Bond By Numbers
100 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★ - 4 ratingsBond By Numbers is a celebration of the James Bond world. More an enthusiast's journey than an expert's quest, each episode investigates the world of a different 007 production or topic with in-depth conversation, opinion and regular features. If you like your podcasts well-researched but crave the down-to-earth energy of amateur minds, join life-long 007 fans Scott, Josh and Jeff for a fresh look at one of the entertainment world's most successful franchises.
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Episodes
Closing the Dossier: Goodbye BBN
April 29, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 119 MBHundreds of hours in the 007 podcast mines have led to innumerable highlights and five wonderful seasons of Bond by Numbers. Now our mission is coming to an end. In this, our 100th and final episode, we invite you to look back with us over the terrain of our assignment and share in the celebration of closing the BBN dossier.
What If? - Golden Age 007
April 11, 2024 20:00 - 1 hour - 85.9 MBOur final "What If?" show considers the wild ride that would have been if three of Pierce Brosnan's outings had been adapted in the Golden Age of Cinema! From pirate musicals to Marshall Plan extortion, we've got the craziness covered as we rewrite, recast and redesign Bond for the 1930's, 40's and 50's!
Pre-Title Sequences
March 14, 2024 06:00 - 1 hour - 83.4 MBPre-Title thrills are unique DNA for 007 films. Without them, it's hard to imagine the franchise as we do. In this episode, we resurrect our "rank-a-thon" from its slumber and try to calculate a clean line through all the Bondian preludes.
Eye of the Needle (1981)
February 23, 2024 19:00 - 1 hour - 75.9 MBOur final selection for the "3 Non Bonds" festival is the WW2 thriller, "Eye of the Needle" from 1981. Donald Sutherland stars as Faber, aka "the Needle", Hitler's premiere stiletto-wielding spy in England, who is racing to deliver news of the imminent Normandy invasion. But complications arise when he's thrown off course as he tries to flee and ends up shipwrecked on Storm Island. There he meets an estranged couple, Lucy and David (Kate Nelligan and Christopher Cassenove) who stand in his w...
The Ipcress File (1965)
January 18, 2024 18:15 - 1 hour - 87.1 MBAfter bringing us Ronin, The Quiller Memorandum and The Bourne Identity in previous years, 00-Chapman returns to the "3-Non Bonds" stage for one final showcase. This time, Harry Saltzman's 1965 thriller, The Ipcress File, is under investigation. Deemed by some an "anti-Bond" film for its calculated, artistic economy and unlikely hero, this jazzy spy thriller nevertheless had a good helping of James Bond talent behind the camera. The creative fingerprints of Ken Adam, John Barry, Peter Hunt a...
Win, Lose or Die (1989)
January 13, 2024 07:00 - 1 hour - 130 MBThe John Gardner sweep continues with "Win, Lose or Die", the eighth continuation novel from his cycle of Bond adventures. With this story, Gardner keeps on trend-jumping, here drawing inspiration from the "Top Gun" and "Iron Eagle" craze of the era. Bond returns to the Navy, upgrades to Captain and plays War Games with some very important dignitaries in order to defend a top-secret Steward's Meeting from a new terrorist threat. So grab your aviators and fire up the After Burner Arcade, we'r...
BBN Holiday Special 4
December 23, 2023 06:30 - 1 hour - 107 MBIt's that time of year again, Bond fans - the festive quizzing challenge! This time, 00-Taylor and 00-Chapman face their toughest opponent yet: a 100-point quiz, blending Bond, Christmas and beyond. So, buff the wassail bowl and decorate your Douglas Firs, BBN's fourth and final Holiday Special is ready for action!
007: Road to a Million (2023)
December 01, 2023 21:00 - 52 minutes - 60.6 MBJosh and Scott add their thoughts to the chorus of reviews and unpack the recent Amazon original production. The quizzical, the critical and the admirable - all angles covered en route to a verdict about this Bond-inspired reality game show.
