1995: 'The Beatles Anthology' Airs on ABC
On this day in 1995, ABC debuted the first installment of the three-part documentary series, The Beatles Anthology. The series' launch coincided with the release of the Anthology 1 album — the first of three double-CD albums — and the single "Free as a Bird" (a recording by John Lennon that was re-mixed to incorporate additional instrumentation and vocals by Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, creating an all-new Beatles recording 25 years following the band's break-up).
The six-hour presentation, shown over three November nights, used film footage and interviews to tell the story of the Beatles through the first-person perspective of the four bandmates (and select associates), without external narration.