The Beatles TV Specials on British TV

Last update:- April 2006

It's The Beatles! (Recorded in Black & White, 7th December 1963)
TV Premiere:- BBC1 Saturday 7th December 1963, 8:10-8:40pm
[A "Juke Box Jury" Beatles special was recorded and tx'd by BBC Television the same day 6:05-6:35pm]
Around The Beatles (Recorded in Black & White, 28th April 1964)
TV Premiere:- ITV Wednesday 6th May 1964, 9:45-10:45pm
2nd broadcast: - ITV (Not all regions) Monday 8th June 1964, 6:08-7:00pm [An edited version]
British Home Video Released:- 29th April 1985 by PMI as "The Beatles Live: Ready Steady Go Special Edition"[Spoof Play & Guests edited out]
Follow The Beatles (Documentary recorded in Black & White mostly on the set of AHDN, Spring 1964)
TV Premiere:- BBC1 Monday 3rd August 1964, 7:50-8:20pm
The Music of Lennon and McCartney (Recorded in Black & White, 1st & 2nd November 1965)
TV Premiere:- Rediffusion (ITV London only) Thursday 16th December 1965, 9:40-10:35pm
2nd broadcast: - (All other ITV Regions) Friday 17th December 1965, 9:40-10:35pm
3rd broadcast:- Channel 4 Monday 30th December 1985, Evening
The Beatles at Shea Stadium (Filmed in colour on 15th August 1965)
TV Premiere: - BBC1 Tuesday 1st March 1966, 8:00-8:50pm [All UK TV was still black & white at this time]
2nd broadcast:- BBC1 Saturday 27th August 1966, 6:15-7:05pm [Another black & white screening]
3rd broadcast:- BBC2 Sunday 23rd August 1979, 5:30-6:20pm [First Colour broadcast]
Reporting '66 "End of Beatlemania" (Produced in Black & White, December 1966)
TV Premiere:- ITV (Some regions) 28th December 1966, Time varied by region
Further broadcasts: - ITV (All other regions) 29th December 1966 , Time varied by region (London was at 6:08-6:35pm)
For Magical Mystery Tour See Beatles Films on British TV
All You Need Is Love (Tony Palmer's Pop Music Documentary Series)
The Beatles Episode Premiered:- ITV Saturday 14th May 1977, 10:32-11:28pm
The Rutles - All You Need Is Cash (Eric Idle's Spoof Documentary)
UK TV Premiere:- BBC2 Easter Monday 27th March 1978, 8:45-9:49pm
2nd broadcast:- BBC1 Saturday 27th May 1978, 10:17-11:24pm
British Home Video Released:- 12th October 1983 by Palace Video as "The Compleat Rutles"
3rd broadcast:- BBC2 Sunday 3rd March 1985, 11:46-12:52am
4th broadcast:- BBC1 Saturday 29th January 1988, 12:06-1:12am
There have since been screenings on UK Satellite/Cable channels (UK Gold on 28/Aug/1996 was one)
First Region 2 DVD Released:- 21st January 2002 by Cinema Club
The Compleat Beatles (Documentary for Home Video)
British Home Video Released:- October 1982 by MGM/UA Home Video
UK TV Premiere:- BBC2 Monday 30th December 1985, 7:03-9:01pm
There have been numerous screenings since, many on cable/satellite.
Beatlemania (A 50 minute documentary about fans in the 1980's)
TV Premiere:- BBC1 Tuesday 4th January 1983, 8:11-9pm
2nd broadcast:- BBC2 Tuesday 9th February 1988, 3:04-3:53pm
The Early Beatles (A 45 minute compilation of Granada footage 1962-65)
TV Premiere:- ITV Sunday 1st January 1984, 5:40-6:30pm
???? broadcast:- Central (ITV Midlands) Tuesday 15th July 1986, Late night
???? broadcast:- LWT (ITV London) Saturday 23rd August 1986, 1:35-2:20am
It Was Twenty Years Ago Today (Documentary celebrating 1967 & Sgt.Pepper)
TV Premiere:- ITV Monday 1st June 1987, 8:01-9:58pm
The Making of Sgt.Pepper (Documentary including interviews with Paul, George & Ringo)
UK TV Premiere:- ITV Sunday 14th June 1992, Late night [As part of The South Bank Show series]
The Beatles Anthology (Paul, George & Ringo's own documentary series)
UK TV Premiere of First Episode:- ITV Sunday 26th November 1995, Evening
Final Episode:- ITV Sunday 31st December 1995, Late Evening [The UK TV version was presented in 6 parts]
British Home Video's Released:- 7th October 1996 by Apple/PMI [With lots more footage & in 8 parts]
2nd broadcast:- [A repeat of the 6 part version] ITV Sunday 22nd December 1996 - Monday 30th December 1996
First Region 2 DVD Released:- 31 March 2003 by Apple/PMI
All You Need Is Cash (Documentary about the Beatles finances)
TV Premiere:- Channel 4:- Monday 27th November 1995, 10:00-11:00pm
I think this was repeated by Channel 4 around six or so years later.
The Making of The Beatles Yellow Submarine (23 minute Documentary)
UK TV Premiere:- VH-1 UK Friday 10th September 1999, Afternoon?
The Beatles Biggest Secrets (Documentary)
TV Premiere:- Five Wednesday 29th December 2004, Evening
First Region 2 DVD Released:- 19th September 2005 by Fremantle Home Entertainment

