Into episodes 3 and 4, the bulk of the Beatlemania and touring years, and we get straight to the key issue: why has Paul McCartney suggested he be interviewed while steering a tugboat? We also get into how the Anthology handles John's habit of making fun of disability: why is it addressed, given there was probably no real pressure on them to do so in the nineties, and how would it be received if had been included in the remastered Anthology today?
Plus: Jimmie Nicol and another example of Ringo Starr's emotional intelligence, as his memory of being temporarily replaced mainly involves taking a 24-hour flight to Australia on his own and how that made him feel.
There's a bit more too on the group dynamics of the Threetles meeting at Friar Park, and we ask whether George Harrison would've been as snarky in his interviews if John Lennon had been alive and participating in the documentary.
Links
If you want to watch the original version of The Beatles Anthology you can buy the DVD box set pretty cheaply.
The Big Train sketch in which George Martin can't stop doing Beatles anecdotes
The episode of BBC Radio 4's Front Row in which Samira Ahmed uncovers the previously unheard recording of the Beatles performing at Stowe School on 4 April 1963
Guide to our Beatles Anthology episodes
This series of episodes discusses 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?
Listen on Spotify
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.
We've also covered 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?
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?