How can we add some Christmas sparkle to the James Bond films? Tony Barrell mulls it over 

DECEMBER 2025

The trouble with James Bond films is that they don’t have enough tinsel, reindeer, mistletoe or figgy pudding in them. There’s a festive sprinkling here and there in the movie series – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service has a Christmas song, and The World Is Not Enough has a Bond girl called Dr Christmas Jones – but it’s a Scroogey showing for a famous franchise of more than two dozen feature films.

However, it’s an easy matter to add some seasonal sparkle to the existing films by adapting the titles: The Mince Pie Who Loved Me (1977), for instance, or The Living Tree Lights (1987). 

Roger Moore teams up with a resourceful army of Santa’s helpers in For Your Elves Only

Then there’s that film in which the world is menaced by an explosive Christmas decoration – Thunderbauble (1965) – and the one where George Lazenby uncovers a sinister Yuletide gift-giving scheme –On Her Majesty’s Secret Santa (1969). Or that 1981 adventure in which Roger Moore teams up with a resourceful army of Santa’s helpers – For Your Elves Only. And Daniel Craig’s 2012 outing would have been prettier if it had been called Snowfall, wouldn’t it?

I would suggest other title tinkerings, such as  Dr Noël (1962) and Yule Only Live Twice (1967), if I didn’t hear some of you groaning. (Why do people groan at puns? Because they’ve been conditioned to so by other people. The proper, natural and polite reaction is to laugh.)

I’m sure that Bond’s creator, the late Ian Fleming, wouldn’t mind if 007 became more Decemberate. The author had a strong connection to Christmas: in 1942 he effectively inspired the annual tradition of erecting a big Norwegian tree in London’s Trafalgar Square.

It would be lovely if the next Bond movie was a Christmas special. And maybe the one after that too. Never Sleigh Never Again. ♦

© 2025 Tony Barrell

Tony Barrell is a widely published writer whose work is read at Christmas and all year round.

You can read about Ian Fleming and the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree in this interesting article.