jamesbond

• At 8, FOX has a new Cops, followed by a repeat episode and a new America's Most Wanted.
• NBC has a new, two hour Dateline at 8.
• TLC has two new episodes of Little People, Big World at 8.
• ABC Family has Eloise at Christmastime at 8.
• AMC has Patton at 8.
• Diamonds Are Forever airs on Spike at 8.
• Hallmark is showing Christmas movies all night.
• At 9, Food Network has Al Roker's Christmas in New York.
• Also at 9: Showtime has Bruce Campbell in Evil Dead 2.
• At 10, TLC has a new Trading Spaces.
• At 10:30, TBS has National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, followed by The Nightmare Before Christmas.

If you haven't seen the new James Bond film Casino Royale, go now. Seriously, don't even finish reading this story. Shut off your computer, grab your coat, and rush out to your local cineplex. It's that good.

But it's not the first version of Casino Royale. And I'm not talking about the lame comedy version in the 60s starring Peter Sellers, which pretty much everyone agrees is an atrocity and not an official 007 film. I'm talking about the 1954 TV version, starring My Favorite Husband lead Barry Nelson as James Bond. Or, more precisely, "Jimmy" Bond, in an attempt to Americanize the character from the Ian Fleming novel. It was an episode of the CBS anthology series Climax and aired live on October 21, 1954. Peter Lorre played Le Chiffre. The show was pretty much forgotten and not seen that much until the 80s, and in the late 90s a nice collector's edition video was released, with the entire show intact.

Oh, and the urban legend that a dead Lorre got up at the end of the show and walked offstage on live television isn't true. That didn't happen. Though it did happen on another episode of Climax.

Our regular roundup of what's happening over at our sister blog, Cinematical.

• Check out the new trailer for Casino Royale. This film is going to kick some serious ass.
• Get ready for Mummy 3.
• If they make The Hobbit, will Peter Jackson direct it?
• Mark has info about the Fantastic Four sequel.
• Bruce Campbell talks about Spiderman 3.
• Heath Ledger will play the Joker in the Batman Begins sequel. But who wants to play the Penguin? Bob Hoskins!