What If? - Alternate Endings: Part 2
November 12, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 71 MBThe concluding installment of our "What If?" episode on (very) unofficial Alternate Endings. From caviar blockades to Gobinda's betrayal, the remorseless roulette guides us through discussions of the remaining dozen films. Foolishness abounds, listeners advised!
Foreign Correspondent (1940)
October 17, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 87.4 MBWhat happens when you mix a “mad love of country with an equally mad indifference to life”? Well, if Alfred Hitchcock's 1940 thriller is anything to go by, a crackpot peace movement and a nest of horrid spies, that's what! "What's Going On?" Bond fans! Our annual 3 Non Bonds film festival gets underway for the fourth and final time with Josh's selection of Hitchcock's international spy caper. Joel McCrea, Laraine Day and Herbert Marshall star in this curious yarn of war-time espionage, fami...
What If? - Alternate Endings: Part 1
September 28, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 60.2 MBIn the first "What If" of its final season, BBN explores some (very) unofficial alternate endings. Led by the punishing whimsy of roulette and dice, Part 1 throws canon to the wind in presenting absurdist possibilities for reshaping thirteen of Bond's 25 official endings.
Scorpius (1988)
September 17, 2023 19:30 - 1 hour - 92.5 MBFrom a post 9/11 framework, some could read John Gardner's seventh Bond adventure as chilling and prophetic. In the year of its publication, however, Scorpius aimed for and hit a lot of contemporary targets. From growing world terrorism to the microchip's boom; from satanic panic to luxury golf resorts, this outing sees M throw Bond into a complex web of inter-agency activity and exceedingly heavy stakes. Scott and Josh talk through the novel as they take another look down the literary gunba...
Live and Let Die @ 50
August 30, 2023 18:00 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBA half-century ago, Roger Moore sauntered across the screen in his first gunbarrel scene as James Bond. Live and Let Die started for him a highly successful 7-picture, 12-year run. In honour of its golden anniversary, we deemed it our duty to re-watch the 1973 film and meet to discuss its merits and maladies. What holds up like a cigar-smoking spinnaker and what deflates faster than Whisper's subterranean sofa? Join us for coffee and a light chat over Moore's inaugural outing.
Bond Top Trumps - Summer Reunion
August 03, 2023 14:30 - 1 hour - 128 MBIt's been more than five years since all three co-hosts have been together in person. When the short-term stars align like that, shining down on a single postcode, it's definitely time to break out the celebratory fun and games. This episode shares some of that reunion. We could have gone to the cinema.... enjoyed a long dinner.... took in a concert or a ball game... but we played 007 Top Trumps instead! For better or worse, the ups and downs of our ridiculous card game are captured here in ...
No Deals, Mr Bond (1987)
June 13, 2023 17:00 - 1 hour - 98.7 MBIn John Gardner's sixth continuation novel, M has "cream cake" on his face and Bond is brought in to clean up the mess. Ghosts from a former operation have returned to haunt the MI6 chief as his agents are being mutilated and wiped out. Without the help of official channels, 007 must rely on his rolodex of allies to safeguard the targets and track down the hit team before it's too late. So, tune those harmonica bugs and call your gangster friends: from London to Ireland, Paris to Hong Kong, ...
Nobody Lives For Ever (1986)
April 21, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 87.2 MBGardner's fifth Bond adventure sees 007 forced to jettison his annual leave in Europe when he's made aware of a SPECTRE contract on his head. Some of the bounty hunters hope to lure Bond in by kidnapping May and Moneypenny, two heart-shaped targets for the noble agent. Gardner diverts from his own formulaic structure in this one but still delivers the action and zaniness we've come to expect from his early adventures. Vampires and guillotines at the ready!
What If? - 007 Board Games: #3 - "Bonds of War"
March 28, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 75.4 MBIn the season finale, 00-Chapman brings our three-part "What If?" to an end by presenting his original idea for a Bond-related board game. Leaning cosily into the short-life starter genre, "Bonds of War" is a tabletop action card game overflowing with franchise characters and played over the swankiest desk imaginable! Competitive or collaborative, Jeff's explosive concept has something for almost every bond fan and is the only one of our ideas with expansion packs and collectable add-ons! Di...
