Bond & Beyond

A new podcast dedicated to the world's favourite secret agent. Every fortnight, Alex Boucher and James Batchelor delve into the world of Bond - not just the films that made him famous, but the original novels, video games and the many, many other characters inspired by him.

Dossier #80: The Ultimate James Bond Draft 12/16/2023

Dossier #80: The Ultimate James Bond Draft James and Alex return with something a little different. In this episode, we compete to see who can draft the Ultimate James Bond film by drawing from elements of all the previous films. We each choose our favourite Bond actor, villain, girl, henchman, vehicle, gadgets, locations, actions scenes and more in the hopes of creating a new Bond adventure that would be a worthy addition to the series. And here's the crucial bit: You decide who wins. Head to our and profiles to find the poll and vote for your favourite. You have 007 days, and we'll reveal the winner at a later date. So listen through, and choose your Ultimate James Bond Film. If you want to email us, you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at . /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/29109628

Dossier #79: With A Mind To Kill 11/12/2023

Dossier #79: With A Mind To Kill Alex and James review Anthony Horowitz's third and final Bond novel, With A Mind To Kill. Set after the events of The Man With The Golden Gun (the original Ian Fleming novel, not the slide-whistle stunt film), the story sees Bond sent back into the heart of Russia to face the people who brainwashed him to kill M - while pretending that mission was successful. The stakes are raised as they evaluate him for another mission with dire consequences. Will he succeed? Will he be discovered? And how does this compare to Horowitz's Trigger Mortis and Forever And A Day? Spoilers abound, as we review With A Mind To Kill. If you want to email us (we are reading them, we promise!), you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at . /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/28599088

Dossier #78: Overdue Bonding 10/23/2023

Dossier #78: Overdue Bonding Alex and James are back after a shamefully long absence, and the topic of this episode is all things Bond. We catch up on what we've been up to Bond-wise (and non-Bond-wise) for the past almost-year, including revisiting classic 007 video games, introducing the next generation of Bond fan to the original films, reading various Bond books, and weighing up the ongoing rumours as to who will be donning that tuxedo for Bond 26. It's good to be back. /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/28399958

Dossier #77: Woefully Late Mailbag 12/03/2022

Dossier #77: Woefully Late Mailbag In October 2021, you sent us your thoughts on No Time To Die. In June 2022, we recorded our responses. Now, in December 2022, we finally share them with you. We're very, very sorry. If you want to email us (we are reading them, we promise!), you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at . /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/25209441

Dossier #76: The Sound of 007 10/19/2022

Dossier #76: The Sound of 007 Alex and James are joined by long-time friend of the show Rick Van Beem to discuss the Sound of 007 concert at the Royal Albert Hall, part of the 60th anniversary celebrations for James Bond's cinematic outings. James and Rick were able to go and see the concert live, and you can watch highlights on Amazon Prime Video (or via this . The trio discuss their favourite moments, the quality of performances by an impressive roster of singers (including Dame Shirely Bassey herself), and a few surprises from the line-up. WARNING: Naturally, this being a soundtrack-centric episode, James gets a little too enthusiastic. If you want to email us, you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at . /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/24739401

Dossier #75: 60 Years, 60 Facts - Part 2 09/15/2022

Dossier #75: 60 Years, 60 Facts - Part 2 Continuing our celebration of James Bond's 60th Anniversary in cinemas, we gather another 20 facts from the history of the franchise and attempt to out-fact each other with the trivia we have uncovered. (Why not play along, see how many you already know? And if you haven't done so, be sure to go back and listen to the first episode. Oh, and here's ) Challenge us by sending in your own facts to . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at . /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/24390315

Dossier #74: Reinventing Bond 08/26/2022

Dossier #74: Reinventing Bond Earlier this year (actually, the same week we recorded this episode - so sorry for the delay), Bond overseers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson hinted that the next 007 film would be something of a reinvention. Which leaves us with a LOT of questions. On this episode, we discuss the various implications of reinventing Bond - especially in light of how dramatically Daniel Craig modernised the character - and the delicate balance EON Productions faces in trying to find a new direction for 007 after the most recent era of films. If you want to email us, you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at . /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/24179352

