Podcast · Film & TV

James Bond & Friends

007 experts and fans from around the world discuss the latest news and views on the James Bond universe. Contact the show via Twitter hashtag #askbond

New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 1 hr 7 min
Latest: 7 Aug 2025
Language: English

Latest episode

7 Aug 2025 · 1 hr 23 min

0161: Direction Perfection?

How has fandom reacted to the appointment of Denis Villeneuve? Seemingly out of nowhere, Amazon MGM Studios announced Denis Villeneuve as the director of the next James Bond film (we're calling it Bond 26 until told otherwise) in late June. How has fandom reacted to the appointment and what are the expectations of what he can or will bring to reboot the franchise with an all-new production team and cast? We also look back at Villeneuve's catalog of work to see if we can glean any clues as to what he might bring to Bond. (Note: This episode was recorded before the announcement of Steven…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

E164 · 29 Mar 2025 · 1 hr 10 min
0160: Producer Adducer
How different could James Bond be under the new leadership? Before many of us had fully processed the news that Broccoli & Wilson were stepping away from the franchise, this week Amazon MGM Studios dropped the bombshell that Amy Pascal and David Heyman would produce the next film - the first to not have a Broccoli name attached. We discuss the merits of the two new producers and what they might bring to Bond 26 (if we are still calling it that?) and review some of Pascal's creative feedback on the scripts when she was leading Sony Pictures through most of the Daniel Craig era. Do we agree…
E163 · 22 Feb 2025 · 1 hr 18 min
0159: Prime Time
What does the Amazon take-over mean to the franchise and fandom? A tectonic shift in the James Bond power structure shook the film world and fanbase on Thursday when Amazon announced they had inked a deal to take over creative control of the 007 films from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Their price? $1 billion according to reports. With EON out of the picture, what does the immediate and long term future of the franchise look like? We gather the panel to discuss their instant reactions as well as cast an eye further down the road as the ripples from this impact will take a while to…
E162 · 15 Jun 2024 · 46 min
0158: Touching Grass
What has been going on with James Bond this year? You wait around for news for months and then... well, nothing much happens. It has been a very quiet year so far in terms of 007 big screen developments, but there has been Bond content flowing elsewhere in the literary, comics, and gaming wings of the franchise. We take a close look at the state of the box-office and ask if the movie business being in such flux may cause significant delays for EON, and also reveal some production news about a former 007 and how his next project may have knock-on consequences. Digitally restored Casino Royale…
E161 · 12 May 2024 · 21 min
0157: Happy Passengers
Where in the world should Bond travel next? This epsiode we dip into the MI6 archives to play an interview with Black Tomato co-founder, Tom Marchant. Regular Bond followers might remember that mid-last year Black Tomato - a UK-based travel company - came out with a unique European Bond themed travel experience. 'The Assignment' is a twelve day mission across UK, France, and Italy, stopping in at key landmarks from the Bond films. Just recently Black Tomato announce a second tranche of travel adventures with a Bond twist. These now include tours to Chile, Mexico, Thailand and Japan. Tom…
E160 · 27 Dec 2023 · 37 min
0156: Festive Bond Quiz
We asked 100 James Bond fans... Taking a break from our usual discussion format, we play Family Feud (or Family Fortunes, depending on where you're from) with two teams of Bond savants battling it out for the festive honours. Who can best guess the results of the top 100 answers from an MI6 survey? Play along and see how many you can get. Who will walk off with the star prize and who gets cold brussels sprouts? The recording took place on December 19th in the USA, UK, and Canada. James Page is co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential Phil Nobile Jr is editor of Fangoria and…
E159 · 8 Dec 2023 · 1 hr 7 min
0155: Review For A Million
What do we think of the new 007-themed reality show? In a drought of James Bond action, an oasis appeared on the horizon: an officially branded streaming series! 007: Road To A Million is the first (and only, according to Barbara Broccoli) venture into spin-off territory. Will the budget of Amazon Prime, the deep lore of the Bond series, and the savvy of experienced producers create something fans and casual viewers can enjoy alike? We ask the panel to find out - and if not - how the show could be improved for the already commissioned second series. The recording took place on November 17th,…
E158 · 9 Sep 2023 · 1 hr 6 min
0154: Tomorrow’s News Today
