Book contents
- The Beatles in Context
- Composers In Context
- The Beatles in Context
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Contributors
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Chronology
- Part I Beatle People and Beatle Places
- Part II The Beatles in Performance
- Part III The Beatles on TV, Film, and the Internet
- Chapter 10 From Juke Box Jury to The Ed Sullivan Show: Radio and TV – the Beatles’ “Star-Making Machinery”
- Chapter 11 Projecting the Visuality of the Beatles: A Hard Day’s Night and Help!
- Chapter 12 Beatletoons: Moxie, Music, and the Media
- Chapter 13 Documentary, Rockumentary: Let It Be and the Rooftop Concert
- Chapter 14 The Beatles Redux: The Anthology Series and the Video Age
- Chapter 15 Pop Goes the Internet
- Part IV The Beatles’ Sound
- Part V The Beatles as Sociocultural and Political Touchstones
- Part VI The Beatles’ Critical Reception and Cultural Legacy
- Further Reading
- Index
Chapter 12 - Beatletoons: Moxie, Music, and the Media
from Part III - The Beatles on TV, Film, and the Internet
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2020
- The Beatles in Context
- Composers In Context
- The Beatles in Context
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Contributors
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Chronology
- Part I Beatle People and Beatle Places
- Part II The Beatles in Performance
- Part III The Beatles on TV, Film, and the Internet
- Chapter 10 From Juke Box Jury to The Ed Sullivan Show: Radio and TV – the Beatles’ “Star-Making Machinery”
- Chapter 11 Projecting the Visuality of the Beatles: A Hard Day’s Night and Help!
- Chapter 12 Beatletoons: Moxie, Music, and the Media
- Chapter 13 Documentary, Rockumentary: Let It Be and the Rooftop Concert
- Chapter 14 The Beatles Redux: The Anthology Series and the Video Age
- Chapter 15 Pop Goes the Internet
- Part IV The Beatles’ Sound
- Part V The Beatles as Sociocultural and Political Touchstones
- Part VI The Beatles’ Critical Reception and Cultural Legacy
- Further Reading
- Index
Summary
On Saturday morning September 25, 1965, at 10:30 am EDT, the Beatles cartoon series premiered on ABC TV in the USA. Thirty minutes of Beatles music and fun. Two five and a half minute shorts with a sing along segment sandwiched in between. They were simple, uncomplicated stories of the Beatles interacting in society in all regions of the world. All stories were based on the lyrics of a Beatles song. Now often considered a forgotten piece of Beatles lore, the series was an immediate ratings success, lasting three seasons in its original run, with numerous re-runs in syndication. As the Beatles were considered pioneers in the music industry, having been credited with many “firsts” in their field, the cartoon series would be another feather in their pioneering cap as it was the very first weekly series to feature animated versions of living people. The trend continued in animation as many other entertainment acts were to be the subject of cartoon series for the foreseeable future, none of which would garner the ratings success of “The Beatles.” How did this popular series come to be? And if it was such a success, why is it considered forgotten? The answers lie in the moxie of a man named Al Brodax, the music of the Beatles, and the perceptions of the worldwide media.
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- Information
- The Beatles in Context , pp. 134 - 141Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2020