Posted By Dan Greenfield on Nov 23, 2025 | 2 comments

All together now…

By JASON CZERNICH

It was 30 years ago this month! The Beatles Anthology TV series made its debut on American TV on Nov. 19, 1995 — and it’s finally coming to streaming on Wednesday.

Back in the mid-’90s, when I was a sophomore in high school, I got my first-ever CD player for Christmas. And what was the first CD I got? The Beatles 1962–1966 greatest hits compilation! What did I run out and buy with my Christmas money the very next day? The Beatles 1967–1970 greatest hits compilation!

See a pattern emerging here?

Before that Christmas I had always had an interest in the music of the Fab Four, but only had access to their tunes whenever they would randomly receive airplay. Whenever I heard “Penny Lane,” “Hey Jude,” or any of their other hits on the radio, I would always insist that nobody touch that dial! I finally asked for Beatles music that Christmas and got my wish, revving up my love for the four lads from Liverpool. Two years later, The Beatles Anthology TV series and its corresponding albums came out, and I got to learn the band’s story in their own words.

The album Anthology 4 is now out, and The Beatles Anthology documentary series will make its long-overdue streaming debut Nov. 26, on Disney+ — just in time for the long Thanksgiving weekend.

To celebrate this groovy happening, here are 13 ways you can prepare:

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1. Watch the Original Beatles Filmography. There is something here for every Beatles fan, whether it be them doing Marx Brothers–style comedy in A Hard Day’s Night, the madcap goofiness of Help!, or the psychedelic journey of Yellow Submarine—three very different ways to enjoy the cinematic forays of the Beatles!

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2. Watch Some Beatles Documentaries. While I believe Anthology is the be-all, end-all of Beatles documentaries, the following films take closer looks at specific aspects of the Mop Tops’ reign during the swinging ’60s:

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years: Ron Howard treats the viewer to an overview of the band from 1962 to 1966.

Beatles ’64: This Martin Scorsese–produced piece concentrates on the boys visiting America for the first time and the initial impact they had on the US.

Get Back / Let It Be: I list them as a pair rather than separately, as together they give a good overview of the Beatles toward the end of their career — sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes heartwarming, always entertaining.

Good Ol’ Freda. A rarely seen perspective on Beatles history from someone who was there, yet never gets mentioned nearly as often as Brian Epstein or George Martin — Freda Kelly, the Beatles’ personal secretary and president of their fan club from 1962–72. Her integrity and diligence earned her a unique place in Beatles history, and Good Ol’ Freda shows you why.

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3. Read Batman #222. Neal Adams drawing a cover featuring Batman, Robin, John, Paul, George, and Ringo?! Yes… and no! Want to know more about this fab homage? Check out 13th Dimension’s coverage here.

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4. Read Bill Morrison’s Yellow Submarine Graphic Novel. It’s one of the best comic-book movie adaptations on the market today. Bill’s a columnist here at 13th Dimension and you can read his take on it.

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5. Read The Fifth Beatle. Covered by 13th Dimension here, this graphic novel tells the story of Brian Epstein, the Beatles’ manager, who tragically died young in 1967.

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6. Get out Your Beatles Merchandise. What’s your special piece of Beatles bling? The McFarlane Yellow Submarine action figures from the late ’90s? Beatles Monopoly? Right now mine are these Hallmark Beatles ornaments:

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7. Read the Recently Re-released Beatles Anthology Book. The Beatles’ story by the Beatles themselves! First released in 2000, just re-released this fall.

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8. Enjoy Some of Their Solo Projects. The four Beatles’ musical styles became even more distinct during the post-breakup years:

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Ringo Starr – Ringo (1973): Richard Starkey at his showy best.

Paul McCartney – Band on the Run (1973): Showcases his knack for catchy pop music and creative album concepts.

John Lennon – Imagine (1971): Features his signature tune and is possibly the most acclaimed post-Beatles song by any of the four.

George Harrison – All Things Must Pass (1970): Harrison’s mic drop — an effort proving he could write prolifically on a level comparable to the Lennon-McCartney team.

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9. Watch Their SNL Appearances. The Beatles have had a history with Saturday Night Live, with Paul, George, and Ringo each separately appearing on the show over the years. The first Beatle to appear on SNL? George Harrison on the Nov. 20, 1976 episode. His appearance included a classic performance with that week’s guest host, Paul Simon, as they sang “Here Comes the Sun” and Simon’s “Homeward Bound.”

However, the Beatles were first referenced on SNL months before in Lorne Michaels’ classic Beatles reunion offer sketch that helped give us the next item on this list…

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10. See the Rutles Mockumentary. An SNL appearance by Eric Idle gave America its first look at the Rutles — the legend that will last a lunchtime! Lorne Michaels explained in a sketch on the Oct. 2, 1976, episode that Idle took him up on his offer and promised him the Beatles but he misheard him due to a bad phone connection and gave him the Rutles instead.

The film clip that was then shown parodied the Fab Four as they appeared during their Hard Day’s Night period and was very well received by viewers. This led to the 1978 Michaels-produced television special, The Rutles: All You Need is Cash, featuring appearances by many of the late ’70s SNL cast, Michael Palin, Paul Simon, Mick Jagger, and even George Harrison himself! I remember first viewing it the week before Anthology debuted on American television and found it very uncanny how close it resembled the history of the real thing!

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11. The Beatles on The Simpsons. Paul, George, and Ringo each made appearances on another comedy institution, The Simpsons! Ringo appeared in the Season 2 episode, “Brush with Greatness”; George appeared in the Season 4 episode, “Homer’s Barbershop Quartet”; and Paul and Linda McCartney appeared in the pivotal Season 7 episode, “Lisa the Vegetarian.”

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12. Read all the 13th Dimension Beatles Coverage From Over The Years. One of the many reasons I am a fan of 13th Dimension is because of its love of the Beatles. There is no shortage of coverage on this site when it comes to the Fab Four. Whether you’re already a diehard Beatles fan or just want to learn more about their pop culture influence, 13th Dimension has you covered!

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13. Listen to Their Albums! At the end of the day, it really is about the Beatles making music. Their passion to refine and improve their sound, to take pop music where it had never been, was so important to them that they stopped touring in 1966 so they could spend more time in the studio to experiment. Beyond the movies, merchandise, and books is their love of pushing their melodic compositions to the next level. Fire up your favorite Beatles album (or albums) and remind yourself why you fell in love with them in the first place.

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MORE

— LOVE ME DO, 60 Years On: The First 13 BEATLES Singles to Make It to the Top. Click here.

— We Love These 13 Gear BEATLES TOYS — Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! Click here.

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JASON CZERNICH was born smack dab in the middle of the Bronze Age of Comics. Early memories of Power Records and other Batman merchandise, as well as watching reruns of the 1966 Batman series on TV38 in Boston, imprinted on him heavily. Today, he lives and works as a clinical social worker in central Massachusetts with his wife, child, cat, and beloved French Bulldog.