What If? - 007 Board Games: #2 - "Thunderball"
February 28, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBOur three-part tabletop extravaganza continues here with Josh's retro proposal: a Thunderball-inspired race to nuclear disarmament! Featuring all the thrills from the film but none of the water-logged drag, "BBN Games Thunderball" is 00-Taylor's loving tribute to the best of '60s adventure but with a contemporary flare. It'll strike the right chords with both Bond fans and game aficionados. Tick-tock-tick-tock... protect your Paula and get to Pinder's Warehouse before it's too late!
What If? - 007 Board Games: #1 - "Dicefire"
February 13, 2023 16:00 - 1 hour - 42.1 MBIn this "What If?" episode (the first of three which will end our season), we introduce our fondness for table-top gaming and set the groundwork for our latest project: developing our own 007-inspired Board Games. Buy stock now! First up, "BBN: Dicefire" - a game of reckless rolling and canon-heavy confrontation!
Role of Honour (1984)
January 12, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 172 MBOur exploration of John Gardner's Bond continues here as the literary gun-barrel sets its aim upon "Role of Honour" from 1984. Tech-heavy and mired in the world of computer sabotage, this title boasts more than a little ingredient inspiration for Roger Moore's swan song, "A View to a Kill", released the following year. Oh, and there's a blimp here, too! So, let loose your mooring cables and join us for a trip through this gravity-defying text as we cover surprise inheritances, Bond's Monte C...
BBN Holiday Special 3
December 24, 2022 06:20 - 2 hours - 180 MBMore Bond-inspired games, trivia and nonsense as you've come to expect from us at this festive time of year. So spike your punch and cozy up by the yule log - our third Holiday Special is reporting for duty!
The Third Man (1949)
November 27, 2022 07:09 - 2 hours - 166 MBThe curtain closes on this year's "3 Non Bonds" series with 00-Taylor's choice of Carol Reed's "The Third Man". This influential British noir, set and filmed on location in post-war Austria, stars Joseph Cotten, Trevor Howard, Alida Valli and Orson Welles. Penned by ex-MI6 agent Graham Greene and boasting inspired involvements from Bernard Lee and Guy Hamilton, Reed's thriller is by no means short of Bond pedigree. Grab your galoshes and flashlights, friends, it's time to hit the Viennese sew...
60in60for60: A Highlights Show!
October 21, 2022 17:40 - 1 hour - 63.2 MBIn celebration of Bond's 60th Anniversary on film, we sat down recently to share some of our favourite moments from 007's six decades of franchise life. The challenge seemed painless enough but the selection process was punishing: three hosts, twenty highlights each and a sixty-second clock limiting presentation. So, come join us for some fun as we negotiate then commemorate the threescore peaks of Mount Bond... BBN style!
The Train (1964)
October 17, 2022 20:35 - 1 hour - 86.6 MBAll aboard! "3 Non-Bonds" Season continues on the show as Scott delivers tickets for a return journey on "John Frankenheimer's The Train", his choice for the annual film festival. This fastidiously rich WW2 film offers cinephiles and history-buffs much to chew on while Burt Lancaster and Paul Scofield battle wits on and around the French railways in the dying days of Nazi Occupation. So, take a seat in our first-class coach and relax; in this episode we stoke the fires and do the locomotion o...
Icebreaker (1983)
September 28, 2022 05:22 - 1 hour - 33.2 MBOur survey of John Gardner's continuation novels carries on with a chat over his third effort. If, like many, you buy into the belief that a Bond's third outing is his best ("Goldfinger", "The Spy Who Loved Me", "Skyfall".... Fleming, too, wrote "Moonraker" third) then Gardner should be stretching comfortably by now. "Icebreaker" sees 007 join an inter-agency operation in Finland to thwart a fascist terrorist group. So, come join us in a world of snowmobiles, double agents and smoked salmon f...
