Over the course of nearly eleven hours, the band tells the story of their origin as only they could. Paul, Ringo, and George recorded all-new interviews for the series, and rare interview footage of John is used for his contributions to the story. Everything is told in the band's own words, as well as a few comments by those closest to them.

* ‘FAN’S’ TICKET TO RIDEĪ Traveling Wilbury jumps at the opportunity to produce new Beatles songs.The Movie Originally aired in the UK in the mid 90's and then shown on ABC in the US The Beatles Anthology is an amazing eight-part mini-series that tells the true story of the most influential band of the 20th Century.

* “The Beatles Anthology” airs Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday at 9 p.m. The songs, “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love,” weren’t contained in press preview tapes, so everyone will hear them together. (The interviewer was, in fact, a fellow musician: Jools Holland, a founding member of the British band Squeeze).Īs a special lure, “Anthology” will premiere two new Beatles songs, based on tapes left behind by Lennon. Think of Larry King, not Ted Koppel, raising the issues. An outsider would also have been free to explore more aggressively the rise and fall of the band, in terms of both artistry and the personal relationships.Īs it is, watching the show is a bit like sitting around the fire with the three Beatles while they respond-pleasantly, but generally briefly-to the gentlest of questions. What’s ultimately missing is an outside point of view-someone like Lester, or his ‘90s equivalent, who could put the story into a more dramatic and provocative context. Their reluctance is understandable when you hear them frequently disagree in the program on their own experiences.īut their decision to control “Anthology” undercuts much of its power. Yoko Ono, Lennon’s widow, gave the project her blessing, but refused to appear in it.Įven once they agreed to the documentary, McCartney, Harrison and Starr didn’t trust anyone else to tell their story. There had been talk about an official Beatles retrospective since the early ‘70s, but tensions between the surviving band members made it impossible until now. Four years later, the band quit altogether. Within two years of the Sullivan show, the pressures of touring were so great that the Beatles abandoned the road.

“Anthology” takes off emotionally midway through Sunday’s installment when the Beatles finally arrive in the United States to perform on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” It hits another high when we see footage from “A Hard Day’s Night,” which combined the vitality of rock and the zaniness of a Marx Brothers comedy.īut the innocence of the Beatles was short-lived.

Besides John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, we are reintroduced to the co-stars in the band’s saga-manager Brian Epstein, record producer George Martin and, last but not least, the millions of screaming, fainting fans.

The beatles anthology series