Grover C. Magnus 
Being a huge multimedia franchise is pretty much the game when it comes to becoming a heavyweight in today’s entertainment industry. This is why, despite several statements by producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson rejecting any idea of the genre, everyone wonders if the post office-No time to die world could change that answer. The firing is due to very specific reasons, and it also highlights the times when 007 was almost ready for TV serialization. Perhaps to settle the matter once and for all, let’s discuss how James Bond almost turned into a TV series and why it’s not happening.
Why James Bond isn’t becoming a TV series, producers say
In a recent interview with The EnvelopeWilson and Broccoli both asked if Bond’s legacy would make a play to go beyond its cinematic tradition. The pillars that make EON Productions run and hold all of the primary decision-making powers over homestead ownership, these James Bond bosses have made specific comments when it comes to trying to apply the Marvel Cinematic Universe method. to universe 007. Especially when it comes to these potential pitfalls, when stacked against the pursuit of the longest-running movie franchise in history:
Michael G. Wilson: If we were to do a TV series on top of that and put the same amount of energy into 10 or 20 hours of content, that’s a big commitment. It would therefore be necessary to delegate. And we were very reluctant to delegate.
Barbara Broccoli: We are not a factory. Our films are all handmade. We have always been a family business and will remain so as long as we continue to breathe.
Just like they withstood the jump streaming in the early days of the pandemic market, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson turned their backs on the seemingly banal “extended universe” strategy. Evidenced by their comments above, as well as the reasons why No time to die has maintained its presence as a theatrical-only first film, the show’s producers believe in the uniqueness of their brand. Oddly enough, this was almost the reality of the situation, as television was the first hotbed of James Bond adaptations.
The previous history of James Bond as a television property
Twice previously, James Bond has been able to star in the television world, although one exit counts as partial branding. The first and most obvious example of Bond’s television career is Casino Royale 1954 adaptation in the CBS drama program Climax! Viewers who had read Ian Fleming’s novel a year before may have been a little confused at the time, as 007 became Jimmy Bond (Barry Nelson), a US agent of Combined Intelligence alongside his UK counterpart, Clarence Leiter.
Bond’s legacy would only be shown on TV once more in the 007 saga’s nearly 60-year history, and that was an attempt that only counted for half. The animated series James Bond Jr. focused on the main character, who was actually the nephew of the super spy himself, as he traveled to an elite spy academy with other parents from the mainstays of EON Productions. This series only lasted about six months, with 65 episodes to its name; but that’s not the only time a real TV series has been considered.
James Bond almost continued on TV before going to the movies
Just four years after Ian Fleming cleared Climax! adapt Casino RoyaleCBS wanted the author to write a James Bond television series for television. Driven by the success of their previous efforts, the network asked Fleming to develop the idea, only to drop it soon after. It is thanks to this rapid turnaround that the author was able to carry out the collection of short stories Just for your eyes in 1960. Four of these five TV stories were adapted into their current literary form, which in turn led to a few of these stories lending titles / inspiration to future Bond films like A sight to kill and Quantum of Consolation.
One last attempt saw Ian Fleming try to make Dr No in a TV movie, which also failed to go into production. Fate quickly intervened, as a meeting with producer Harry Saltzman kicked off the process that would see 1962 usher in film history, with Sean Connery presenting the world to Bond … James Bond. Although he faces some pop culture competition, thanks to another TV property Fleming has lent his talents to.
The Unexpected Franchise From Ian Fleming’s TV Attempts
If James Bond producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli hadn’t convinced the author to stick with moving images, we might have seen another weekly series influenced by the literary creator of James Bond. In a strange symmetry, Ian Fleming was recruited by producer Norman Felton loosely fit from north to north-west in a television series. The symmetry comes from the fact that Alfred Hitchcock and Cary Grant were both considering launching the James Bond franchiseat the start of its life cycle. Together they almost created Solo by Ian Fleming, but you would know better as The UNCLE man
Fleming gave his name to Robert Vaughn’s Napoleon Solo and created the character of April Dancer for the series. Although after Broccoli’s insistence that he sell the project to NBC, as noted in the same article that details James Bond’s current status on television, only these characters remained of his contribution. For a property that won’t be on the small screen anytime soon, 007 certainly has a history with TV programming.
Like the many branches of “what if” storylines that come out of James Bond history, television is another tangent that has been pruned, but not before it has sprouted some interesting products. Currently, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson do not intend to embark on this business again. While who always seems resolute and firmlet’s not forget that the phrase “never say never again” also comes from the story of Bond challenging what seems to be set in stone.
If you want to see James Bond on your TV screen, you can do so by contagious No time to die in PVOD, unless you’d rather wait for the December 21 physical media release on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD. Although at the time of this writing, most of the James Bond catalog is also available to stream on Prime Video and Pluto TV. Don’t expect episodic, serial adventures anytime soon, unless you count The five films of Daniel Craig.
