With footage of the Beatles scarcely in short supply, any documentary needs its own focus and the The Beatles Big Beat Box set is sadly lacking in just that. The programme covers the Fab Four's career from early 1964 to mid-1966, from the height of Beatlemania to the beginnings of the studio years. The 1964 Australian tour, with Ringo's stand-in drummer and gauche American-soundalike interviewers, brings out the best of Lennon's off-the-wall humour. Come the 1965 American tour, the strains are clearly showing as organisational and commercial logistics leave no room for the music. Cue the Hollywood Bowl concert, with rich-kid helicopter ride and a host of star attendees--notably a surreal exchange with Groucho Marx. It's a pity that the 1966 (final) American tour is despatched in just two minutes. The "Jesus Christ" controversy was surely a defining moment, and deserves closer attention.

On the DVD and CD: The quality of reproduction reflects the limitations of the original footage, with no remastering. Black and White stills are mainly from the 1964 Ed Sullivan Show, while the detailed biography screens run from 1970-66. Given the amount of footage available, it would have been great to offer a second DVD of 1964-66 footage. The additional audio disc offers a soundtrack featuring Beatles covers from present-day bands, including the intriguing lost (?) Lennon song "In Spite of All the Danger", stylishly performed by The Overtures. Also on the CD are six Lennon & McCartney classics as mood-music instrumentals and although all songs are expertly performed, it lacks flair, and the instrumentals are no more than a curiosity. For those wanting just a documentary taster of Beatlemania on DVD, this is adequate--but any true Beatles fanatic will need something more comprehensive.--Richard Whitehouse