BBC celebrates The Beatles
October 27, 2023
The BBC will be reflecting the release of Now And Then – the last song by The Beatles – and celebrating the enduring legacy of the band with a range of programmes across TV, radio and online.
The song was originally written and sung by John Lennon, developed and worked on by Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr and now finally finished by McCartney and Starr over four decades later.
Highlights include:
- The One Show on BBC One – an extended edition on November 1st, with BBC Radio 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne introducing and commenting on the exclusive UK TV broadcast of Now And Then – The Last Beatles Song – a poignant short film, written and directed by Oliver Murray, which tells the story behind the track.
- Eras: The Beatles – presented by Martin Freeman and recorded in Liverpool, this new podcast series from BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds takes a look at how the most famous band on earth shaped music today. The story is told with extensive archive and in the band’s own words. It features a newly-rediscovered interview with Harrison, McCartney and Starr – unheard for almost 60 years – as well as a new interview with Paul McCartney on the making of Now And Then.
- BBC Two and BBC iPlayer will broadcast a night of programming celebrating The Beatles on November 4th. The range of new and archive programmes will include The Beatles & The BBC, a new compilation featuring performances and appearances from the band and its individual members on programmes such as Doctor Who (1965), A Degree of Frost (1964) and Our World (1967)
Lorna Clarke, BBC Director of Music says: “The BBC’s relationship with The Beatles spans seven decades, with appearances from members of the band woven throughout our extensive archive. This relationship with their music continues today and so to be the first UK broadcaster to show the special film will be a real treat for fans old and new. We’ll be celebrating the band’s continued influence across BBC iPlayer, Sounds, radio and TV.”