What has been going on with James Bond this summer? You wait around for news for months and then it all comes at once! We round up the latest developments on the 007 franchise with a new game, new books, new rumours on Bond 26, a 70th anniversary event for Casino Royale, and some continuation controversy. We round out with a discussion about the state of home media releases and whether or not we'll ever see a 4K Bluray boxset. The recording took place on September 8th, 2023 in the USA and Spain. James Page is a co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential David Leigh runs…
E157 · 9 Jun 2023 · 1 hr 43 min
0153: Unmade Bond 17 (1991)
What was the second draft of Timothy Dalton's unmade third film like? Timothy Dalton's third James Bond film is one of the great 'what ifs' of the series, and over the years various incarnations have come to light. In episode 0151, we covered the first attempt to pen Dalton's third in 1990. In this episode, we pick up the writing several months later when William Davies and William Osborne delivered the next version of the story in 1991. Several key elements were added including Bond facing up to his age, elements from Diamonds Are Forever, a second act in Las Vegas that featured cowboys and…
E156 · 14 May 2023 · 30 min
0152: The Lost Adventures
How many James Bond stories are out of circulation or out of reach? Mark Edlitz is the author of two books about James Bond, but it wasn’t his intention to write them both. The product of years of research and carefully selected interviews, these books tell the stories in the subjects’ own words. ‘The Many Lives Of James Bond’ talks to as many people who have developed, drawn, played or voiced James Bond, to better understand the character and the various portrayers’ interpretations of the iconic spy. The second book, and the subject of this discussion, is something of a spillover from the…
E155 · 25 Mar 2023 · 1 hr 51 min
0151: Unmade Bond 17 (1990)
What was the very first draft of Timothy Dalton's unmade third film like? Timothy Dalton's third James Bond film is one of the great 'what ifs' of the series, and over the years various incarnations have come to light. Recently, we dusted off the first-ever draft of what could have been Dalton's follow-up to Licence To Kill. Dated July 7th, 1990, this rarely-seen script was penned by Michael G. Wilson and American writer Alfonse Ruggerio. Many of its elements would survive in later films for Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, but the locations and tech elements of this draft lend their own…
E154 · 2 Feb 2023 · 52 min
0150: There Is No Substitute
Is the GoldenEye 007 re-release everything we hoped it would be? It's a time we thought we may never see: an official re-release of the revolutionary record-breaking James Bond videogame 'GoldenEye 007.' Originally published for the Nintendo 64 back in 1997, fans can now step back in time with a Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series S/X release that dropped on January 27th 2023. How did we get finally get here? What are the differences between the versions? Has the power of nostalgia papered over some of the cracks, or will new gamers genuinely enjoy this classic today? We also reveal the…
E153 · 7 Jan 2023 · 1 hr 37 min
0149: Unmade Warhead
How crazy were Sean Connery and Kevin McClory's script ideas back in 1978? Based on 'James Bond of the Secret Service' written in the 1950s, which would eventually become the novel 'Thunderball,' then a film of the same name, and years later even more script variations, 'Warhead' 1978 is the topic of this episode of our 'Unmade' season of episodes about James Bond films that never got filmed as intended. How much would survive in to the production that ultimately became 'Never Say Never Again'? Hold on to your hats for invisible cliffs, nuclear powered undersea cities, robotic sharks,…
E152 · 24 Dec 2022 · 19 min
0148: The Lost Daylights Tape
What treasures have we dragged out of the archive? Pull up a comfy chair in front of the fireplace, pour yourself a drink, and sit back and enjoy this 1987 production of The Living Daylights as we ring in the festive season and wish everyone a happy new year. Originally performed by The Rainbow Theatre in the UK for an audio cassette and read-along book, the story of the film is condensed to just 17 minutes. Who played James Bond? If you know - drop us a line. You can email the show at [email protected] This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2022
E151 · 26 Nov 2022 · 1 hr 38 min
0147: Unmade Bond 24
What ideas were jettisoned from the script that ultimately became Spectre? The creative path on the 24th James Bond film had more twists and turns than perhaps any of the 007 productions before it, and due to a massive Sony Pictures leak, some of those debates, decisions, and debacles were exposed. We run through the early 2014 state of the film before the serious work was done on getting the script tightened up for filming (months behind schedule) and run through the later drafts scene by scene picking out the changes that were made from the version we all saw on screen. A female villain, a…
E150 · 28 Oct 2022 · 1 hr 19 min
0146: Happy Anniversary Mr. Bond