The Bourne Identity (2002)
September 10, 2022 19:50 - 2 hours - 195 MBJust six weeks before "Die Another Day" hit theatres, a lesser-known commodity was getting its own release. Starring Matt Damon as Robert Ludlum's amnesia-stricken assassin, "The Bourne Identity" would knock the socks off audiences with a new style of action that shifted sands and set a fresh standard for spy thrillers. Well, it's "3 Non Bonds" season again on the show and, what's more, our very own 00-Chapman has selected this modern classic to start festivities! So, grab your winter coats (...
00-Origins: Operation Mincemeat
August 04, 2022 14:45 - 2 hours - 165 MBIn July of 1943, as Allied forces planned desperately for Mediterranean access into Europe, Britain's Naval Intelligence were spearheading an intrepid operation, a bait-and-switch of colossal consequence. Commander Ian Fleming, serving as personal assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence, helped to encourage the intricate planning for what would soon become Operation Mincemeat. In this episode, 00-Chapman, our resident military expert, cracks cover and leads us through a tour of this i...
For Special Services (1982)
July 13, 2022 09:03 - 1 hour - 115 MBIn his second continuation novel, John Gardner returns Bond to the USA and reunites readers with some canonical staples. Motivated by a recent spate of airline hijackings with potential SPECTRE links, Bond is sent by M to investigate an ice-cream magnate from Texas whose guarded compound and general milieu reeks of suspicion. But the decision to resurrect Fleming's narrative ghosts comes with hefty responsibilities and there's a thin line between successful fan-service and ephemeral tokenism....
Dr. No @ 60
June 28, 2022 20:23 - 54 minutes - 75.2 MBIn recognition of Bond's 60th Anniversary on the big screen we brew up and sit down for a casual chat about "Dr. No", reflecting on the enduring features and legacy of the film that started it all.
Bond Song Rank-a-thon!
June 17, 2022 05:31 - 1 hour - 133 MBSo it's time we finally put things right... nearly four years of 007 podcasting have come and gone without a proper ranking of the EON songs and that's just not good enough! Upon discovering this egregious oversight, we recently set about remedying things for the whole darn world. So here it is - the BBN Bond Song Rank-a-thon! Predictably (...ridiculously?), science and scoring govern our contest here so you're invited to play along with us! When the dust settles in our own three-figured thun...
No Time to Die (2021)
May 19, 2022 19:26 - 2 hours - 120 MBSo yeah, we know... months have passed since the final chapter in Daniel Craig's 007 sweep premiered worldwide. But, like succulent lamb left to stew in its own juices before being glazed, skewered and coupled with caviar, our impressions are finally ready for serving! The long-awaited (...at least by us) follow-up to our NTTD impressions episode has arrived. It feels good to be back behind the wheel of a full-scale Bond review once more!
What If? - Character Spin-Offs
April 04, 2022 06:46 - 1 hour - 159 MBInspired by Ian Fleming's 14 books and textured further by dozens of collaborators, the 25-film franchise we know and love possesses a wealth of spin-off material for the ambitious story developer. Now that Amazon holds the reins of the MGM Bond wagon, it's not unlikely that we could soon see expansion into television and short series projects. In our first "What If?" of Season 4, we brush the dust off our trusty roulette and pitch our own original treatments for 007 spin-offs!
Licence Renewed (1981)
March 11, 2022 18:06 - 53 minutes - 73.3 MBAn ousted nuclear scientist with a Braveheart complex looks for revenge in John Gardner's "Licence Renewed", the first Bond novel of the 1980s and the focus of our first episode this new season! From fixed horse races to holographic bedrooms, we portion out the narrative goods and take a fruitful look down the "literary gun barrel" at the start of Gardner's tenure with this wild whirlwind adventure. Warning, spoilers ahead!
