THE ONE Show is in for a major schedule shake up next week as the BBC has announced a series of special programmes will air in honour of The Beatles.
The beloved British rock band is releasing a new song next week and it will be their final piece of music and a tribute to their legacy.
Titled Now and Then, the upcoming song has been in the works for over four decades. It was written and partially recorded by the late John Lennon in the 1970s, and worked on by George Harrison before he died. More recently, Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have stepped back into the studio to finish it off.
To celebrate the legacy of The Beatles and their new music, The One Show is getting a shake up as with an extended 45 minute episode on Wednesday 1 November at 7pm.
Alongside hosts Alex Jones and Ronan Keating, radio DJ Lauren Leverene will front the episode and introduce the first UK TV broadcast of Now and Then alongside a short film that tells the story behind the new track.
The short film will feature previously unseen footage and commentary from Paul, Ringo and George, as well as John and Yoko Ono’s son Sean Ono Lennon. Now and Then – the last ever Beatles song – will be released the following day.
Alongside The One Show special, the BBC will continue to celebrate The Beatles next week.
First with the podcast series Eras: The Beatles, which is presented by Sherlock star Martin Freeman.
According to the BBC: “Eras: The Beatles charts the history of the band that are the foundation of popular music and whose legendary influence – over 60 years since their formation – is still felt across the world. Each episode will shine a light on a different period of The Beatles’ remarkable career.”
BBC Two and BBC iPlayer will also broadcast a night of programming celebrating The Beatles on Saturday 4 November. The range of new and archive programmes will include The Beatles & The BBC, which is a new compilation of performances and appearances from the band and its individual members on programmes such as Doctor Who (1965), A Degree of Frost (1964) and Our World (1967).
In the lead up to The Beatles celebrations next week, the first five episodes of the Eras podcast series have been released on BBC Sounds, and the sixth and final instalment will follow on Thursday 2 November from 2pm.
Lorna Clarke, BBC Director of Music, teased that the celebrations will be a “real treat” for fans of the Liverpool-born legends.
“The BBC’s relationship with The Beatles spans seven decades, with appearances from members of the band woven throughout our extensive archive.
“This relationship with their music continues today and so to be the first UK broadcaster to show the special film will be a real treat for fans old and new. We’ll be celebrating the band’s continued influence across BBC iPlayer, Sounds, radio and TV,” she said.
The One Show continues tonight on BBC One at 7pm.