Dossier #73: Goldenera interview 07/23/2022

Dossier #73: Goldenera interview Alex and James are joined by Drew Roller, director of Goldenera - a documentary that extensively tells the story of Goldeneye 64. Drew shares with us more about how he become interested in the development of the most iconic James Bond video game of all time, his own experiences with the franchise, and the discoveries he made during this project. If you have any memory of Goldeneye 64, this is the episode for you - and the documentary is absolutely a must watch. You can , as well as via Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Sky, Apple TV and Rakuten TV. Oh, and you may recognise one of the talking heads. If you want to email us, you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at . /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/23835857

Dossier #72: No Time To Die 06/05/2022

Dossier #72: No Time To Die Alex and James have had nine months to let the initial impressions of Craig's final 007 outing settle and are now ready to share their full opinions on No Time To Die. We work through the film in our standard review format, weighing up the highs and lows, while trying really hard not to get caught up in speculation as to what comes next. If you want to email us, you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at . /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/23332379

Dossier #71: 60 Years, 60 Facts - Part I 05/10/2022

Dossier #71: 60 Years, 60 Facts - Part I Alex and James are back. In the first of a three-part episode, we'll be celebrating 60 Years of the James Bond with 60 facts - and here's the first 20. Your two hosts have each found 10 pieces of trivia about the films, actors, and more, and test each other's knowledge: for every fact the other co-host did not already know, the fact giver receives one point. (Why not play along yourself? How many do you know?) Challenge us by sending in your own facts to . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at . /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/23069108

Dossier #70: Bond (And Beyond) Soundtracks 11/22/2021

Dossier #70: Bond (And Beyond) Soundtracks Alex and James are joined by composer and friend of the show Richey Rynkowski to discuss the best of Bond soundtracks. We speak to Richey about his experiences as a composer (including some brushes with Bond), and his thoughts on the highs and lows of the soundtracks found throughout the series. We also discuss the declining use of theme tunes, including in the Daniel Craig films - a topic that takes us on quite the tangent, and definitely into 'beyond' territory. If you want to email us, you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at . /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/21248750

Dossier #69: No Time To Die Mailbag 10/29/2021

Dossier #69: No Time To Die Mailbag Alex and James read out your thoughts on No Time To Die, Daniel Craig's final and perhaps most divisive outing as 007. If you want to email us, you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at . /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/20988773

Dossier #68: No Time To Die - initial report 10/05/2021

Dossier #68: No Time To Die - initial report The long wait is finally over. After six years, more than half a decade, 72 full months... you can finally find out what we think of No Time To Die. This is not our full review, which will save for a much later viewing, but our initial impressions of the long-awaited 25th James Bond film and Daniel Craig's final outing. Needless to say, there are spoilers abound! We discuss the highs and lows of No Time To Die, speculate about the future of 007, and try to process our surprisingly mixed feelings at what is perhaps the boldest Bond film to date. We would also love to know your thoughts, so email us via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com. /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/20719043

Dossier #67: Timothy Dalton retrospective 08/27/2021

Dossier #67: Timothy Dalton retrospective Alex and James are joined by special guest Matt for the first out a new series of episodes in which we look back at the tenure of each James Bond actor. We start with Timothy Dalton, divisive in his own way but beloved by many fans. Dalton took over the role at perhaps the most interesting moment in the series, and had just two films to demonstrate his Bondness. What was Dalton's legacy and how does he compare to his fellow Bonds? If you want to email us, you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at . /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/20288180

Dossier #66: Whatever happened to the real Bond cars? 08/17/2021

Dossier #66: Whatever happened to the real Bond cars? Something special for you this time, and the perfect follow-up to our Ranking The Bond Cars episode. Alex and James are joined by Alan Porter, author of and member of the - the group that tracks down, restores and exhibits all the vehicles used in the Bond movies. We speak to Porter about his work chronicling the world of 007 in the lexicon and the surprising stories behind the Bond In Motion exhibits and where some of the most iconic Bond cars have been found, including the f**king big lorry from Licence to Kill. If you want to email us, you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at . /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/20174447

Dossier #65: Ranking The Bond Cars 07/18/2021

Dossier #65: Ranking The Bond Cars Alex and James are rejoined by friend of the show Sam for our third ranking episode. This time, we're talking Bond cars. Listen in as we debate which is the greatest Bond car, taking one from each of the 24 films and judging them based on appearance, gadgetry, use in action sequences, whether or not 007 drives it, and a ton of other criteria we may or may not have been making up as we went. You can . Want to share your thoughts on our rankings? Email via . Or you can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com. /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/19847588

