The Beatles childhoods and early musical influences from Rock'N'Roll and R&B. How they met, their time in Hamburg, and their early recordings with Brian Epstein and George Martin. Discover how the Beatles became the Beatles.
The Beatles tour and appear on television for the first time in the UK. They play the Palladium, the Royal Albert Hall, The Royal Variety Show, sing Moonlight Bay with Morecambe and Wise, give a spare hit to the Rolling Stones, and record I Want to Hold Your Hand.
Beatlemania sweeps America, Europe, the Far East and Australia. George would say many years later that the world used them as an excuse to go mad and then blamed it on the Beatles.
Beatlemania sweeps America drawing tens of thousands to airports for the merest glimpse. Paul's new song diverges from the Rock'n'Roll genre. Individual traits become clear, and the band reflects on marijuana use and political recognition. They go to Buckingham Palace to receive medals from the Queen.
The Beatles meet Elvis and the four are never more musical, confident, fluent or assured. They perform at Shea Stadium and travel to Japan. Experimenting with drug use reflects in their Rubber Soul and Revolver albums.
John suggests they are more important than Jesus resulting in public burnings of their work. The Beatles retire from touring and go into the studio which brings an amazed world the might whirligig of Sgt. Pepper, Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields. They sing Baby You're A Rich Man, and they all are, but they don't buy an island in Greece.
It is the summer of Love, and the Beatles sing "All You Need is Love" on black and white television on the first world satellite television programme. The death of Brian Epstein precedes the four visiting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and the Magical Mystery Tour. Apple Corps is formed. Those Were the Days, sings Mary Hopkin.
All things must pass. The music holds out till the end and the Beatles, having worked through the White album, Let It Be, Hey Jude and Revolution, two weddings, two busts on the rooftop concert equal Gilbert and Sullivan in the level of acrimony and the heightened quality of the work that was done through it and despite it all. The Beatles have survived their success and survived their era to remain modern, timeless and supreme against all comers.
Includes unseen behind-the-scenes footage of Paul, George and Ringo coming together between 1994 and 1995 to work on 'The Anthology' and reflecting on their shared life as the Beatles.
