UK TV - Sean Connery and Ian Fleming documentaries on Biography, Friday night

Show: Sean Connery Biography
Channel: Biography (UK)
Date: Friday 18th August 2006
Time: 20:00

Born Thomas Sean Connery, the son of a factory worker and cleaning woman, the Scottish actor was the eldest of two sons. Dropping out of school aged 15, he joined the British Navy, after which he devoted his energy to bodybuilding and modelling, becoming Scotland’s entry for Mr. Universe, and working as a coffin polisher. Acquiring the acting bug whilst performing in the singing-sailor London chorus of ‘South Pacific’ in 1951, Connery began to work in repertory theatre. In television, he made a splash with the remake of the American tele-drama ‘Requiem for a Heavyweight’. Beginning in bit-parts in films such as ‘Another Time, Another Place’ in 1958, Connery was cast as Agent 007 James Bond in 1962 for ‘Dr. No.' Whilst not the producers’ first choice, he soon made a name for himself, and, with 1964’s instalment, ‘Goldfinger’, became a superstar. After continued success, the actor was reputedly bored of Bond, and Connery stretched out in extra-curricular roles in Hitchcock’s ‘Marnie’(1964), ‘The Hill’ (1965) and ‘A Fine Madness’ (1966). After ‘You Only Live Twice’(1967) and ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ (1971) Connery began a 12-year hiatus from Bond, challenging himself with films such as ‘La Tenda Rossa’ in 1969, ‘The Wind and The Lion’ in 1974 and ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ in 1975. Returning to Bond with ‘Never Say Never Again’, he excelled in ‘The Name of The Rose’ in 1986, for which he won a British Academy Film Award, and was a popular success in ‘The Untouchables’ in 1987. His winnings streak continued with ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ in 1989 and ‘The Hunt for Red October’ in 1990. During the nineties, and with such successes as ‘Medicine Man’ (1992) and ‘The Rock’ (1996), he took to producing with 1999’s ‘Entrapment’, in which he also starred. He was seen most recently in 'The Leaugue of Extraordinary Gentlemen', which received mixed reviews.

Show: Ian Fleming Biography
Channel: Biography (UK)
Date: Friday 18th August 2006
Time: 23:00

The ex-banker, journalist, military man and secret agent, definitely preferred his Martinis shaken, not stirred. A staunch believer in 'luxury living', he was his own prototype for 007. Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, was much like his fictional character. Fleming was a spy, a notorious womanizer and he liked his martinis shaken, not stirred. Part of the British aristocracy, he was a journalist, a banker and a military man who finally wrote his first novel at age 43. Over the next 11 years, he wrote 13 Bond novels and the children's book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Once translated to the silver screen, James Bond launched the world's longest running series of movies. Forty years and 5 actors later, James Bond is the world's best-known spy.

Thanks to `Moore` for the alert.

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