Who Is the Real 007?

Who Is the Real 007?

Encore Presents True Bond

Original Special on Ian Fleming's Inspiration For James Bond

Followed by 52-Hour Bond-A-Thon Beginning June 22

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., May 29 /PRNewswire/ -- His name was Popov, Dusko Popov. Not a household name like James Bond, Sean Connery or Roger Moore, but nevertheless, he was the spy who came in from the cold that author Ian Fleming reputedly based 007, his legendary secret agent on. On Friday, June 22 beginning at 8 p.m. (et/pt), Encore presents True Bond, an original special on Fleming's inspiration, followed by a 52-hour Bond-A-Thon featuring 16 classic Bond films, including Dr. No, The Spy Who Loved Me, Goldfinger, From Russia With Love and Thunderball, among others.

Popov, a Yugoslav playboy, was recruited by Britain as a double agent during World War II after earlier agreeing to work for the Germans. Popov's codename was "Tricycle," originally thought to be attributed to him for his penchant for menages a trois'. However, his original codename "Scout" was changed when he appointed two sub agents under him (hence referencing the three-wheeled cycle).

Around the same time, author Ian Fleming worked in British naval intelligence and was detailed to trail the charismatic Popov, who stayed at the most posh hotels, ate at the finest restaurants, played at the top casinos and was indeed a suave ladies man -- a worthy predecessor to the fictional 007.

Screeners of True Bond are available

True Bond will be followed by a 52-hour Bond-A-Thon featuring the action thrillers that made Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and, hmmmm, George Lazenby, famous. Other notables who appear in some of the Bond-A-Thon films include Kim Basinger, Benicio Del Toro, Rowan Atkinson, Jane Seymour, Yaphet Kotto, Carey Lowell, Jill St. John, Donald Pleasance, Ursula Andress and Britt Ekland.

007 in '07

A 52-hour marathon of James Bond films beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, 6/22 through Sunday, 6/24.

   Friday, 6/22   -- True Bond (documentary) at 8 p.m.   -- Dr. No at 9 p.m. - (Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman)   -- The Spy Who Loved Me at 11 p.m. - (Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curt      Jergens)    Saturday, 6/23   -- You Only Live Twice at 1:10 a.m. - (Sean Connery, Akiko Wakabayashi,      Donald Pleasence)   -- Moonraker at 3:10 a.m. - (Roger Moore, Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale)   -- On Her Majesty's Secret Service at 5:20 a.m. - (George Lazenby, Diana      Rigg, Telly Savalas)   -- License to Kill at 7:45 a.m. - (Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Benicio      Del Toro)   -- True Bond (documentary) at 10 a.m.   -- Never Say Never Again at 11 a.m. - (Sean Connery, Klaus Maria      Brandauer, Kim Basinger)   -- The Man With the Golden Gun at 1:20 p.m. - (Roger Moore, Christopher      Lee, Britt Ekland)   -- Octopussy at 3:30 p.m. - (Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Louis Jourdan)   -- Live and Let Die at 5:45 p.m. - (Roger Moore, Yaphet Kotto, Jane      Seymour)   -- Goldfinger at 8 p.m. - (Sean Connery, Honor Blackman, Gert Frobe)   -- For Your Eyes Only at 10 p.m. - (Roger Moore, Carole Bouquet, Topol)    Sunday, 6/24   -- A View to a Kill at 12:15 a.m. - (Roger Moore, Christopher Walken,      Grace Jones)   -- The Man With the Golden Gun at 2:30 a.m. - (Roger Moore, Christopher      Lee, Britt Ekland)   -- The Living Daylights at 4:35 a.m. - (Timothy Dalton, Maryam D'Abo,      Jeroen Krabbe)   -- From Russia With Love at 6:50 a.m. - (Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi,      Robert Shaw)   -- Dr. No at 8:45 a.m. - (Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman)   -- Diamonds Are Forever at 10:40 a.m. - (Sean Connery, Jill St. John,      Charles Gray)   -- True Bond (documentary) at 12:45 p.m.   -- Goldfinger at 1:45 p.m. - (Sean Connery, Honor Blackman, Gert Frobe)   -- You Only Live Twice at 3:45 p.m. - (Sean Connery, Akiko Wakabayashi,      Donald Pleasence)   -- License to Kill at 5:45 p.m. - (Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Benicio      Del Toro)   -- Thunderball at 8 p.m. - (Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, Adolfo Celi)   -- From Russia With Love 10:15 p.m. - (Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi,      Robert Shaw)    

Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie service provider operating in the United States. It offers 16 movie channels including the flagship Starz(R) and Encore(R) brands with approximately 15.8 million and 28.2 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs more than 1,000 movies per month across its pay TV channels and offers advanced services including Starz HD, Starz On Demand and Vongo(SM). Starz Entertainment (http://www.starz.com/) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation that is attributed to Liberty Capital Group.

   Contacts:   Steve Belgard/Starz        Les Eisner or Robin Mesger/The Lippin Group   (720) 852-5843             323-965-1990   steve.belgard@starz.com    leisner@lippingroup.com  

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Starz Entertainment

CONTACT: Steve Belgard of Starz, +1-720-852-5843,
steve.belgard@starz.com; or Les Eisner, leisner@lippingroup.com, or Robin
Mesger, both of The Lippin Group, +1-323-965-1990, for Starz Entertainment

Web site: http://www.starz.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment