m-ozfirat
I have to say during the Holiday season in the mid 90s I always looked forward to watching the illustrious Bond as a Cartoon on ITV that made the mornings worth while. Unlike the other crude cartoons of the time which were superficial or just ludicrous this one was well written with action and entertainment for children. Though loosely based on James Bond the programme delivers good thrilling entertainment and the same cold war rivalry amongst the familiar but reinvented villains in global politics that was not complex and that was exotic done with a variety of interesting and diverse characters that also brought humour in to the series. James Bond as is well known was a ladies man but this was sanitised in the cartoon to romance and the formula worked as it was also part of the story and there was an interesting character every episode that made it well worth watching. My verdict on the series is that it is an intelligent series with a well written and sophisticated lead that instead of just being fashionable was genuinely entertaining and thrilling. I also think after Timothy Dalton when the era in which the zenith of Bond was coming to an end this would of been a good finalising series to Ian Flemings brand as it modestly required so. It was also done at the right time rather then just exhausting the classic character from Goldeneye onwards this cartoon to me is the seal
kingbk-2
(Meeting when the show "James Bond Jr." was conceived)Boss: Okay, team, we need a new toy line to market. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles aren't going to be hot forever.Person #1: I got it! How about a kid, who goes to an exclusive Prep school, and fights crime as a super secret spy. Super Spy Kid! He'll have weapons, a slick car, and a team that helps him.Boss: I like where you're going, but we need to tie it to something marketable, something familiar, something that will sell...Person #2: How about James Bond? Boss: Yes! That's exactly what I was thinking!Person #1: James Bond? You mean, the book and film series with violence, sex and dark story lines? How are we going to appeal that to kids?Boss: Easy. We make it a version with younger characters. Let's make it... his nephew! Call him James Bond Jr.Person #1: But isn't James Bond an only child? Isn't the Junior surname for sons only, not nephews?Boss: Nonsense! An eight year old won't know the difference.Person #2: Yeah, and we tie the toyline to a TV cartoon. We drop the violence and sex to be almost non existent, add characters related to other Bond characters that somehow end up at the same school, and have humor only a kid can appreciate.Boss: Yes yes yes! The toy promotes the cartoon, which promotes the toyline. I love it!Person #1: But... isn't that talking down to kids? Blunting what James Bond was really about?Boss: Who cares! Ian Fleming isn't going to walk through that door in disapproval. Get this going immediately. The next Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!Basically, that's what I imagine how the meeting went when this series was created. If you couldn't tell, I was never a huge fan of it. Poor animation, watered down action, corny and cheesy jokes and humor, and anything resembling the classic Ian Fleming works neutered to kid friendly levels. The show was a vehicle to sell a toy line and that was pretty much it. It came at the height of "kid versions" of adult characters (Muppet Babies, Flintstone Kids, etc.) as well as the cartoons inspired by toys. Soon after this show, high quality action cartoons were created like "Batman: The Animated Series" and "X-Men", but this show followed the unfortunate trend at the time of action cartoons talking down to kids all in the name of toy sales. Oh yeah, and James Bond was an only child!!! Don't waste your time on this one.
OWUbear
I remember when I was nine years old. I'd come home and watch this show on tv. I've since grown up and still remember that he really is James Bond Jr., complete with a scientist friend and a cute girl to make things interesting. I even wanted to make a movie out of it, but I couldn't think of all the actors I'd put in the roles.
