The BBC has acquired Hamburg Days, a new six-part drama miniseries exploring The Beatles' formative years in Hamburg during the early 1960s. Based on the autobiography of Klaus Voormann, the series follows the young band's transformation amid encounters with artists like Voormann and Astrid Kirchherr. Production involves showrunner Christian Schwochow, director Mat Whitecross, and composer David Holmes, though casting remains unannounced.
Overview
Hamburg Days charts the early career of The Beatles, focusing on their time performing in the clubs of Hamburg's St. Pauli red-light district. The synopsis describes how "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: The Beatles."
The series draws from Voormann's autobiography, with the former Beatles associate serving as a consultant. Sue Deeks, Head of Scripted Pre-buy Acquisitions at the BBC, highlighted its appeal in a statement: “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!”
Production Details
This marks another recent project revisiting The Beatles' history, following the remastered 1995 documentary The Beatles Anthology and Sam Mendes' planned four-member biopics set for 2028. Unlike those, Hamburg Days emphasizes the band's pre-fame grind in West Germany.
Key creative team members include showrunner Christian Schwochow, known for directing episodes of The Crown, and director Mat Whitecross, who has helmed documentaries on Oasis and Coldplay. David Holmes will compose the score. It's unclear if original Beatles tracks will be used, given their sets at the time largely featured covers.
No casting announcements have been made. This fictionalized take echoes the 1994 film Backbeat, which centered on original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe's time in Hamburg.
The acquisition was announced on December 3, 2025, adding to ongoing interest in the Fab Four's origins.