movies.
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    Can you imagine the likes of 007RM being allowed the vote?
    This would be the end of the series.

    Even DC007 would make better choices than 007RM, and that's saying something.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Can you imagine the likes of 007RM being allowed the vote?
    This would be the end of the series.

    Even DC007 would make better choices than 007RM, and that's saying something.

    Thats about as damning as it gets. If I was 007RM I'd have at least browsed the Dignitas website.
  • Posts: 1,082
    Can you imagine the likes of 007RM being allowed the vote?
    This would be the end of the series.

    Even DC007 would make better choices than 007RM, and that's saying something.

    Thats about as damning as it gets. If I was 007RM I'd have at least browsed the Dignitas website.

    Do you think that my opinions indicate that I´m mentaly ill or something? So bad that I should get assistance committing suicide? No way, if I was in charge of this TV-series, it would have been a great bombastic showcase, with scripts at least in part written by me. These could be a maniac building a droid army, which he will use to kill every living creature on earth, except himself. Or another maniac who wants to destroy earth because there are too many fat people in the world, and that obesity is evil. Bond will have to stop these, using many gadgets. B&M, just give me a call and I can take charge of this TV-series or the real Bond films.

  • Posts: 63
    I believe TV sooner or later will become a part of Bond's stage. And given the current quality of TV series this absolutely would not have to mean a cheaper or less captivating product. The trick would be not to try and better the films but going a different route instead, put the emphasis on character and suspense and tone down action and globetrotting. With a strong team of creative talent developing a single adventure for a short season this ought to be an interesting addition to the Bond-verse.
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