How well was the 60th anniversary celebrated? We're back with our first regular episode in months (after wrapping the weekly 'Debrief' season) to share our thoughts on James Bond's cinematic 60th anniversary. We report from Christie's where there was an exclusive interview with producer Michael G. Wilson, review the 'Sound of 007' documentary and Royal Albert Hall concert, run through the box-office success of the UK cinema re-releases, and cast our eye over the plethora of merch. YouTube playlist of the concert: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9LMzfbvwC9IRxYAyck-MyPDHdC9uslQK The…
E149 · 1 Oct 2022 · 1 hr 11 min
0145: Debrief: No Time To Die
In this mission debrief for NO TIME TO DIE, we identify the iconic elements we would use to describe it as "the one with", shake the Bond cocktail and pick this film's most potent ingredients, toot the horn for underappreciated elements, round up our favourite trivia tidbits, and give our final top/middle/bottom rankings. James Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. But when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA asks for help, he finds himself facing off against a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. The recording took place on…
E148 · 27 Sep 2022 · 32 min
0144: Double Or Nothing
A couple of weeks ago, we were kindly invited by Ian Fleming Publications and Harper Collins to interview author Kim Sherwood on stage at the London book launch of 'Double Or Nothing.' Shortly before we went in front of the specially invited audience, we recorded this exclusive interview with Kim about her life with James Bond, how she landed the gig, what her approach to penning an expansion to the Double-O section was, and much, much more! James Bond is missing…007 has been captured, perhaps even killed, by a sinister private military company. His whereabouts unknown. Meet the new…
E147 · 24 Sep 2022 · 1 hr 12 min
0143: Debrief: Spectre
In this mission debrief for SPECTRE, we identify the iconic elements we would use to describe it as "the one with", shake the Bond cocktail and pick this film's most potent ingredients, toot the horn for underappreciated elements, round up our favourite trivia tidbits, and give our final top/middle/bottom rankings. A cryptic message from the past sends James Bond on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia Sciarra, the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister…
E146 · 16 Sep 2022 · 1 hr 13 min
0142: Debrief: Skyfall
In this mission debrief for SKYFALL, we identify the iconic elements we would use to describe it as "the one with", shake the Bond cocktail and pick this film's most potent ingredients, toot the horn for underappreciated elements, round up our favourite trivia tidbits, and give our final top/middle/bottom rankings. James Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her, and Bond's own doubts about his life and livelihood start to creep in. As MI6 comes under attack and Bond is sent to Shanghai to investigate, he must keep his focus on tracking down and destroying the threat…
E145 · 9 Sep 2022 · 1 hr 8 min
0141: Debrief: Quantum of Solace
In this mission debrief for QUANTUM OF SOLACE, we identify the iconic elements we would use to describe it as "the one with", shake the Bond cocktail and pick this film's most potent ingredients, toot the horn for underappreciated elements, round up our favourite trivia tidbits, and give our final top/middle/bottom rankings. Agent 007 and M's interrogation of Mr White proves no one can be trusted on James Bond's newest action adventure, "Quantum of Solace". Fueled by the betrayal of Vesper, the woman he loved, Bond's determination to track down the mastermind behind White's sinister…
E144 · 2 Sep 2022 · 1 hr 3 min
0140: Debrief: Casino Royale
In this mission debrief for CASINO ROYALE, we identify the iconic elements we would use to describe it as "the one with", shake the Bond cocktail and pick this film's most potent ingredients, toot the horn for underappreciated elements, round up our favourite trivia tidbits, and give our final top/middle/bottom rankings. James Bond's first "007" mission leads him to Le Chiffre, banker to the world's terrorists. In order to stop him, and bring down the terrorist network, Bond must beat Le Chiffre in a poker game at the Casino Royale. Bond meets a beautiful British Treasury official, Vesper…
E143 · 27 Aug 2022 · 1 hr 6 min
0139: Debrief: Die Another Day
In this mission debrief for DIE ANOTHER DAY, we identify the iconic elements we would use to describe it as "the one with", shake the Bond cocktail and pick this film's most potent ingredients, toot the horn for underappreciated elements, round up our favourite trivia tidbits, and give our final top/middle/bottom rankings. When his top-secret mission is sabotaged, James Bond finds himself captured by the enemy, abandoned by MI6 and stripped of his 00-licence. Determined to get revenge, Bond goes head-to-head with a sultry spy, a frosty agent, and a shadowy billionaire whose business is…
E142 · 20 Aug 2022 · 42 min
0138: Debrief: The World Is Not Enough
