Peter Falk announced as next James Bond

Peter Falk, TV’s Columbo, has been lured out of semi-retirement to replace Pierce Brosnan. Swapping the dirty mac for a tuxedo, Bond producers hope to appeal to a new generation of filmgoers attracted by the grunge-factor typified by Falk.

Film critic Barry Buffer hailed the recruitment of Falk: ‘It’s pure genius. No one really believes that spies are as suave and sophisticated as Bond was. What we want now is less of the tired old “My name is Bond, James Bond”, and more of the “just one last question”.
Falk’s first outing as Bond will be in the forthcoming feature: ‘Gee, that’s strange’. No co-stars have been confirmed, but rumours concerning gimmicks have. According to an insider these include a self-lighting cigar that incorporates a fire extinguisher.

In the latest film, Bond’s sidekick will be a midget in a dog suit, called Dog. Bond’s car, which is believed to be an unassuming 1960s Peugeot 403, is a contentious issue for Bond fans. ‘We’ve had a Merc, now a French car, what’s wrong with the Aston Martin, it’s British, isn’t it?’ one said.