The Beatles Are Back on TV: Meet the New Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Best

There’s a new Beatles TV series in the works, and, honestly, it’s aiming to do something a little different than the usual Fab Four nostalgia trip. 'Hamburg Days' is tackling the story from the cigarette-smoke-and-schnitzel beginnings: those gritty German club years where the Beatles were less 'British legends' and more 'sweaty teenagers in cheap leather'. If you’ve ever wondered what even happened before Beatlemania hit, this show seems game to dig in.

So, who’s slipping into those legendary boots?

• Rhys Mannion as John Lennon
• Ellis Murphy—an actual Liverpudlian musician—as Paul McCartney (points for authenticity)
• Newcomer Harvey Brett as George Harrison
• Louis Landau as Beatles’ original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe
• Patrick Gilmore—pretty green, from what I can tell—as Pete Best, the drummer who came before Ringo
• Luna Jordan as Astrid Kirchherr, the photographer who basically invented their iconic look
• Casper von Bülow stepping in as Klaus Voormann (he designed that legendary Revolver album cover—and his real story, for once, is making it onto screens)

The action mostly unfolds in early-1960s Hamburg, Munich, and Liverpool, which adds a layer of sweaty club realism—not just some sanitized version of the Beatles' rise. The plot’s drawn straight from Klaus Voormann’s own autobiography (fitting, since he was right there through the chaos), and he’s actively consulting on the show to keep things legit.

Who’s running this thing behind the camera?

The series is steered by Christian Schwochow (if you watched 'The Crown', you’ll recognize the name), who created the show and is doing showrunner duties. Writing is headed up by Jamie Carragher (not the footballer—you might know his work from 'Succession'). Direction’s split between Schwochow and Laura Lackmann, with Frank Lamm as cinematographer. Music supervision is locked down by BAFTA winner David Holmes, so the soundtrack should be far from an afterthought.

What’s the actual pitch?

Here’s how the show sums itself up:

'An inexperienced young rock 'n' roll band from Liverpool collide with two young artists, Klaus Voormann and Astrid Kirchherr. Together, they help spark a transformation that turns a scrappy group of teenagers into the greatest music phenomenon the world has ever known.'

Not exactly subtle, but, fair play—it isn’t called 'Hamburg Days' for nothing, and these years did more to shape the band than any haircut or suit ever could.

Oh, and there’s competition

Don’t get this series mixed up with the big-budget Sony project Sam Mendes is doing—a massive four-film Beatles saga, also in the works. If you want a quick roster: Harris Dickinson as Lennon, Paul Mescal as McCartney, Joseph Quinn as Harrison, Barry Keoghan as Ringo. So we’re getting both the 'warts and all in a German basement' take and the sweeping cinematic version.

'Hamburg Days' is a BBC and ZDF co-production (for those not in the UK or Germany, AGC International is taking care of global sales rights). It’s set for BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK—no US streamer announced yet, but with this much Beatles buzz, it probably won’t be long.

Bottom line: If you’re burned out by the same old mop-top Beatles nostalgia, 'Hamburg Days' could be the fresher (and seedier) alternative when it finally lands.