The Beatles Films on British Television

Last update:- April 2006

A Hard Day's Night (1964)
UK TV Premiere :- BBC1 Monday 28th December 1970, 4:05pm
2nd broadcast :- BBC1 Monday 27th December 1971, 9:40pm
3rd broadcast:- BBC1 Wednesday 26th December 1973, 10:30am
4th broadcast:- BBC1 Tuesday 3rd August 1976, 6:45pm
5th broadcast:- BBC2 Tuesday 25th December 1979, 3pm
First British Home Video Released:- 6th July 1984 by Vestron Home Video
6th broadcast:- ITV Sunday 14th June 1992, Late Night
7th broadcast:- ITV Sunday 28th February 1993, Early Hours
8th broadcast:- Central (ITV Midlands) 14th October 1994, Time unknown
9th broadcast:- West Country/HTV/Anglia (ITV Regions) April 1995, various days & time
1st UK Satellite/Cable broadcast:- Sky Movies November 1995, Evening
First Region 2 DVD Released:- 30th September 2002 by Miramax
A further BBC2 transmission occurred on 3rd May 2003 (3:25pm)
Help! (1965)
UK TV Premiere :- BBC1 Tuesday 6th July 1971, 7:30pm
2nd broadcast:- BBC1 Tuesday 26th December 1972, 3:30pm
3rd broadcast:- BBC1 Thursday 26th December 1974, 10:30am
4th broadcast: - BBC1 Tuesday 10th August 1976, 6:45pm
5th broadcast:- BBC2 Saturday 22nd December 1979, 6:35pm
6th broadcast:- BBC1 Tuesday 9th December 1980, 7:30pm
First British Home Video Released:- 26th March 1990 by VCI
7th broadcast:- ITV Sunday 14th June 1992, Afternoon
8th broadcast:- ITV Sunday 28th February 1993, Early Hours
9th broadcast:- Central (ITV Midlands) Sunday 1st January 1995, 12:05am
10th broadcast:- West Country/HTV/Anglia (ITV Regions) April 1995, various days & time
1st UK Satellite/Cable broadcast:- Sky Movies Late 1995, Evening
Magical Mystery Tour (1967 TV Film)
TV Premiere :- BBC1 Tuesday 26th December 1967, 8:35pm [BBC1 was still a Black & White channel at the time]
2nd broadcast:- BBC2 Friday 5th January 1968, 9:55pm [This broadcast was in colour]
3rd broadcast:- BBC2 Friday 21st December 1979, 6:10pm
First British Home Video Released:- 26th March 1990 by VCI
1st UK Satellite/Cable broadcast:- MTV Europe Monday 1st November 1993, Early Evening
Yellow Submarine (1968)
UK TV Premiere :- BBC1 (Easter Monday) 15th April 1974, 7:40pm [probably European version]
2nd broadcast:- BBC1 Tuesday 17th August 1976, 6:45pm [probably European version]
3rd broadcast:- BBC2 Monday 24th December 1979, 5:40pm [European version]
4th broadcast:- BBC2 Friday 3rd September 1982, 8:25pm [European version]
5th broadcast:- BBC2 Friday 3rd January 1986, 5:35pm [European version]
First British Home Video Released:- 28th August 1987 by United Artists Home Video [American version]
6th broadcast:- BBC2 6th-8th September 1988, shown in 3 parts [probably European version]
7th broadcast:- Channel 4 Sunday 16th June 1991, Afternoon?, [possibly the American version]
8th broadcast: - Channel 4 Monday 26th December 1994, Time unknown [European version]
9th broadcast:- S4C Tuesday 27th December 1994, Time unknown [European version]
10th broadcast:- Channel 4 Thursday 27th March 1997, Time unknown [European version]
First Region 2 DVD Released:- 13th September 1999 by MGM/United Artists Home Entertainment [New DVD version]
BBC2 have since broadcast the DVD version on 1st January 2001 (3:15pm) and 3rd May 2003 (2pm)
Let It Be (1970)
UK TV Premiere :- BBC1 Friday 26th December 1975, 10:55pm
2nd broadcast:- BBC1 Tuesday 24th August 1976, 6:50pm
3rd broadcast:- BBC2 Wednesday 26th December 1979, 5:50pm
4th broadcast:- BBC2 Saturday 8th May 1982, 3:10pm

