The Beatles Anthology: Episode 1

The Beatles Anthology: Episode 1
ABC
November 19, 1995
Documentary
VHS
B+

This is the version that aired on ABC, edited from the version that had aired in Britain, and of course not containing whatever's on the DVD version.  And through a concatenation of circumstances, I honestly never watched it before.  The ex taped it at the time I think but then I spent the following semester in England (and, yes, went to Liverpool) and somehow never got around to playing the three videotapes, until now.  I'm very pleasantly surprised.  There's a great deal of material-- footage, interviews, and even songs-- that I don't have in any other form.  The editing is well done, concise and yet playful.  And the whole thing ends with the video to "Free As a Bird," which I'd also never seen before.  (I'd of course heard the song, and "Real Love.")

The documentary isn't perfect.  To take just one example, it feels weird to hear about Julia Lennon and Stu Sutcliffe and not have their deaths mentioned.  The darker side (other than in Hamburg) is generally omitted, and there so far is no mention of the Beatles' wives or siblings.  This part goes up to mid-1964, with Ringo happily rejoining the group on tour after having his tonsils out.  I look forward to the other two parts, especially since, to be honest, I don't like the pre-Rubber-Soul music of theirs as much.

(And, no, I'm not going to tag everyone, but I will note that a youngish Dudley Moore appears briefly, and we see clips from The Wild One and The Girl Can't Help It.)