A few days ago, I posted a “Ten for” blog post, featuring ten rock musicians and groups that turned into Saturday morning cartoons.
Well, apparently I surprised a few people when I posted a YouTube clip of a Saturday morning cartoon show featuring The Beatles.
Follow along with me on this one.
Apparently in the mix of every other “Beatle”-produced marketing tie-in, kids could plop in front of the television set on Saturday mornings and watch the adventures of The Beatles. The group would get into some wacky mischief, and then they would sing one of their songs. This would happen two or three times an episode, and it aired for about 3 years on ABC.
Want to watch some episodes?
Sure you do!
| Let’s start off with the opening credits! | |
| PLEASE MR POSTMAN
The Beatles are broke, and they have to contact their manager Brian Epstein for money. They can’t afford to send a telegram – so they use the “Cannibal Telegram Service.” Perfect reason to play “Please Mr. Postman,” right? |
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| I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND
Sure, put the Beatles on an ocean liner with an entire female passenger lineup. And watch the hilarity ensue! Interestingly, the Beatles actually interrupt the episode by breaking the fourth wall and chastising the cartoon announcer! |
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| KOMM, GIB MIR DIENE HAND
Yes, the Beatles recorded two of their hits in German, and one of them was converted into a Beatles cartoon episode! |
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| PENNY LANE
Yes, the Beatles are losing their popularity – to England’s greatest detective, James Blonde. Until they overhear that some thieves are going to rob Penny Lane – and the Beatles start singing! |
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| ELEANOR RIGBY
Apparently Eleanor Rigby was a witch and scared all the little kids. As opposed to being a sad, bitter old lady. Sing, Beatles, sing! |
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| GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE
Now this is scary. The Beatles are in India, they sleep on a bed of nails, and they look for someone named Swami Rivers. Apparently the Maharishi was busy with other things. |
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| BABY’S IN BLACK
This must be the Halloween Beatles Show, in that the Beatles are hanging out with Dracula. |
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| A HARD DAY’S NIGHT
I guess that wasn’t the first Beatles scary episode. Here’s another one. |
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| ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN
I guess nobody noticed that they have John Lennon singing lead vocals on this cartoon – when George Harrison’s voice is on lead vocals. |
After seeing these episodes, can you understand why there won’t be any special “boxed set” reissue of this on DVD any time soon? Can’t say as I blame them.
Chuck The Writer 
My kids are big Beatles fans and I bought the complete Beatles cartoon series on dvd for them a few years ago. They watched these things constantly.I remembered watching it when I was a kid. That and the Jackson 5 cartoons.
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You are aware that the DVD set you bought was unlicensed? The only DVD sets featuring the Beatles cartoons are bootleg rips. That’s probably why the quality of what you’re watching is pretty low. Just be aware.
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There was actually a book published about the making of this cartoon! I contacted the author several years ago when the book was first published and he told me that one of the sing-alongs that was part of the show (i.e. where they would play a Beatles song and show stills of the cartoon while the lyrics appeared at the bottom of the screen) was for the song “She Said, She Said”!! Now THAT’s strange!
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