Bond Redux: FYEO Watch Party
January 30, 2022 20:40 - 2 hours - 187 MBFor our final episode of the series, we combine (and recline) our forces in real-time camaraderie over 1981's "For Your Eyes Only", Sir Roger's fifth outing as 007 and 00-Chapman's selection for Watch Party #3. Together, we negotiate some of the franchise's most opulent locales and nifty scenes. Don't like biathlon or figure skating? That's alright, FYEO also offers car chases, keel-hauling, submarine conflict, rock climbing and even the pitfalls of awkward relationships! So welcome aboard th...
BBN Holiday Special 2
December 18, 2021 08:40 - 2 hours - 185 MBHappy Holidays, Bond fans! In this episode, our second seasonal soiree, we serve up more games, discussion and trivia with a festive Bond flavour. Flick on the tree lights and switch off your brains, grab some grog and come join us for fatuous fun: Christmas may only come once a year but you can replay our foolish Holiday special as much as you like!
"What Now, Mr Bond?"
November 21, 2021 10:29 - 1 hour - 116 MBWith the release and revelations of "No Time to Die" finally in the world's rear-view mirror, talk is properly heating up about how and with whom "James Bond Will Return". Here, we prognosticate together and add our eager voices to the discussion, issuing favourites, follies and some dark-horses contenders!
No Time To Die: First Impressions
October 18, 2021 12:37 - 1 hour - 105 MBAt long last, the wait for Bond 25 is over! Now that they've all seen "No Time to Die", Josh, Scott and Jeff bridge the Atlantic gap with conversation and first impressions of Daniel Craig's final outing as 007. SPOILER ALERT: chat on the film's plot and features starts at 8:20.
Bond Redux: TSWLM Watch Party
September 29, 2021 15:13 - 2 hours - 202 MBIn our second watch party of the season, we invite you to synchronize your MGM lions (@21:09) and groove casually with us through the waves and rhythms of 1977's "The Spy Who Loved Me". Upheld by many as his best and most stylish outing as 007, Sir Roger's third Bond adventure was directed by YOLT helmsman, Lewis Gilbert, and contains a dynamic mix of action, humour and megalomaniacal pageantry that's bound to keep you entertained when our own commentary grows dull! No need for social distanc...
The Music of TWINE w/ Chris Wood
September 04, 2021 09:15 - 2 hours - 182 MBThe wonderful Chris Wood (@bondonvinyl) returns in this special episode to discuss the music of "The World is Not Enough", arguably David Arnold's most ambitious effort as 007 composer. So come join us as we leisurely inspect the beats and braces of this varied score. From the boisterous Thames boat chase to the burning oil fields of Baku, we've got it covered like an inflatable ski jacket!
Colonel Sun (1968)
August 30, 2021 21:00 - 1 hour - 152 MBIn this episode we look down the literary gunbarrel at "Colonel Sun", written by Robert Markham (Kingsley Amis) and published four years after Ian Fleming's death. Amis's compelling adventure comes on the heels of his successful non-fiction character-piece, "The James Bond Dossier" and marks the first "official" 007 fiction of a new era. So, hop aboard the good ship BBN and brandish your shades and parasols - we're setting sail right now, straight for the Sun... Colonel Sun!
What If? - Bond Designs
August 17, 2021 10:01 - 1 hour - 130 MBIf budgets, engineering and the many laws of physics were not factors to consider, how might you build your 007 dream home from the franchise's fabled sets, locations and interiors? An Atlantis En-Suite? How about an Octopussy boudoir? Throwing logic and planning to the wind, in this "What If?" we revive our trusty roulette and share blueprints for our Grand (Bond) Designs! So clear that empty lot in your imagination and come building with us!
Charade (1963)
July 29, 2021 04:45 - 2 hours - 199 MBStanley Donen's cinematic kitchen was working hard in 1963: start with a pair of stars, thicken their stock with an ensemble cast, add a wallop of visual style, toss in a heavy helping of romantic comedy then add a pinch of international intrigue before finishing with a half-cup of irony. What's that make? A difficult film to categorize! Or, if you prefer, the "whoopie-cushion thriller" better known as "Charade"! We discuss all the ingredients here as Josh's selection brings our annual "3 Non...
