Concept and creative process
The third James Bond film 'Goldfinger' had been released two years before this drama series hit the small screen. The parallels with the style of the influential opening titles of the Bond movie, designed by Robert Brownjohn, can be seen in the projection of live action footage onto the face of the leading character. A further influence lay in the use of a heavily orchestrated title song sung by a woman, a trend begun with 'Goldfinger' that has continued ever since. In the movie it was John Barry's theme sung by Shirley Bassey. In the TV series the music was by Hal Shaper and Dave Lee and was sung by Kathy Kirby. 'Adam Adamant' ran for 2 seasons until 1967 and has a cult fan club to this day. Bernard Lodge's brief was to feature Gerald Harper in the title role and convey something of the swashbuckling style and dress sense of the Edwardian adventurer who awakes from hibernation to find himself in the swinging London of the 1960s.