Our movie podcast recommendation of the week is delving deep into the world of James Bond 007.
On 5th October 1962, moviegoers were introduced to the epitome of the suave, sophisticated gentleman spy when Dr. No premiered in London. It was the first of a lengthy and popular series based on Ian Fleming’s spy novels, with then-unknown actor Sean Connery playing the title character, codename Agent 007.
His character is initially introduced in the movie as he sits at a casino next to a stunning woman who is about to blow her money gambling. The camera pans to Bond lighting a cigarette as she asks 007 his name. He says the famous words, “Bond, James Bond,” with a glint in his eye.
No other film series has the longevity and ability to reinvent itself that James Bond does, nor the penchant for a Martini, shaken not stirred. We had to do something to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the James Bond franchise, and there was only one podcast we could get in touch with. A podcast going through the A-Z of the James Bond franchise: The James Bond A-Z Podcast.
Hosted by Tom Butler and Brendan Duffy, The James Bond A-Z Podcast was originally conceived to bridge the gap between waiting for the latest James Bond adventure No Time To Die, after it was consistently shifted from its original November 2019 release date. When it was postponed again in late 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Tom, Brendan and original co-host Tom Wheatley decided to use the delay to their advantage, and release the James Bond podcast they’d always wanted to, in anticipation of the new movie’s eventual release.
The trio became a duo after Covid restrictions eased and Tom Wheatley left the podcast, because real life does sometimes come first, but inspired by The A-Z of David Bowie podcast, Tom and Brendan forged ahead, putting their childhood love of watching Bond on the TV to good use. This is a podcast where nostalgia and future come together, as The James Bond A-Z Podcast focuses on all iterations of the character of Bond, his gadgets, his colleagues, as well as on the world he inhabits.
Everyone has a favourite Bond; Tom’s is Roger Moore and Brendan’s is Pierce Brosnan. Bond is more than just the actor playing him though, he’s a hero who has flaws, as well as that infamous licence to kill. Like the titular character himself, The James Bond A-Z Podcast is relatable. It’s made by people who clearly have a passion for the subject matter, and this is reflected in the thorough research that takes place for each episode.
You don’t even need to be a hardcore Bond fan to enjoy episodes either. There’s no gatekeeping within the Bond fandom, and episodes of The James Bond A-Z Podcast are perfectly suited to new fans to learn everything you need to about Bond. This is a celebration of Bond, and how amazing is it that sixty years later, we’re still celebrating this extraordinary character, as he evolves through cinema.
The future of Bond is bright, according to Tom and Brendan, and they believe Amazon will take good care of the character and his legacy. I think we can also entrust the care of podcasting about the character to Tom and Brendan.
In the style of the late Desmond Llewelyn’s Q – “Go and listen to this podcast, 007!”
Recommended episode: Episode 20 – Q: Desmond Llewelyn, Ben Whishaw, the gadgets and more – (18 August 2022) – https://open.spotify.com/episode/4uy1iXvNXCzjCohnwOOINl?si=7d1343e982ec48d0&nd=1
The James Bond A-Z Podcast can be found at:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-james-bond-a-z-podcast/id1547415802?uo=4
And followed at:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamesBondAtoZ
All episodes of The James Bond A-Z Podcast are available and can be listened to or downloaded from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from.
Are you a British movie podcast who would like to be featured on Film Stories? We welcome all suggestions and requests, but we especially want to hear from you if you’re female, BIPOC, non-binary, LGBTQIA+ or have a disability. Email Em – verbaldiorama at gmail co uk (Just remove the spaces and add the ‘@’ and the dots, but don’t send spam. She’s vegetarian.)
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