The 007 Files

After Moonraker sent James Bond into space, For Your Eyes Only brought him back to earth. Forty-five years on, that change is still at the heart of the film’s appeal: a 2CV chase, the return of the Lotus, tougher action and more Ian Fleming than Roger Moore’s other Bond films.
On License to Legacy, Bill Koenig of The Spy Command, Javi Trujillo and David Leigh are joined by Eoghan Lyng, author of Queen: Song by Song, to revisit the film and ask whether it might be Moore’s best. Eoghan thinks it is. The scene at Tracy’s grave is a big part of his case, linking the film to On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. He also thinks Moore should have left Bond behind after this one. The rest of the panel have their own rankings.
The film drew on Fleming’s short stories “For Your Eyes Only” and “Risico”, as well as Live and Let Die. Bill explains why it contains more Fleming material than any other Moore film. We also talk about the Bond series’ habit of swinging from one extreme to another: after a film goes big, the next one often pulls back. For Your Eyes Only did it after Moonraker; Casino Royale did it after Die Another Day.
At the time, For Your Eyes Only was the second-biggest Bond film, behind Moonraker, and the fourth-biggest film of 1981. It cost around $28 million and grossed roughly $195 million worldwide. But box-office success is only part of the story. The film also began John Glen’s run as a Bond director, after years spent editing the films and directing second-unit action. We look at the speed and physicality he brought to the series, compare his approach with Sam Mendes and Cary Joji Fukunaga, and consider its influence on later action films, including Mission: Impossible. Bill draws on his 2020 interview with Glen for MI6 Confidential.
The pre-title sequence still leaves a question hanging: who is the Blofeld-like figure Bond drops down a smokestack? Was it a dig at Kevin McClory, or a way for producer Cubby Broccoli to signal that Bond no longer needed Blofeld? Bill has a cut “10th anniversary” line that made it into the comic adaptation, and recalls a television spot that leaned hard on the Blofeld connection.
There’s Sheena Easton, the first Bond theme singer to appear in the opening titles, and her Oscar-nominated song. Bill Conti’s disco-tinged score gets its due, too. We also talk memorabilia, Cassandra Harris’s role as Countess Lisl and her connection to Pierce Brosnan, and the loss of Bernard Lee. Lee died in January 1981, making For Your Eyes Only the first Bond film without him as M.
Forty-five years later, For Your Eyes Only remains a revealing film in the series: a return to Fleming, a change of direction for Moore and the start of John Glen’s time at the helm.
You can find us at:
Eoghan Lyng
https://bsky.app/profile/mightylyng.bsky.social
Bill Koenig
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hmssweblog.wordpress.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Javi Trujillo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/javitru.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/the⁠bondisnotenough⁠⁠⁠⁠
David Leigh
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thejamesbonddossier.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Recorded on 6th October 2026 in the United States, Spain and Ireland.

How does James Bond survive in a world of smartphones, surveillance and ever more powerful technology?
Charlie Higson joins us to talk about King Zero, his first full-length adult James Bond novel, and the problem of bringing 007 into the present day without losing what makes him Bond.
Charlie describes Bond as “an analogue man in a digital world” and explains why that still works. We get into the structure of a classic Bond story, the villain he set out to create for King Zero, and the fears about technology and our growing dependence on it that sit behind the story.
We also talk about Fleming, Thunderball, From Russia with Love, Sean Connery, John Barry, David Arnold and Bond 26. And before all that, Charlie explains how a career that started in music and comedy eventually led him to James Bond.
Charlie Higson joins David Leigh, Bill Koenig and Javi Trujillo for the 50th episode of The 007 Files.
Where to find us
Charlie Higson
https://x.com/monstroso
Bill Koenig
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hmssweblog.wordpress.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Javi Trujillo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/javitru.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/the⁠bondisnotenough⁠⁠⁠
David Leigh
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thejamesbonddossier.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Additional links
Order King Zero from Ian Fleming Publications
https://ianflemingshop.com/products/james-bond-king-zero-hardback-book-by-charlie-higson
The Higsons live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-DWlwo2IIo
Recorded on 22nd September 2026 in the UK, USA and Spain.

