The Beatles (1965)
The Beatles is an American animated television series featuring the fanciful and musical misadventures of the popular English rock band of the same name. It ran from 1965 to 1969 on ABC in the US. The series debuted on September 25, 1965 and ended on September 7, 1969. A total of 39 episodes were produced. The series was shown on Saturday mornings at 10:30 AM EST until the 1967 third season when it was moved to 12:00 PM EST. For the fourth season, which consisted of reruns, the series was shown at 9:30 AM EST on Sunday mornings. Each episode has a name of a Beatles song, so the story is based on its lyrics and it is also played at some time in the episode. The original series was rebroadcast in syndication by MTV in 1986 and 1987 and on the Disney Channel. The series was a historical milestone as the first weekly television series to feature animated versions of real, living people.
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Episode 1 - Dizzy Miss Lizzy/I Saw Her Standing There
Release Date: 1966-02-05Dizzy Miss Lizzy: While the Beatles are visiting Bavaria, George goofs up by bragging that he is the Liverpool Champion ice skater. John and Paul secretly enter him in a Swiss ice boat contest to show him a thing or two. SINGALONGS: Ticket To Ride & From Me To You I Saw Her Standing There: After much walking and sight-seeing in Madrid, John and Paul stop at Joses Jideaway for a rest. John takes his shoes off for comfort and red hot ashes end up in them. When he puts them on, he starts to jump around, the club thinks he is dancing and flamenco dancer's girl friend falls for him. Jealous, the dancer challenges John to a duel.
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Episode 2 - What You're Doing/Money
Release Date: 1966-02-12What You're Doing: After returning from a fishing trip, Ringo wanders into a camp of gypsies. One of the women takes a fancy to Ringo and he ends up the her choice for marriage. George dons drag and pretends to be Ringo's fiancee in order to get him out of his terrible situation. SINGALONGS: Dizzy Miss Lizzie & All My Loving Money: After being paid for a NY concert, the Beatles take a leisure trip to Coney Island. The boys try to keep their eye on him (he has all the money they just received sewed up in his coat) but he eludes them only to be chased by a mysterious stranger.
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Episode 3 - Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand/She Loves You
Release Date: 1966-02-19Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand: The Beatles (along with a guide dog named Gunthar) climb a mountain in the Swiss Alps in order to plant a flag with their likeness a top the highest peak. SINGALONGS: Bad Boy & Tell Me Why She Loves You: While the Beatles are on a cruise they discover a woman being held captive in cabin 13. When they try to rescue her they are attacked by her captor, who throws knives at them.
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Episode 4 - Bad Boy/Tell Me Why
Release Date: 1966-02-26Bad Boy: The Beatles are vacationing in the Swiss Alps. They meet a young boy who would rather be one of the Beatles than to stay home with his family. SINGALONGS: Please Please Me & Hold Me Tight Tell Me Why: While in Spain, the Beatles come across a donkey that upon hearing their music, runs away at breakneck speed. They enter the donkey into a horse derby and the donkey wins by a nose.
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Episode 5 - I Feel Fine/Hold Me Tight
Release Date: 1966-03-05I Feel Fine: The Beatles go to Hollywood. While visiting a studio, Paul calls a leading hero (Dick Dashing) of the ""silver screen"" a fake. The hero's ego is severely bruised and he demands that Paul prove his point or take it back. SINGALONGS: What You're Doing & There's A Place Hold Me Tight: While the Beatles are in New York, Ringo and George take a tour of the Statue of Liberty. They spot a mysterious man with a package and set out to save the day.
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Episode 6 - Please Please Me/There's A Place
Release Date: 1966-03-12Please Please Me: While in Spain, the Beatles decide to go out and have a picnic. A bull mistakes Ringo for a matador; Ringo mistakes the bull for John and Paul in a cheesy costume. The bull chases Ringo, hits a tree and gets knocked out... leaving no bull for the upcoming bull fight. The Beatles end up in the ring- ole! SINGALONGS: Roll Over Beethoven & Rock and Roll Music There's A Place: The Beatles are rehearsing for a television appearance but are having difficulty due to an ape in a cage. John sets the ape free, only to find out that it the ape is a super genius, and as always mayhem and mischief ensues.
