The Forgotten James Bond Jr: 007’s Animated Oddity
James Bond Jr, the animated series about 007’s nephew, ran for 65 episodes but has never seen an official home release. Why has this slice of Bond history been left in the shadows?
When Amazon MGM Studios took the reins from the Broccoli family, the future of the Bond franchise started to look a bit different. These days, the phrase 'shared universe' gets thrown around a lot, and it tends to make long-time Bond fans a bit uneasy. Ever since Marvel changed the game with Iron Man back in 2008, it’s not enough for a film to stand on its own. Now, everything’s expected to be part of a sprawling web of prequels, spin-offs, and tie-ins. Bond, though, has always kept things pretty self-contained. If the folks at Eon Productions had wanted to branch out, they would’ve done it ages ago. Still, with new management, we’ve already seen a reality series, Road to a Million, get a couple of seasons, and it wouldn’t shock anyone if more side characters from Fleming’s world got their own shows down the track.
Bond’s Animated Detour
Truth is, the franchise has dipped its toe in these waters before, even if the powers that be would rather forget. Some of us still remember James Bond Jr, a cartoon that managed to clock up 65 episodes before getting the axe. Since then, it’s never been officially released on VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, or any streaming service. Of course, it’s the internet age, so you can still find episodes floating around on YouTube if you’re keen. The name might give you the gist, but it’s a bit odd—James Bond Jr isn’t actually Bond’s son, but his nephew. The show features a bunch of familiar names, too. At Warfield Academy, James Bond Jr teams up with IQ (Q’s grandson) and Gordo Leiter (Felix Leiter’s son), taking on baddies like Goldie Finger (Goldfinger’s daughter) and old faces like Oddjob, Nick Nack, and Jaws. It’s not exactly top-shelf telly, and it’s clear the rights holders would prefer to keep it out of sight.
Why the Series Was Made
“The fact remains that after almost 30 years, this show about James Bond, or rather, his nephew, has never officially been released on DVD to the public, as far as I know,” writer Terrence McDonnell shared. “If it’s true, that says a lot. Maybe someday everyone will get a chance to see it, maybe not. Maybe the owners want to leave it and let it die a quiet death.”
So, why did Eon let this happen in the first place? Part of it comes down to Kevin McClory, who held the rights to certain bits of the Bond universe and used them to make Never Say Never Again. He was keen to launch his own animated series, so the official Bond team decided to beat him to the punch. The cartoon hit screens in September 1991, right in the middle of a long break between Licence to Kill and GoldenEye. It was a way to keep Bond in the public eye and maybe cash in on some merchandise while the main films were on pause. Kids who grew up in the ’90s might remember James Bond Jr, but for plenty of others, it’s a total mystery.