What did Kina Lillet really taste like, and how close can you get to the Vesper Ian Fleming described in Casino Royale?
David Leigh is joined by drinks expert David T Smith, one of the few people to have tasted a surviving bottle of Kina Lillet. DTS explains how the old aperitif was not simply modern Lillet Blanc with more quinine. Different versions appear to have been produced for different markets, including a less sweet style for British drinkers who mixed it with gin.
That makes Bond’s order in Casino Royale harder to pin down than it first appears. Which Kina Lillet would he actually have been served? And how different would the resulting Vesper have tasted from the pale, dry version usually made today?
To find out, we taste DTS’s own approximation of Kina Lillet, made from equal parts Lillet Blanc and Kina Martini. Compared with modern Lillet, it is sweeter, heavier and slightly medicinal. Smith then uses it in a Vesper made with 47.3% Gordon’s gin and vintage 50% Smirnoff vodka. The drink is darker and fuller, with the golden colour Fleming described.
The Vesper itself comes under scrutiny too. Fleming later called it unpalatable, Bond never orders another one in the novels, and its highly specific recipe may have contained an element of mischief. The pair ask whether it is genuinely a great cocktail or whether its real importance comes from its place in Bond history.
They also move on to other drinks from Fleming and the films, including the Americano, the Stinger, Bond’s gin and tonic made with the juice of an entire lime, the vodka Alexander and the mysterious Foo Yuck. Smith explains which of them he would like to see used in Bond 26 and why the drink chosen for a scene should fit the place, character and situation rather than simply serve as product placement.
There is also the £600 Macallan released for the 55th anniversary of Diamonds Are Forever. DTS attended the London tasting and explains how the whisky drew on details from the film, including references to sherry and claret.
The episode ends with news of the forthcoming podcast Red Wine with Fish, co-hosted by David T Smith, which will take a deeper look at James Bond’s drinks across both the books and films.

Where to find us
David T Smith
https://summerfruitcup.wordpress.com/
https://www.instagram.com/redwinewithfishpodcast/

David Leigh
https://www.thejamesbonddossier.com

Additional links
The Complete Guide to the Drinks of James Bond
https://www.jamesbonddrinks.com

The James Bond Dossier article on Kina Lillet:
https://www.thejamesbonddossier.com/lifestyle/drink/kina-lillet.htm

Macallan Diamonds Are Forever 55th anniversary whisky:
https://www.thejamesbonddossier.com/features/the-macallan-unveils-diamonds-are-forever-55th-anniversary-release-in-london.htm

Roger Moore's perfect martini:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/mar/17/how-make-dry-martini-roger-moore-way-james-bond

Recorded on 14th July 2026 in the UK and Spain.

Bond 26 appears to be getting into gear, with reported August auditions giving the clearest sign yet that Amazon MGM’s first James Bond film is taking shape.
Bill Koenig, Javi Trujillo and David Leigh look at what the latest casting reports really mean, why the new Bond auditions matter, and what this points towards.
The team breaks down the Deadline report on auditions for the new James Bond in August, and wonder if Global James Bond Day will be the moment Amazon finally does what Eon never did?
They also discuss Young Bond casting, Isaac Rouse in Big Finish’s upcoming SilverFin audio adaptation, the problem of public denials in Bond casting, and what can — and cannot — be learned from the Daniel Craig selection process for Casino Royale.
Javi also gives his verdict on 007 First Light, including Patrick Gibson’s performance as Bond, the game’s replay value, its similarity to Casino Royale, and whether Gibson should be considered a serious Bond 26 contender.
Along the way, David's dog gives his own opinion on the Deadline story, Bill outs himself as a Harry Potter fan, and Javi suggests David’s British citizenship may soon be revoked.
Where to find us
Bill Koenig
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hmssweblog.wordpress.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Javi Trujillo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/javitru.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/the⁠bondisnotenough⁠⁠
David Leigh
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thejamesbonddossier.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Recorded in the USA and Spain on 29th June 2026.

Professor James Chapman, author of Licence To Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films, joins The 007 Files to talk about Bond, film history, and the stories that attach themselves to 007.
He begins with his own route into Bond: the films he first saw, how they landed at the time, and how that early interest eventually became serious work on the series. From there, the discussion moves into the way Bond has been written about, remembered and sometimes misremembered.
One example is the old story that Dr. No was, at one stage, going to feature the villain as a monkey. It is exactly the kind of detail that gets passed around because it sounds too strange to lose. Chapman explains why access to the archives matters. Without the drafts, memos and correspondence, it is too easy for a colourful anecdote to become the accepted version of events.The episode also covers Harry Saltzman’s influence, the early shape of cinematic Bond, and why the first film could so easily have gone in a very different direction.
Where to find us
Professor James Chapman
https://amzn.to/4xnYFH0
Bill Koenig
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hmssweblog.wordpress.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Javi Trujillo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/javitru.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/the⁠bondisnotenough⁠⁠⁠
David Leigh
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thejamesbonddossier.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Recorded in the UK, USA and Spain on 8th June 2026.