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Episode 7 - Roll Over Beethoven/Rock And Roll Music
Release Date: 1966-03-19Roll Over Beethoven: Before returning to England, the Beatles decide to have a quick look around (for old times sake). They happen upon an elephant (boxed and ready for transport on the high seas) that fancies Paul and decides to ""hug"" Paul with its trunk and not let go. Only the musical stylings of the Beatles can save Paul. SINGALONGS: I Feel Fine & She Loves You Rock and Roll Music: Mistaken for a string quartet, the Beatles are invited to give a performance at a party for a royal Duke. After attempting to make a sound with the string instruments, the Beatles decide to rattle the rafters and get the party hopping their own way.
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Episode 8 - Eight Days A Week/I'm Looking Through You
Release Date: 1966-09-10Eight Days A Week: The Beatles visit Gigantic Studios and run into a leading lover of the ""silver screen"" that has lost his ability to kiss. Paul busts a gut to step in and take his place and the leading lady of the film falls head over heels crazy about Paul. SINGALONGS: Run For Your Life & Girl I'm Looking Through You: While in Egypt the Beatles decide they need a nice place to rehearse. They look everywhere and end up in a tomb. Ringo encounters a ghost that wants his body and pushes Ringo's soul out of the body in order to get it.
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Episode 9 - Help/We Can Work It Out
Release Date: 1966-09-17Help!: The Beatles are visiting Paris, when Paul and Ringo spot a beautiful woman. They follow her to a fashion show, where a thief has stolen directions for the show. Paul and Ringo chase after him and end up at the Eiffel Tower. SINGALONGS: Day Tripper & The Night Before We Can Work It Out: While in Hollywood, the Beatles run into a magician that uses his magic in order to rob the Beatles.
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Episode 10 - I'm Down/Run For Your Life
Release Date: 1966-09-24I'm Down: While the Beatles are taking a tour of a French vineyard, Ringo knocks over a vat of wine. They have 2 hours to refill the vat with grapes or else the winery will be forced to close causing the workers to lose their jobs. SINGALONGS: Eight Days A Week & Paperback Writer Run For Your Life: While in Paris, the Beatles visit the Palace of Versailles. A statue falls and hits Ringo in the head and he thinks he's back in the time of Marie Antionette.
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Episode 11 - Drive My Car/Tell Me What You See
Release Date: 1966-10-01Drive My Car: The Beatles help a young race car driver fix up his car so he can win the race. SINGALONGS: We Can Work It Out & Yesterday Tell Me What You See: The Beatles visit Monster Pictures, Inc. in Hollywood CA where they run into Lon Chaney (""the man of a thousand faces""). Against Lon Chaney's warning, the Beatles mess about with his make-up and turn into various monsters.
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Episode 12 - I Call Your Name/The Word
Release Date: 1966-10-08I Call Your Name: The Beatles are taking a stroll out in the woods when they happen upon a little frog. Ringo "takes up" with the frog and decides to name him Barholomew and keep him as a pet. Later they visit Hollywood, and while staying at the Beverly Beverly Hotel, the other Beatles tell Ringo he can no longer keep the frog as a pet. After Ringo sets the frog free, a director tells the Beatles that he wants the frog to star in his next big film. The Beatles search everywhere for the frog, but before they can bring the frog to the director's office- the director decides to use his pet parrot dressed up in a frog costume in the film instead. SINGALONGS: She's A Woman & Wait The Word: A sheik invites the Beatles to the egyptian desert to perform for his harem of daughters. While traveling, they get a flat tire and are forced to ride a camel to the shieks. Meanwhile the harem removes their veils in order to see better so they can see the Beatles coming. Unfortunately, the camel with the Beatles upon it crashes into the tent where the girls are unveiled. The Beatles are about to be thrown to the crocodiles when a daughter begs the shiek to allow the lads to play just one song. He agrees, the girls tell the Beatles that there is a spy in the camp who has come to set the girls free upon a mention of a code word. The Beatles put the word in their song.
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Episode 13 - All My Loving/Day Tripper
Release Date: 1966-10-15All My Loving: The Beatles go on a ""goodwill"" trip to India and while there, attend a snake charming school. John and Ringo end up in a cage with a man-eating tiger who can only be soothed by light, soft music. SINGALONGS: I'm Looking Through You & Nowhere Man Day Tripper: The Beatles are abducted by aliens upon leaving a theatre where they watched the sci-fi film, The Way Out Creature From Planet Glom. The space ship's captain decides the universe would be better off without the Beatles and dumps them on the moon.
