Beatles in Hamburg: an upcoming TV series, but…
Work has begun on “Hamburg Days”, a six-episode series that will chronicle the formative years of the Beatles, with filming set in Hamburg, Munich and Liverpool.
Produced by W&B Television and Turbine Studios, and co-financed by AGC Television and German broadcaster ZDF, “Hamburg Days” is inspired by the autobiography of German artist Klaus Voormann, who is also an executive consultant on the series. Voormann, who became a friend of the Beatles in Hamburg and then collaborated with them several times (he is the cover of “Revolver” and the graphics of the “Anthology” in audio and video, and as a bassist he collaborated on several albums of the former Beatles as soloists), published in 2003 the autobiography “Warum spielst du Imagine nicht auf dem weißen Klavier, John?” (never translated into English, much less into Italian).
The series starred Rhys Mannion as John Lennon, Ellis Murphy as Paul McCartney, Harvey Brett as George Harrison, Louis Landau as Stu Sutcliffe, Patrick Gilmore as Pete Best, Luna Jordan as Astrid Kirchherr, Casper von Bülow as Klaus Voormann, and Laura Tonke as Nielsa Kirchherr; the sudden death of Luna Jordan, which occurred a few days ago, caused the interruption of filming, and it is not yet known when they will resume and who will play the role of Astrid Kirchherr.
Meanwhile, a collection of letters and photographs relating to the Beatles and their stays in the German city, which took place at the beginning of the Sixties, is on display in Hamburg.
The most interesting “piece” on display is a letter addressed to Mike McCartney, Paul’s younger brother, and written by both Paul and John Lennon. The letter, dated May 1962, was made available by the recipient; in it, among other things, Paul writes that Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis were arriving in Hamburg for concerts.
The Beatles’ Hamburg period is the subject of particular attention in this period. Fans hope for next year a remastered and restored edition of the album “Live! At the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962”, which documents the band’s performances in the Hamburg club in the last days of December 1962.