Dossier #64: Forever And A Day 04/24/2021

Dossier #64: Forever And A Day Following our review of Anthony Horowitz's debut Bond novel Trigger Mortis, we take a look at his second 007 story. 007 is dead, and an up-and-coming young agent (one James Bond) has been sent to investigate. Listen in as we walk through this tale of intrigue set in the south of France built around a gangsters, a cruise ship with plenty of fire extinguishers, a brilliant older woman character, a great NotFelix, some strong action sequences, and a Spider-Man style villain. Spoiler alert if you haven't read the book. If you want to email us, you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com. /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/18844841

Dossier #63: Trigger Mortis 01/22/2021

Dossier #63: Trigger Mortis James and Alex tackle their first book review: Trigger Mortis by Anthony Horowitz. SPOILER WARNING: We basically break down the whole book. In this non-Fleming Bond novel written in Fleming's style, 007 must protect a British racing legend from Russian assassins during a dangerous race on the Nurburgring - but that's not actually the plot. We talk about Horowitz's blend of action and insight into Bond, his attempt at creating an iconic Bond villain, the return of Pussy Galore and more. If you want to email us, you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com. /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/17653397

Dossier #62: Bond Games 12/12/2020

Dossier #62: Bond Games With the announcement that Hitman developer IO Interactive is working on a new James Bond game, Alex and James are joined by friend of the show and game developer Simon Smith to discuss 007's track record with video games. Naturally, a good chunk of this show is dedicated to our hopes for IO's new game, but we also explore the lack of James Bond games in the past decade, some of the best titles from before that, and why Goldeneye 64 might have been the worst thing to happen to James Bond games. If you want to email us, you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com. /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/17165066

Dossier #61: Ranking the Villains 11/20/2020

Dossier #61: Ranking the Villains Following the fun we had with our Ranking The Bond Songs episode, we attempt to rank something even more challenging: the villains. Alex Shaw of the - and author of - joins us to weigh up each Bond villain's plot based on how dangerous (or not) it is to the world. Some want to start a war. Some just want to make money. Some want to start a war to make money. But all are off their rocker, and now we have definitively ranked how villainous they truly are. If you want to spoil the results for yourself, you can . Want to share your thoughts on our rankings? Email via . Or you can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com. /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/16894190

Dossier #60: Remembering Sean Connery 11/04/2020

Dossier #60: Remembering Sean Connery Following the sad news of Sean Connery's passing, Alex and James pay tribute to the man who defined James Bond for so many people. We reflect on his varied career and some of his best roles, the quality of his performance as James Bond, some of his most iconic moments, his surprising final turn as 007 and more. Want to share your thoughts and memories of Sir Sean? Email us via . Or you can find us on Facebook (just search ‘Bond & Beyond’), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com. /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/16686527

Dossier #59: Bond Marathons 10/14/2020

Dossier #59: Bond Marathons Alex and James are joined by Richard and Nia Setters – our first Bond fan couple. The Setterses talk us through a particularly important coping mechanism for the COVID lockdown: a James Bond marathon. Every Monday night, they have watched a Bond film - from Dr No to Spectre. We discuss the highs and lows of the series, their thoughts on the best and worst Bonds, and an intriguing alternative form of marathon: Curry Bond. If you want to email us, you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com. /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/16406855

Dossier #58: (This is) No Time To Delay 10/10/2020

Dossier #58: (This is) No Time To Delay Alex and James are joined by friend of the show and regular guest Gez to discuss the terrible news: No Time To Die has been delayed. Again. Bond fans now have to wait until April 2021 to see 007's 25th outing, so in the meantime we kill about 40 minutes of the five-month extension to our wait by discussing: The Billie Eilish No Time To Die music video. The experience of going to the cinema during a pandemic. The Bondness of Tenet. The passing of Diana Rigg and Michael Lonsdale. Rumours that Tom Hardy or Henry Cavill could be the next Bond. Our worries for Bond 26 and the series' 60th anniversary. And many other things. If you want to email us, you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com. /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/16350197

#Dossier 57: No Time To Die Trailer 2 Discussion 09/03/2020

#Dossier 57: No Time To Die Trailer 2 Discussion With what is likely to be the final trailer for No Time To Die now availabe, Alex and James share their thoughts on this tantalising glimpse into Daniel Craig’s last outing. Tune in for a lot of excitement, a little apprehension and probably more speculation than is healthy give the trailer is less than three minutes long. Want to share your thoughts on the trailer? Email via . Or you can find us on Facebook (just search ‘Bond & Beyond’), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com. /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/15876875

Dossier #56: Ranking The Bond Songs 08/05/2020

Dossier #56: Ranking The Bond Songs James, Alex and special guest Sam attempt the unwise, perhaps the impossible: ranking the Bond title songs from best to worst. Setting themselves a strict(ish) time limit, our triumvirate picks apart each and every Bond anthem, weighing them up against each other as well as how well they stand up today. Some choices were easy, others were hard and heart-breaking. If you want to spoil the results for yourself, you can . This also includes the listener rankings as gathered via Facebook and Twitter (Thank you to everyone who took part). Want to share your thoughts on our rankings? Email via . Or you can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com. /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/15499100

Dossier #55: Bondisms on TV 05/20/2020

Dossier #55: Bondisms on TV Following our look at , James and Alex turn their attention towards TV. Once again, we're not discussing straight up Bond parodies or homages such as Archer, Chuck or Alias. Instead, we're looking at specific moments that pay tribute to film's most famous spy and unpack the elements of the Bond formula that people most instantly recognise. Join us for a journey that takes us from Friends and Frasier, through Alan Partridge and The Muppets, via THAT Simpsons epiosde, and even a long-lost sketch where Roger Moore performed as 007 almost a decade before Live and Let Die. Think of one we've missed? Email via . Or you can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com. /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/14502485

Dossier #54: Bondisms in animated and family films 05/01/2020

Dossier #54: Bondisms in animated and family films Alex and James look beyond Bond to see how 007 is honoured, referenced and even mocked in animated family films. Given the series' history of 50-plus years, it's no surprise that hallmarks of the Bond films appear in other movies but which key ingredients of 007's outings do people draw from? Our rambling discussion takes us from The Incredibles to Spies In Disguise, through Avengers and Bolt, and even to films as random as Monty Python's The Life Of Brian. Think of one we've missed? Email via . Or you can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com. /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/14242940

Dossier #53: Watch Party Announcement 03/23/2020

Dossier #53: Watch Party Announcement Hello, remember us? James and Alex are back with a short announcement: we're hosting a watch party, where we all gather on Facebook to share comments and thoughts on a classic James Bond film as we watch at the same time. We are starting (as Cubby's Law dictates) with Dr No, the 1962 big screen debut of Ian Fleming's superspy. We'll be pressing 'play' at 9pm GMT on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, and you can join in the fun right here: And, since it's been a while, we fill the rest of the episode by just chatting about Bond, including a few more thoughts on the now-delayed No Time To Die. Looking forward to watching where it all began with you all on Wednesday. If you want to email us, you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com. /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/13669910

Dossier #52: No Time To Die Trailer discussion 12/06/2019

Dossier #52: No Time To Die Trailer discussion Alex and James share their thoughts on the first trailer for Daniel Craig's upcoming finale, No Time To Die. Was it everything we wanted for a trailer? Were we wrong about our previous predictions, and how many potentially new wrong predictions can we make from just two minutes of footage? Listen in to hear our first impressions of the trailer - and why not share yours with us, too? Email or find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond') or Twitter (@BondBeyondPod). You can find all previous episodes at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com. /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/12308774

Dossier #51: Secret Cinema Casino Royale 11/21/2019

Dossier #51: Secret Cinema Casino Royale Earlier this year, Alex and friend of the show/semi-regular guest Gez attended a Secret Cinema showing of Casino Royale. Shortly after, we recorded this episode… and now we can finally release it. For those not in the know, Secret Cinema is an event where attendees engage in a roleplaying experience before watching a special presentation of the film on which it’s themed. Everyone who attends is sworn to secrecy - you even have your phone locked away - so this episode has been locked in the Bond & Beyond vault. With the event now over, it’s safe to declassify our discussion and reveal what really happened at Secret Cinema’s Casino Royale. If you want to email us, you can do so via . You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com. /episode/index/show/bondandbeyond/id/12124121

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