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Episode 14 - Nowhere Man/Paperback Writer
Release Date: 1966-10-22Nowhere Man: The Beatles are out for ""a healthy tramp in the woods"" when they encounter a hermit who ""just wants to be left alone."" The Beatles wander into his cave and look around. The hermit tries to get rid of the boys, but each time his attempts backfire until finally he destroys his own cave. SINGALONGS: And I Love Her & Michelle Paperback Writer: Dot, Blot and Clot Publishers, decides to put a papberback book out about the Beatles and make a lot of money. The Publisher asked the Beatles to each write an account of how they met the other three in hopes that one of them might have some real writing talent. They have until tommorrow morning to turn in their stories. Each Beatle comes up with an outrageous and downright lie. Ringo, a theatre star. Paul, a scientist trying to discover the cure for yellow fever. George, 008, secret agent. John, a WWI fighter pilot that battled the Red Baron. The next day, the publisher tosses them out of his office.
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Episode 15 - Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields
Release Date: 1967-09-16Penny Lane: While taking a tour of Scotland Yard, the Beatles discover that James Blonde (England's greatest detective) has taken all the affections of their adoring fans. That night they over hear some thieves' talk of going to Liverpool and robbing Penny Lane. The Beatles try to upstage James Blonde by foiling the robbery on their own. They arrive at the famous street and run around the buildings trying to find the robbers. SINGALONGS: Good Day Sunshine & Rain Strawberry Fields: The Beatles are being driven around by when the car stops at an orphanage. They decide to go pay the kids a visit, but the children see them and run away. The orphans pelt the lads with rocks and mud until they notice their driver, Old Jim, who is a friend of the children. The Beatles are disheartened to learn that the children live there in such a dump and decide to do something about it.
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Episode 16 - And Your Bird Can Sing/Got To Get You Into My Life
Release Date: 1967-09-23And Your Bird Can Sing: The Beatles go off on a wild hunt for a rare bird that has the ability to sing anything. SINGALONGS: Penny Lane & Eleanor Rigby Got To Get You Into My Life: The Beatles head off to India for some much needed relaxation, but too much relaxation causes their spirits to float out of their bodies and walk away.
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Episode 17 - Good Day Sunshine/Ticket To Ride
Release Date: 1967-09-30Good Day Sunshine: The Beatles go to Coney Island to try to cheer Ringo up because he thinks he has been jinxed. It rains and he thinks the rain is a direct result of the jinx. SINGALONGS: Strawberry Fields Forever & And Your Bird Can Sing Ticket To Ride: The Beatles work on their hobbies. John, Paul and George aren't very pleased when they discover that Ringo's bird collection isn't of the feathered kind.
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Episode 18 - Taxman/Eleanor Rigby
Release Date: 1967-10-07Taxman: The Beatles have to pay taxes. As they pass around money bags to cover what they owe the government, they accidentally hit each other on the top of the head. When they come to, they think they are in the times of Robin Hood and try to fight against the Sheriff of Nottingham. SINGALONGS: Got To Get You Into My Life & Here, There and Everywhere Eleanor Rigby: The Beatles hear a bunch of neighborhood children call old Mother Rigby a witch. They come to her defense and try to convince the children otherwise.
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Episode 19 - Tomorrow Never Knows/I've Just Seen A Face
Release Date: 1967-10-14Tomorrow Never Knows: The Beatles are strolling around Salisbury Plain when they all fall into a well. The well leads to the ""Inner World"" and the natives take a liking to the lads. SINGALONGS: She Said She Said & Long Tall Sally I've Just Seen A Face: While in the recording studio, Ringo loses his voice. The Beatles take him to a haunted house to try to ""scare"" his voice back.
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Episode 20 - Wait/I'm Only Sleeping
Release Date: 1967-10-21Wait: The Beatles try to get the Prince of Krapotkin back to the castle before his Princess can marry someone else. SINGALONGS: Penny Lane & Eleanor Rigby I'm Only Sleeping: John falls asleep while reading a story about the King Arthur legend to some children. He dreams that he helps Merlin slay a dragon.