The first Bond movie was shown on US television 40 years ago today

Forty years ago on this day, 17th September 1972, the James Bond film franchise made its debut on the small screen in the USA.

Following the one-off television production of "Casino Royale" in 1954 on CBS, and ten years after Sean Connery made his big screen debut as James Bond in 1962's "Dr No", 007 hit television screens in the USA in a rather peculiar way.

Unlike the UK where the films were broadcast in the order shown in theatres, American fans introduced to the legendary spy via the small screen in the early 1970's may have been slightly confused.

The first film shown on network television in the USA was the third film, "Goldfinger", on 17th September 1972 as ABC's "Sunday Night Movie".

Two years later, television viewers caught up with the rest of the early Connery outings out of order with "From Russia With Love" up next, followed by "Thunderball", and finally "Dr No" in 1974.

Fans in the UK would have to wait until 1975 to see the first Bond movie on television.

Thanks to `HMSSS` for the alert.

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