James Bond: The First 21 Years

Presented to help promote "Octopussy", this show was different in that instead of just showing clips from previous Bond movies demonstrating Bond's skills, this special has experts in different fields acting like Bond is a real person. For example, Jackie Stewart comments on Bond's driving ability and a clip from "Diamonds are Forever" plays, Arnold Palmer talks about his golfing prowess and we see Bond playing golf in "Goldfinger". Even then-president Ronald Reagan talks about Bond in terms of his intelligence service. One of the more humorous ones was a wildlife expert using the crocodile sequence in "Live and Let Die" to demonstrate Bond's knowledge of animals. A very enjoyable special.

What a rarity! This 60 minute programme broadcast on England's ITV channel (Thames Television) on 13th June 1983 achieved one of the biggest audiences of the year but, strangely, has never been screened since; nor has it turned up as a supplementary/special feature on any of the Bond film DVD/video releases. Billed as Hollywood's tribute to Britain's most successful film series, it's certainly the most star-studded of the various James Bond TV tribute shows. It featured filmed contributions from, among others:- Burt Reynolds, John Travolta, Al Pacino, Dean Martin, Ryan O'Neal, Farrah Fawcett, Kirk Douglas, Bob Hope, Burt Lancaster, Tom Selleck, Ernest Borgnine, Ursula Andress, Britt Ekland and even.....Frank Sinatra and President Reagan! Possibly not screened since its original airing for legal reasons. I would guess it's residing in the archives of London Weekend Television or Thames Television. Definitely worth watching if it ever surfaces again!

James Bond: The First 21 Years Production Company: London Weekend Television Executive Producer: Richard Drewett Producer: Charles Brand

Rather confusingly there seems to have been two versions made of this program. This version, which I believe was only shown in the United Kingdom and an alternative version which was shown in the United States and the rest of the world.

The alternate version is the one that turns up now and again on You Tube and features contributions from in order of appearance:- Roger Moore, Ronald Reagan, James Garner, Jill St. John, Bob Hope, Telly Savalas, Gen. Alexander Haig, Liberace, Capt. R. N. Husk, Burt Reynolds, C.I.A. director William Colby, Capt Mickey Munn of the Red Devils, Ernest Borgnine, Arnold Schwarzenneger, Alastair Cooke, James Stewart, Jackie Stewart, Henry Ford II, Stirling Moss, Gregory Peck, Frank Sinatra, Henry Cooper, Muhammad Ali, Howard Keel, Fred Truman, Bjorn Borg, Bobby Charlton, Arnold Palmer, Tony Jacklin, Capt. Mark Phillips, Barry Sheene, Jimmy Tarbuck, Joan Collins, Paul McCartney, Lord Lichfield, Denis Nordern. David Frost, John Hodge, Robert Wagner, Stefanie Powers, Hal Linden, Barbara Woodhouse, Christopher Reeve, Peter Marsh.

The alternate version differs from the version shown in the U.K. in that it is a) more "jokey" in nature and b) contains an opening introduction appearance by Roger Moore.

Having seen both versions the alternate version for some reason does not seem to have as high production values as the version which was shown in the UK, the U.K. version looks a bit glossier and seems to have had more money spent on it.

To add to the confusion both versions contain contributions from some of the same people, for example, Frank Sinatra. In the U.K. version Sinatra is filmed in his Palm Springs home stroking a black cat and says mysteriously "James I never forgot the way you had me in tears". In the alternative version he has been filmed at a different location and talks about having had a "dream in which he was James Bond". Some of the celebrities appearing in the U.K. version, but not the alternate version, are Ryan O'Neal, Dean Martin, Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, and astrologist Linda Goodman.

As one of the other IMDb user reviewers states the U.K. version hasn't been broadcast since 1983 and is probably gathering dust in an archive somewhere.