Filming for a new TV series about the early years of The Beatles has been taking place in Liverpool over the bank holiday weekend. The six-part series called 'Hamburg Days' will tell the story of the band's transformation from a group of teenagers performing concerts in Germany to becoming the world's most successful band.
Cast and Crew
It Is In Us All actor Rhys Mannion will star as singer and guitarist John Lennon, Ellis Murphy will play bassist and singer Sir Paul McCartney and Harvey Brett will play singer and guitarist George Harrison. Rivals actor Louis Landau will play the band's original bassist Stu Sutcliffe and original drummer Pete Best will be played by Patrick Gilmore.
The series is based on the book of the same name by Beatles associates Klaus Voormann and Astrid Kirchherr.
Filming Locations in Liverpool
Yesterday, filming crews were spotted in the Georgian Quarter area of the city centre, near Hope Street. Vintage 1960s style cars lined the street as the crew set up for an evening shoot. Areas of Hope Street were blocked off by traffic cones, as gazebos were placed on the sidewalk to protect filming equipment from the rain.
Elsewhere in the city centre, one of the most famous bars in the region rolled back the years. The Jacaranda, located on Slater Street, is often associated with The Beatles and their formative years. Last night a venue on Seel Street appeared bearing The Jacaranda branding from the 60s - suggesting filming will take place there.
The Beatles were frequent customers, with John Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe attending the nearby Liverpool Art College and Paul McCartney studying at the adjacent Liverpool Institute. According to David Bedford's interview with Pete Best, The Jacaranda was also the place where John Lennon first introduced the band as 'The Beatles' during a performance on August 15 1960, the day before they drove to Hamburg.
Behind the Scenes
On Instagram this morning, the venue posted a picture of its temporary new sign on Seel Street, and added the caption: "A mysterious 1960-style Jacaranda has appeared in town." Fans speculated in the comments, with many agreeing that filming must be taking place at the bar.
Earlier this week, Friday August 28, actor Rhys Mannion was spotted in character as John Lennon outside Liverpool Lime Street Station. He was photographed during a scene which appeared to involve his character getting a taxi outside the train station.
Director Christian Schwochow, who worked on Netflix's hit series The Crown, is the showrunner of the series, and Bafta-winner David Holmes, who worked on Killing Eve and the Ocean's franchise, will curate the music.
Sue Deeks, head of scripted pre-buy acquisitions at the BBC, said: "Hamburg Days is the fascinating story of how, in the space of two short years, a raw young band from Liverpool honed their music skills in Hamburg, before returning home to become an overnight worldwide success. It is an incredible story, accompanied (of course) by an amazing soundtrack."
The series will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer with an air date yet to be announced. Four films directed by Sir Sam Mendes about the band are also currently in production, starring Paul Mescal as Sir Paul, Barry Keoghan as Sir Ringo, Harris Dickinson as Lennon and Joseph Quinn as Harrison.
