LICENSE RENEWED. 007 IS BACK IN ACTION!

Daniel Craig as 007. Without doubt, the best Bond since Connery! Image: EON/MGM.

With his license to kill about to be re-activated, the news of Daniel Craig's return to the big screen as British Secret Agent 007 James Bond in November 2012 (from a script by BOND regulars Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, and GLADIATOR's John Logan, directed by AMERICAN BEAUTY's Sam Mendes) has, despite the long four year break in the film series due to legal and financial problems involving its makers, MGM, been met once more with well deserved and intense worldwide interest from audiences keen to see the iconic spy, the grand-daddy of them all, in true globe-trotting, villain beating, babe smooching action once again. First created by Ian Fleming as an amusing and diverting way to get over the stress of his impending marriage to wife Anne in 1952, the character of Bond, a loyal member of Her Majesty's Secret Service, continues to endure beyond the authors original, and brilliantly written, fourteen books, and has the rare knack of being able to adapt to the worlds ever evolving times and events around him with the kind of consummate ease he shows whilst drinking a dry martini (and that's shaken, not stirred!). In fact, Bond as a name, character and internationally successful franchise has become a kind of trustworthy security blanket for film and TV audiences who, watching the adventures (both old and new, across all six actors to have brought their own unique charms and identities in their playing of the part), know they'll be well entertained by his exploits in quality made films.

Celebrating this important return, and the recent press announcement, the info packed UK BBC archives have opened up their vaults to a wealth of fascinating TV related behind the scenes material on the character/novels/films for historians and Bond lovers to enjoy, including a rarely seen Alan Whicker presented documentary from 1968 that goes behind the scenes of the classic Sean Connery film YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (y'know, that one in Japan with the Ninjas and the spaceship in the volcano!) and some intriguing Ian Fleming audio material.

Check out the link here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/james_bond/

And, after strong sales of the previous tale DEVIL MAY CARE (from Sebastian Faulks), Bond will also soon be back in literary form with another new original fiction novel, CARTE BLANCHE, set in Dubai, and written by thriller writer Jefferey Deaver, from May of this year. We're more than sure it'll be another best seller and a nice warm-up for the next cinematic adventure!