There are really only two explanations for this bit of news: Either NBC has suddenly gained a ton of sense (which I, personally, didn't think they had when they picked up Whitney a few years back), or they've lost what little they had. I'd like to think it's the former, because the thought of any piece of media even loosely based on The Beatles being terrible is a thought that I do not want to entertain. So, take from this what you will: According to Deadline, NBC is developing an event series based off The Beatles, which will be helmed by the team behind The Tudors.
The Tudors was a great show, so this is promising — but what will the show actually follow? Here's what we know: The series will consist of eight parts, and will tell the story of how one of the most famous bands in history came to be. This hasn't been a terribly popular subject to base films or shows off of, believe it or not; it's certainly a daunting task to take on, considering the emotional effect that simply hearing the band's name still has on people today.
Additionally, it's expensive to gain rights to use songs in the Lennon/McCartney catalog if you're hearing the actual recordings of The Beatles singing (as opposed to covers, which you will often see on American Idol) — remember when Mad Men basically spent its whole song budget on one The Beatles song, "Tomorrow Never Knows"?
No word on when we should expect this event series on the air, as NBC is still in the early stages of pre-producing the project. But, as always, we'll have more information as it becomes available. Until then, let's all rock out to some Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band-era The Beatles?
Image: Subafilms
