The BBC has acquired the forthcoming drama series Hamburg Days, a six-part series set to recount The Beatles’ early days as a band for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. The series is based on the autobiography of Klaus Voormann, who is also serving as a consultant on the project. Hamburg Days is set in the early 1960s, specifically in the smoke-filled clubs of Hamburg’s St. Pauli’s red-light district. The story will track how an inexperienced rock ‘n’ roll band from Liverpool collided with two young artists, Klaus Voormann and Astrid Kirchherr, sparking the transformation that turned the scrappy teenagers into The Beatles.
The creative team boasts impressive talent: renowned German director Christian Schwochow is the showrunner, and Mat Whitecross, known for his acclaimed collaborations with Coldplay and Oasis, will direct. Jamie Carragher serves as head writer for the series, which was developed by Benjamin Benedict. BAFTA-winner David Holmes will curate the music in the series. Sue Deeks, Head of Scripted Pre-buy Acquisitions at the BBC, called the series “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.”
Hamburg Days will be a W&B Television and Turbine Studios production for ZDF, the BBC and AGC Television.