The Beatles

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ABC (ended 1969)
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Show Summary

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On Saturday September 25, 1965 at 10:30 a.m. (EST) on ABC, America was introduced to the Beatles Cartoons. The first cartoon series to ever feature a rock and roll group, it immediately became a hit with a 13 score and a 52 per cent share in ratings. Based loosely on the characters of the Beatles as portrayed in their film, A Hard Day's Night, each half hour program consisted of two cartoons (each approximately 8-10 minutes long) and two singalong segments stuck in-between the two episodes.'' ''Though the Beatles never took part in the creation and production of the show, save for the fact that their original music was used, the series still remains a favorite among fans who can remember getting up and eating a bowl of cereal while watching it. And thanks to MTV, Disney (who both aired the show sometime around the late 80's early 90's) and bootlegged copies, the show is continuing to enjoy an ever growing number of fans.''''A King Features Production. Color. 39 Half-hour episodes. Syndicated.''''Original ABC Schedule:''''Season 1: 10:30 a.m. EST Saturdays - 26 new episodes''Season 2: 10:30 a.m. EST Saturdays - Only 7 new episodes, remainder were reruns''Season 3: 12:00 p.m. EST Saturdays - Only 6 new episodes, remainder were reruns''Season 4: 9:30 a.m. EST Sundays - No new episodes - reruns only''''Original Sponsors:''A.C. Gilbert Company''Quaker Oats Company''Mars Candy Company''''Original Licensed Merchandise:''The Beatles Cartoon Kit- Colorforms''Candy Sticks- World Candies, Inc.''Inflatable Dolls- manufacturer unknown''Songs From A Music Adventure Cartoon Series- Hansen Publications, Inc.''''Original Premium Giveaways:''Nestle's Quik- inflatable dolls''Lux Soap- inflatable dolls''''Theme Song''''You tell me that you've got everything you want''And your bird can sing''But you don't get me, you don't get me ''''You say you've seen seven wonders and your bird is green''But you can't see me, you can't see me ''''When your prized possessions start to wear you down''Look in my direction, I'll be round, I'll be round ''''When your bird is broken will it bring you down''You may be awoken, I'll be round, I'll be round ''''You tell me that you've heard every sound there is''And your bird can swing''But you can't hear me, you can't hear memoreless
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Episode Guide

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S 3 :  Ep 6 Aired 10/21/67
S 3 :  Ep 5 Aired 10/14/67
S 3 :  Ep 4 Aired 10/7/67
S 3 :  Ep 3 Aired 9/30/67
S 3 :  Ep 2 Aired 9/23/67

The Beatles News

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    By Matthew Jaffe, Apr 14, 2010

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Cast & Crew

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Fan Reviews (14)

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  • YEAH! The Beatles?

    5.0
    "Mediocre"
    By tjtalman, Aug 04, 2010 Report Abuse
    This show is bad, besides the music. Why would they make this I know it was The Beatles, but come on. This was just bad, i watched these on youtube a couple years ago when I was addicted to listening to The Beatles and ha ha well pretty much nothing else. I don't know what else i should say, um im watching wife swap right now (there is nothing else on, because its like 2 o'clock in the morning), and I swear to god British people are really ugly, well the ones they are showing on TV at the moment.moreless

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    0 0

  • Are you a Beatles fan! I saw Rain the Tribute to The Beatles. Now you buy new Beatles on CD's.

    7.0
    "Good"
    By tdickensheets, Jan 05, 2010 Report Abuse
    I watch ABC when The Beatles as a cartoon. I see the DVD in USA. I found out of copyrights by Apple Records who have the rights won't let avyone the make copys. They will sue anyone who does it. Only way to buy them is in UK. I like to buy one.
    I wonder anyonse see the tribute to the Beatles. Rain is good at it.

    http://www.raintribute.com

    Now you can sing like the Beattles.

    http://www.thebeatlesrockband.com

    My middle name is Paul.

    The Fab Four.

    I didn't seen them yet.

    The Beatles

    http://www.thebeatles.com

    Pete Best was a Beatle before Ringo.

    He played the drums.

    Ringo & Paul still alive.

    The Beatles 1 CD.

    Wow!moreless

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    0 0

  • Standard 1960s Saturday morning fare, rising above the norm with the Beatles' brilliant music.

    7.0
    "Good"
    By Uncatoon, Mar 16, 2008 Report Abuse
    The Beatles weren't the first music group to get a cartoon show; that distinction belongs to Ross Bagdasarian's "The Alvin Show" four years earlier.

    However, where the UPA-esque designs, scripts and animation were perfectly fit to Alvin, et al, the Beatles' cartoon show is saved from being a taciturn excursion into the atypical by the group's timeless music. The show was aired on ABC, and even given that the first season was bankrolled by toymaker A.C. Gilmer, this was Saturday morning so quality control was going to be a big issue, animation-wise. At least three first season episodes--"I'm Happy Just To Dance With You," "Mr. Moonlight" and "I Saw Her Standing There" had horrible animation. There is spelling and syntax issues with the sing-along lyrics (in "I Should Have Known Better," the words "You're gonna say you love me too" is printed as "Your gonna say you love me to"). Many harped about the choice of voices as well, Paul Frees and Lance Percival.

    Then again, the show, when it hits a stride of knowing Beatle idiosyncracies, can be a treat to watch. "Anytime At All" has John wiggling his eyebrows at us and doing his "gi'e us a kiss" bit which is hilarious. "Strawberry Fields" (the word "Forever" curiously left out) was presumably the last first-run episode made but was part of the first show of season three and has some terrific graphics (Private Gripweed, Lennon's character in the movie "How I Won The War" appears) some atypical Beatle banter, and the song itself, making this episode a gem. It is to the show's credit that the now-departed John and George watched the show ("it's so bad or silly that it's good and the passing of time may make it even more fun today," says George). The Beatles cartoon may be an obscurity by today's standards--your average Hannah Montana fangirl would probably squirm during any half hour of it--but it's a throwback to the time when we kids nurtured through the 60s waited for Saturday morning anxiously for 10:30 AM.moreless

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  • Who else but the Fab Four could have their own animated cartoon series? If I had a dollar for everytime I've heard the this or that group is going to be bigger than the Beatles, I could retire. They were the one, the only, The Beatles. Say No More.moreless

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By timetravel60, Jan 07, 2008 Report Abuse
    It's The Beatles what more needs to be said. This TV cartoon, along with HARD DAYS NIGHT, HELP, AND YELLOW SUBMARINE, showed that these chaps were just as talanted in the art of wry whit and humor as they were at turning out number one hits. No, they couldn't act, but then again they really didn't have to. They were THE BEATLES. This brings me to this; Who was the REAL genius behind their success? Brian Epstein! A marketing genius that used every medium available, including animation, to make The Fab Four as big as they were. Thanks for the memories guys!moreless

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  • Cute I think as I love the Beatles!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By JPPT1974, Oct 17, 2007 Report Abuse
    This was a cute cartoon if you were a big Beatles fan like I was as I was introduced to the cartoon as I first loved the Beatles back in 1989 at 15. But just came across the cartoon only the second time just recently. It is based on the hit movie "A Hard Day's Night." John was the smart one, Paul was the cute one, George the quiet one, & Ringo the funny one. And despite the band not having anything to do with the cartoon. Still, it is a treat. As it is cute as it could be. Examining the "day in the life" of the group.moreless

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    0 1
 

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