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https://bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0004sb9
I'm sure he'll make a BIG impression! ;)
I couldn't when I tried
Well according to a member on here, a different company once came close to doing Bond audio dramas (this was a while back, before they'd started these radio adaptations) for commercial realease, but EON got cold feet at the last minute because they were worried about it affecting DVD sales for some reason. So these radio plays not being commercially available is likely the only reason EON allowed them to happen in the first place.
The BBC originally managed to agree a one-off production of Doctor No for the centenary of Flemings' birth. It was so well received that they have been allowed to continue with them as long as they are not downloadable (see further down) or available for purchase from the BBC. As it stands I make it that (including the version of YOLT with Michael Jayston as Bond), the Beeb (or at least Jarvis & Ayres on behalf of the Beeb) have produced 9 out of the 12 full novels. I doubt they'd be able to do a successful adaptation of the original TSWLM, given how the structure is so vastly different to anu other Bond Novel, so that's just CR and TMWTGG of the original Fleming novels left to go! Maybe they'll do a version of Colonel Sun (I can hope).
Interestingly with LALD, that makes Toby Stephens the actor who's played Bond in the most officially licenced Dramatic presentations, with 8 appearances. Well done Toby!
As for being able to download the Beeb dramas from iPlayer, there *are* ways of doing it (not that I am suggesting that anyone should try these, of course). There are programs like Get_iPlayer Automator that work with both Windows & Mac that allow folks to download pretty much anything on either the BBC or ITV.
For the adaptations that are no longer on iPlayer, there used to be copies of them on youtube that you could stream in good quality.
There is software that will record your screen ... audio and video ...
There is indeed. However, for ease of creating a simple mp3 for radio program or video file of a TV show, Get_iPlayer Automator is (I hear!) the simplest way. I couldn't, of course, say that I use it regularly to save radio broadcasts like LALD (along with the other BBC Radio Bond dramas), I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, etc or TV shows like Dr Who, QI, Endeavour, and many more besides. Seriously, I suggest you check it out.
If anyone is after a specific one, I still have them all saved ;)
For that statement alone I salute you, @Fearless_Fred! May I extend a warm welcome to you to our MI6 Community! I can already tell you will be a valuable addition to the ranks.
You know I'd never even considered the possibility of these BBC radio plays doing one of the Bond continuation novels as well! However, with Kingsley Amis' Colonel Sun being as near to an honorary part of the Fleming canon as you can get it would be great to see it get a radio adaptation!
Something that does give me hope (as a longtime advocate of the Bond continuation novels and their film adaptation) is the fact that the last Bond film Spectre (2015) contained a scene that adapted and quoted verbatim from the torture scene of Colonel Sun. That was the first overt use of a continuation novel as a source for a Bond film script. If that precedent is anything to go by (see my thread on that subject here: https://www.mi6community.com/discussion/18579/has-the-use-of-the-colonel-sun-torture-scene-in-spectre-set-a-precedent-for-future-james-bond-films) then a radio adaptation could well be on the cards.
I'd certainly heartily endorse such a radio adaptation and if Jarvis & Ayres or the BBC are perchance reading this post I'd say just more one thing: Do it!
I have a doubt that the Radio adaptations will include any continuation novels, sadly. I just think that EON will consider that a step too far. However, it'll depend on the precise legal terms between EON and Ian Fleming Publications Ltd & The Ian Fleming Estate. The former hold the Film rights, the latter two hold the Book rights (hence the recent novels from Faulks, Deaver, Boyd, & Horowitz). If (and it's a BIG if) the terms allow IFP Ltd & IFE to produce an audio dramatisation of any published works, then there's a hope. They already hold the rights to Audiobook versions, but I somehow doubt that on its own is enough to cover a full-blown dramatised version.
They'd also have to consider how to handle the role that Martin Jarvis plays in the production. He's effectively the Narrator, but it's billed & announced as "The voice of Ian Fleming". Do they switch to "The Voice of XXX XXXX"? Or what about "Extra Narration by Martin Jarvis"?
Anyway, let's keep out fingers crossed that they *can* somehow keep going with these audio versions.
People always ask for the films to be set in the 50's/60's but this is it. You couldn't get closer or do better. The lack of action and increase of dialogue would never work unless you remarketed what Bond films were. I'm so pleased they exist and hope the last four are made.
I agree that this is probably the closest we'll get, as EON don't seem bothered about branching out/franchising, but there is another avenue where it could work. TV. I think you're right, people have certain expectations from Bond films now that'd make faithful adaptations of the books impossible. And to be honest I wouldn't want the films to go down that road either. Bond has always moved with the times. That's how the films have gone on so long and it should never change.
But a TV series would be a different thing altogether. If made and marketed towards the right (adult, post watershed) crowd, it'd have none of the blockbuster expectations that the films do. TV drama in general is much more slow burn anyway, and we're in a golden age of it right now in terms of production values, famous actors, writing quality, etc. It's not an inferior medium anymore. So I reckon the BBC (I'd kill for a Moffat/Gattiss Bond series) or HBO or someone could do a brilliant job of adapting the novels if given the chance.
Back to these radio plays, it will be great to listen to them in order when the set is complete.
I'm looking forward to hearing Toby Stephens' portrayal in YOLT. His performance really rings true to Bond from the books.
From what I heard, the original plan was to cover all.of Fleming's works. I think they're more sporadic now but we can hope that they'll eventually be completed.
Yes, it looks like they're going to do all of the Fleming Bond novels and maybe even the short stories too somehow though that remains to be seen of course.
I just thought that with the revival of my thread I'd perhaps missed an announcement on the next Radio 4 adaptation! :)
Sorry to get your hopes up. I can't imagine YOLT will be far away. They've done practically all the others.
Don't worry about that. Yes, I'll be looking forward to them doing YOLT even though BBC Radio did a good version of it back in 1990 with Michael Jayston as Bond.