In this mission debrief for THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, we identify the iconic elements we would use to describe it as "the one with", shake the Bond cocktail and pick this film's most potent ingredients, toot the horn for underappreciated elements, round up our favourite trivia tidbits, and give our final top/middle/bottom rankings. When the suave Agent 007 is assigned to protect an oil heiress, he is catapulted into a passionate, adrenaline-charged adventure that pits him against one of his most deadly adversaries: Renard, a ruthless anarchist whose total imperviousness to pain makes him a…
E141 · 13 Aug 2022 · 1 hr 1 min
0137: Debrief: Tomorrow Never Dies
In this mission debrief for TOMORROW NEVER DIES, we identify the iconic elements we would use to describe it as "the one with", shake the Bond cocktail and pick this film's most potent ingredients, toot the horn for underappreciated elements, round up our favourite trivia tidbits, and give our final top/middle/bottom rankings. A deranged media mogul is staging international incidents to pit the worlds' superpowers against each other. Now 007 must take on this evil mastermind in an adrenaline-charged battle to end his reign of terror and prevent global pandemonium! The recording took place on…
E140 · 5 Aug 2022 · 1 hr 12 min
0136: Debrief: GoldenEye
In this mission debrief for GOLDENEYE, we identify the iconic elements we would use to describe it as "the one with", shake the Bond cocktail and pick this film's most potent ingredients, toot the horn for underappreciated elements, round up our favourite trivia tidbits, and give our final top/middle/bottom rankings. Pierce Brosnan ignites the screen in his first adventure as the unstoppable James Bond. When a powerful satellite system falls into the hands of a former ally-turned-enemy, only 007 can save the world from an awesome space weapon that - in one short pulse - could destroy the…
E139 · 29 Jul 2022 · 1 hr 8 min
0135: Debrief: Licence To Kill
In this mission debrief for LICENCE TO KILL, we identify the iconic elements we would use to describe it as "the one with", shake the Bond cocktail and pick this film's most potent ingredients, toot the horn for underappreciated elements, round up our favourite trivia tidbits, and give our final top/middle/bottom rankings. James Bond takes on his most daring adventure ever when he turns renegade and goes head to head with one of the international drug cartel' most brutal and powerful leaders. This time, he's fighting not for his country, not for justice... but for revenge. The recording took…
E138 · 22 Jul 2022 · 50 min
0134: Debrief: The Living Daylights
In this mission debrief for THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, we identify the iconic elements we would use to describe it as "the one with", shake the Bond cocktail and pick this film's most potent ingredients, toot the horn for underappreciated elements, round up our favourite trivia tidbits, and give our final top/middle/bottom rankings. Timothy Dalton is suave and lethal as superagent James Bond in this turbo-charged acting/adventure that pulls out the stops for excitement. Armed with a gadget-laden Aston Martin and his licence to kill, Agent 007 must stop a terrifying weapons conspiracy that may be…
E137 · 16 Jul 2022 · 48 min
0133: Debrief: A View To A Kill
In this mission debrief for A VIEW TO A KILL, we identify the iconic elements we would use to describe it as "the one with", shake the Bond cocktail and pick this film's most potent ingredients, toot the horn for underappreciated elements, round up our favourite trivia tidbits, and give our final top/middle/bottom rankings. Agent 007 races against time to stop a power-mad industrialist who plots to kill millions in order to corner the world's microchip supply. From the Eiffel Tower to the top of Golden Gate Bridge, James Bond can't be stopped! The recording took place on May 18th, 2022 in…
E136 · 8 Jul 2022 · 45 min
0132: Debrief: Octopussy
In this mission debrief for OCTOPUSSY, we identify the iconic elements we would use to describe it as "the one with", shake the Bond cocktail and pick this film's most potent ingredients, toot the horn for underappreciated elements, round up our favourite trivia tidbits, and give our final top/middle/bottom rankings. James Bond may have met his match in Octopussy, an entrancing beauty involved in a devastating military plot to destroy détente. From the palaces of India to a speeding circus train in Germany and a mid-air battle on the wing of a high-flying jet, only Agent 007 can stop the…

About James Bond & Friends

007 experts and fans from around the world discuss the latest news and views on the James Bond universe. Contact the show via Twitter hashtag #askbond

James Bond & Friends is a English film & tv podcast from MI6. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: MI6
Language: English
Category: Film & TV
New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 1 hr 7 min
Latest episode: 7 Aug 2025
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1455758394

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