Torn Curtain (1966)
July 06, 2021 05:15 - 2 hours - 168 MBFor our second selection in the annual "3 Non Bonds" festival, we go behind the Iron Curtain with Paul Newman and Julie Andrews in Alfred Hitchcock's "Torn Curtain". Often pegged as one of the famed director's more conflicted works, this thriller possesses enough moments of intriguing espionage, quirky potpourri and technical chutzpah to nevertheless make a case for itself. So grab your passport and get ready to infiltrate - BBN's flight to defection is now boarding!
The Quiller Memorandum (1966)
June 08, 2021 05:00 - 2 hours - 189 MBThis season's "3 Non Bonds" Festival gets off to a great start with 00-Chapman's selection of "The Quiller Memorandum" from 1966. Directed by Michael Anderson, "Quiller" was penned by the renowned Harold Pinter and features a dynamic cast including George Segal, Senta Berger, Max von Sydow and the impeccable Alec Guinness. Looking for an understated neo-Nazi spy thriller set in divided Berlin? Then look no further as we launch our annual fest with this worthy conversation piece!
What If? - 007 Film Festivals
May 23, 2021 06:40 - 2 hours - 214 MBWho doesn't like a good film festival? Our six cinematic Bonds sure do! From inspired screenings to banquet dinners, celebrity speakers to questionable pop-up bars, our first "What If?" of the series pulls out nearly all the stops and runs wild with this imaginative theme. So polish your shoes and grab your VIP passes - BBN proudly invites YOU to this red-carpet event!
00-Origins: Sir Francis Walsingham
April 23, 2021 06:01 - 1 hour - 160 MBOur "00-Origins" series officially gets off the ground here as Josh introduces the fascinating life and work of Sir Francis Walsingham. Queen Elizabeth I's "spymaster" is widely regarded as the progenitor of British espionage and without his involvements in such matters as the St. Bartholomew's Massacre, The Babington Plot and The Spanish Armada, the course of world history would have run much differently! But one nation's spymaster is another nation's antagonist and Walsingham wasn't everyon...
Diamonds Are Forever @ 50! w/ Chris Wood
March 30, 2021 12:30 - 2 hours - 194 MBIn this special episode, the multi-talented Chris Wood (Instagram's @bondonvinyl) joins BBN for a fun and furnished survey of John Barry's score to "Diamonds Are Forever". From Wint & Kidd killings to Moon Buggy misdemeanours, we put Barry's versatile efforts under the microscope here and celebrate the film's 50th anniversary in style! Jackpot!
Bond Redux: TND Watch Party
March 14, 2021 09:32 - 2 hours - 177 MBIn our first watch party of the season, we synchronize our MGM lions (@8:08 in) and saunter through the strokes of "Tomorrow Never Dies", Pierce Brosnan's sophomore outing and Josh's pick for the best Bond flick of the '90s. No need for social distancing here so grab your refreshments from the lobby and meet us inside! For our full review of the movie, check out S1:E11 from March 2019.
John Glen: Captain of the '80s Bond
February 25, 2021 12:38 - 1 hour - 137 MBBBN marks the start of its third series with an overdue exploration into the style and many contributions of John Glen to the Bond franchise. His tenure as director encompassed the entire decade of the 1980s and his straight-ahead approach to action and storytelling left its impressive mark on several influential features. Join Josh, Jeff and Scott as they survey the legacy of Glen's career with 007.
BBN Holiday Special!
December 17, 2020 08:00 - 3 hours - 253 MBOur season finale proudly presents a festive assortment of trivia, games and discussion as we try to send the ugliness of 2020 packing like a Max Zorin megabomb! So, Ho-Ho-Holster your PPKs and join us by the hearth for our marathon Holiday Special!