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I would never confuse Campbell for Hitchcock or a great director. I just think he knew the right beats as a good Bond director and seemed to deliver two great movies.
Back in the fifties it's a widely known fact that Fleming was trying to get Bond on any screen he could. Based on the success of CR in 1954 CBS began to explore bringing Bond back to the small screen. In 1958 Fleming was commissioned by CBS to draft some plotlines for a TV series based on James Bond. The deal fell through and Fleming took the treatments and created a series of short stories called For Your Eyes Only. Soon EON would come calling and the rest is history.
My what if scenario is simple. What if CBS had gone ahead and created a TV show based on James Bond? Would Bond had ever made it to the silver screen? Do we think a Bond TV show would have created the cultural blast that the movies delivered? What would a 1958 TV series about James Bond look like?
What say you Mi6? What if James Bond had become a TV series instead of a film series?
Maybe it would have happened like it did with Mission Impossible; a run on TV, a return to TV a couple decades later, then brought to the screen in the 90's? Another example is The Man from U.N.C.L.E; maybe Bond would have been brought to the screen as a period film (or films) instead. That could have been interesting to watch, actually.
I think it would be interesting to see a weekly show about James Bond. I agree that in 1958 this would limit the travel the show did and the scope would be scaled down. We might get more into the character of Bond though. My question is would CBS want him to be Jimmy Bond or would they allow him to be British?
Do you think the American TV would allow him to be British?
First a back story to this what if is in order. Kevin McClory had remake rights 10 years after TB came out. This meant in 1975 he could legally produce and release another Bond picture...provided it followed the plot of TB. In 1975 McClory started getting his ducks in a row for a production. He hired Len Deighton to write a screen play. He gave Connery the creative control he was looking for and therefore scored a coup with Sean planning to return to the role. He even won a small court battle with EON over their script of TSWLM. McClory claiming that Spy wasn't allowed to use Blofeld or SPECTRE has planned since both had come from TB. EON ended up taking Kevin to court over his proposed movie. Connery sensing things weren't quite right pulled out and Warhead was dead in the water.
But what if that court stuff hadn't happened. What if Kevin McClory was able to get his film off the ground and released in 1977? The film would star Connery, with a script by Len Deighton. It was rumoured that Richard Attenborough would direct and Orson Welles would star as Blofeld.
What say you Mi6? What if McClory had released his remake of TB in 1977 called Warhead? Would it have been a success? Would it effect Spy? How do you think Sean Connery would have been welcomed back as Bond in 1977?
I'm not so sure the dynamic would have been similar to OP/NSNA. By OP, Moore had the role for ten years and definitively solidified himself as a credible Bond worth going up against Connery's rival film. It was practically an even match. Two legends with each having a generation of fans.
To go back to 1977, we'd have to consider the timing of releases between TSWLM and WH, and what was Moore's stance when it came to the legacy of Bond. Prior to the release of TSWLM, Moore had only done two films. LALD being the highest grossing Bond film of the series, followed by a very sharp drop with TMWTGG that was below part both critically and financially. This is why McClory was being so brazen at this point with his lawsuits and hiring of Connery. He could smell the blood in the water, and was ready for the kill. Could TSWLM have stood a chance against a Connery project the way OP had? If it did, I think it would have been seen as an even bigger triumph for Moore to pull off. If it didn't, it may have added to the narrative of Connery being the top Bond.
The only reason McClory ever got to get ONE Bond film made at all was because of Connery, and Connery alone. Him managing to get a film made without him seems way too unrealistic, let alone the idea of Dalton actually willing to participate in a rival film against EON. Truthfully he was insanely lucky to convince Connery to get in on the project. Had he not, I don't think anyone would have taken McClory seriously.
I'm going to come out and admit it now... I really wish McClory's third version of the story with Timothy Dalton got made. That would have been cracking fun.
I imagine had things gone as planned WARHEAD might have had a similar tone to a Roger style film. Somewhere I read the proposed film described as "Star Wars underwater".
Initially Connery joined the project as script collaborator and writer with no intention whatsoever of playing Bond. I don't believe Micheline suggested he play the role until much later, around the time NSNA was becoming a reality.
I think a big "what if" might be who McClory was considering to play Bond against Roger's TSWLM.
Anyway, I have read that Trevor Howard was cast as M.
Okay sounds like we have another what if for another day. What if Dalton had made the film in the 90's with McClory and Sony.
As for this battle. I like the scene set of @MakeshiftPython and it is something I had never considered before. Moore was on shaky footing in 1977, the whole series was and I think McClory had a chance to get a victory in his battle of the Bonds. But I think he got a bit too cocky and it cost him a chance.
I think Connery in 1976-77 was in good shape and would bring his A game. Whether a script that dealt with sharks and NYC would be taken serious or play to his strengths I am not really sure. I think it would have been a closer battle then we may think.
Liam Neeson was often linked at that time too.
Anyone know if there's any truth to that one?
If we can take the discussion back to 1977. (though I think a future What if will deal with Warhead 2000).
Broccoli was already planning Spy to be a big adventure. Warhead would need to match it. I believe it was Paramount who was the studio going to make a go of the film. They had provided a budget of $22 million which sounds quite small but back in those days that was a good chunk of change. All my research says Connery would star as Bond. But if you don't think he would, who else could they have got in 1977 to play the role?
I find it interesting that both Spy and Warhead would have heavily featured underwater action and plots. That might have made it even more interesting in a battle of the Bond scenario. Hamlish was tied to Spy, would Barry had been able to score Warhead? Or too loyal to Broccoli?