007: Road to a Million | |
---|---|
Genre | |
Inspired by | James Bond by Ian Fleming |
Directed by |
|
Presented by | Brian Cox |
Theme music composer | David Arnold |
Composer | Sam Thompson |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 8 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producer | Ben Allen |
Cinematography |
|
Editors |
|
Camera setup | Multi-camera |
Running time | 39–60 minutes |
Production companies |
|
Original release | |
Network | Amazon Prime Video |
Release | 10 November 2023 – present |
007: Road to a Million is a reality competition show spin-off of the James Bond franchise. Hosted by Brian Cox, it features nine teams of two competing in a race to win $1 million each through a series of spy-themed challenges. The series was made by 72 Films and MGM Television in association with Eon Productions for release on Amazon Prime Video on 10 November 2023.
On 13 September 2023, the show was renewed for a second series before the first series was even released on the service. [1] As of March 2025, the start date for series 2 of Road to a Million is as of yet unknown, but is supposedly set to begin later in the year.
Brian Cox hosts the show as the "Controller", and nine teams of two people compete to win a worldwide race to win $1 million each. The Controller sets the rules of the game, hiding in a bunker and monitoring each team from afar as he tells them where they must go next, what challenges they must perform, and what questions they must try to answer. Cox portrays the Controller as a Bond-style villain of the race, delighting in the hardship of the contestants. [2] [3]
72 Films had been developing the show for about four years before Amazon Prime Video green-lit the series in March 2022. [4] [5] By April, Brian Cox had signed on to host as the villain of the show. [6] Cox initially thought that the casting was for the next Bond film. [7]
Joel Golby at The Guardian enjoyed the series, saying that even though it may not make sense on paper, it is "mega-fun" and Cox chewed up the scenes in his portrayal of a Bond villain, holding the series together. [8]
Lucy Mangan, also at The Guardian, gave the series a strongly negative review, calling it "shoddy, boring and soulless," and criticised its use of the Bond brand as "tenuous." [9]