007 expert interviewed on Newsnight

Last night’s edition of Newsnight took a break from real life politics and current affairs to examine the continuing career of the UK’s most famous civil servant – James Bond 007.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the first Bond film, Dr No, which was released in 1962, nine years after the character made his literary debut in Casino Royale. The 23rd Bond film, Skyfall, is set for release in October.

In the Newsnight report, Stephen Smith investigated the character’s continuing relevance in the modern world and the distinctively British aspects of Bond. Among the interviewees were producer Michael G Wilson, author William Boyd – and Professor James Chapman from our Department of History of Art and Film.

The ten-minute report is viewable on the BBC website. James, whose books include Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films, appears at 3’40” and 8’09”.

*He must get so fed up with that…