Beatle Films on TV, further information

The 1970's

After watching the Christmas 1970 British TV premiere of A Hard Day's Night at his home (Tittenhurst Park) John Lennon was inspired to write the song "I'm the Greatest" which he eventually gave to Ringo who recorded it for his eponymous 1973 album...........................The first ever screening of a Beatle feature film was also responsible for the re-entry of the A Hard Day's Night album into the chart, a 1 week appearance at No.30 followed the broadcast a few weeks later.................The premiere of Help! in the summer of 1971 was the first of a weekly series of Rock 'N' Roll films broadcast on BBC1 under the banner Pop Go The Movies and, as with A Hard Day's Night six months earlier, the Help! album re-entered the UK chart a few weeks after its' TV debut, this time for a 2 week appearance where it peaked at No.33.................1976 was something of a Beatle revival year, EMI re-issued all of the British singles and many of them re-entered the charts, the Rock N Roll compilation album was also a big seller that year, Beat Publications began re-printing the 1960's Beatles Monthly magazines with each issue now accompanied by 8 new pages reflecting the revived interest in the band and BBC Television ran a season of Beatle films in August 1976 (One every Tuesday night) but fans were unhappy with the omission of Magical Mystery Tour and they began a petition (the BBC had in fact only bought the rights for 2 screenings back in the 1960's) ....................Eventually, 3 years later, Magical Mystery Tour was shown as part of another Beatles season, this time a daily dose of the Beatles over a 6 day period in December 1979, special trailers were broadcast to promote "The Beatles at Christmas" which also included The Beatles at Shea Stadium which had not ben seen on UK TV since 1966...............

The 1980's

A late change to the schedule on the night of 9th December 1980 saw Help! shown as a tribute to John Lennon, it was arguably the least appropriate of the Beatles Movies given the circumstances, not least because Lennon had never disguised his disappointment with it ..................................The May 1982 screening of Let It Be was the last time it was screened on British Television, not only has it failed to be shown by a Satellite or Cable channel, it has never even been released on a British PAL video...................The August Bank Holiday week of 1982 was BBC2's Rock Films season, Yellow Submarine was shown on the Friday (a Beatle film broadcast that has often been overlooked) ......................... The final BBC screenings of Help!, Magical Mystery Tour & Let It Be came just a year or two too early for the average fan to record it themselves and so, for a number of years, these films later became much sort after pirate tapes (with most copies being dubbed from the 1979 "Beatles at Christmas" season). Meanwhile A Hard Day's Night became many UK fans first official Beatle video purchase when it was released on Home Video in 1984. Yellow Submarine continued to be the only Beatle movie to get an airing on UK TV throughout the rest of the decade and few fans who had recorded it off air were tempted by the official 1987 release for it contained the inferior American version which did not include the "Hey Bulldog" sequence (although it does have some alternate scenes leading up to the moment Ringo finds Jeremy tied to a tree)...................

The 1990's and 2000's

ITV celebrated Paul & George's 50th birthdays by showing both A Hard Day's Night & Help! (the first broadcast of these films since 1979/80), some ITV regions showed them again before SKY snapped them up for Cable/Satellite viewers to enjoy from Late 1995 onwards ..............Magical Mystery Tour had been the first of the Beatles films to get an airing on a UK available Cable/Satellite channel when MTV Europe showed it as part of their "Beatles Day" in 1993, George & Paul were specially interviewed about the film and these were screened beforehand.................As in the case of Home Video's, A Hard Day's Night and Yellow Submarine were also the first Beatle movies officially released in Britain on DVD (The latter happily including the European version). At the time of writing Help! and Magical Mystery Tour are still awaiting a British DVD release whilst Let It Be, as with the long promised and unfulfilled video release, seems to be rumoured for a DVD release every other year, and still we are waiting.

Films about the Beatles on TV

The much maligned TV film The Birth of the Beatles had its UK Premiere on the BBC on 31st December 1980 and was repeated by BBC1 on 26th January 1985 (11:40pm) ...................The 1978 American Movie I wanna hold your hand was premiered on BBC2 on Tuesday 17th June 1986 (6:54pm) .........................Backbeat, a film focusing on Stuart Sutcliffe's time with the Beatles, had its' UK Television Premiere on Channel 4 on 5th December 1996.

Solo Beatles in films on TV

How I Won the War starring John Lennon was presumaby premiered on BBC Television around 1972, its' final screening in the 1970's took place in 1976 before the next broadcast on BBC1 occurred on 12th September 1986 (11:38pm) ..................Two Ringo films, The Magic Christian and That'll be the day were repeated on BBC Television in the Autumn of 1979 .....................................The 1988 Documentary film Imagine: John Lennon was premiered by BBC2 on 27th December 1991 (Albeit in slightly edited form) ...............The 1971 film 200 Motels, starring Ringo, was gven a rare screening by BBC2 on 25th July 1993 and then by BBC1 on 9th March 1996.