They couldn't let it lie, could they? Well, fair enough: The Beatles Anthology felt like a sleeping giant for Apple: gathering dust on a lot of fortysomethings' DVD shelves when it could be out there, brand spanking new and showing a whole new generation how great these guys were.
And of course these episodes have been altered: we talk about what's new, and what's been removed and why. Plus there's the subject of the AI upscaling of some of the early performance footage: what effect does it have and what are the implications?
Links
The 1929 short film The Singing Brakeman, starring Jimmie Rodgers
The episode of the Producing The Beatles podcast about Now and Then
Watch the 2025 trailer:
Guide to our Beatles Anthology episodes
This series of episodes discusses the 2025 remaster released on Disney+.
The Beatles Anthology (2025 remaster): episodes 1 to 8
How have the episodes been altered: what's new, what's been removed and why? Plus: what are the implications of AI upscaling the early performance footage?
Listen on Spotify
The Beatles Anthology (2025 remaster): episode 9
We look at the decision not to include any new interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. What effect does it have on how this rounds off the series?
We've also covered the 2003 DVD box set release, which expanded the original 1995 TV broadcasts.
The Beatles Anthology: episodes 1 and 2 (original version)
Why were the three Beatles interviewed separately? Did they get the name from Marlon Brando's The Wild One? And how are Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best treated?
The Beatles Anthology: episodes 3 and 4 (original version)
It's the Beatlemania and touring years: but why is Paul McCartney interviewed in a tugboat? And how did Ringo Starr feel when he was replaced by Jimmie Nicol?
The Beatles Anthology: episodes 5 and 6 (original version)
We see how George Harrison and Ringo Starr remember Manila differently to Paul McCartney, plus: Shea Stadium and Sgt Pepper: the Beatles' two imperial phases?
The Beatles Anthology: episodes 7 and 8 (original version)
How does the series treat the Beatles' breakup? Does it tell a coherent story around the White Album? And did All You Need is Love make them religious icons?
The Beatles Anthology: DVD special features (original version)
We look at the 1994 Threetles footage, and their behaviour when interviewed together versus apart. And we talk about the making of the Free As a Bird video.