The BBC has revealed a slew of famous faces are joining its upcoming series Hamburg Days, which dramatises a formative early experience for the now-legendary rock band The Beatles.

Set in the early ’60s, the six-part drama takes viewers to “the smoke-filled clubs of Hamburg’s St Pauli red-light district, where an inexperienced young rock ‘n; roll band from Liverpool collides with two young artists”.
Those artists are Klaus Voormann, who serves as a consultant on this series, and Astrid Kirchherr, who “help spark a transformation that turns a scrappy group of teenagers into the greatest music phenomenon the world has ever known,” as per the BBC’s synopsis.
Hamburg Days is currently filming in the titular German city, as well as Munich and Liverpool, with the further cast now set to include Asa Butterfield (Unchosen) as Beatles manager Brian Epstein and Jonny Lee Miller (The Crown) as Jim McCartney, Paul’s father.
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The series has also recruited Christine Tremarco (Adolescence) as John Lennon’s guardian Aunt Mimi, and Darci Shaw (This City is Ours) as his first wife Cynthia, while Ryan Sampson (Brassic) will portray Liverpool promoter Alan Williams.
Rounding out the ensemble is newcomer Archie George as Tony Sheridan, Jorden Myrie (Sherwood) as Lord Woodbine, Lea Drinda (Where’s Wanda?) as Astrid Kirchherr, Tash Major (Finding Emily) as Dot Rhone, and Louis McCartney (Stranger Things: The First Shadow) as Ringo Starr.
They join the previously announced lead actors Rhys Mannion (John Lennon), Ellis Murphy (Paul McCartney), Harvey Brett (George Harrison), Louis Landau (Stu Sutcliffe), Patrick Gilmore (Pete Best) and Casper von Bülow (Klaus Voormann).
Hamburg Days does not yet have a confirmed premiere date on BBC One and iPlayer, but it should make it to the small screen sooner than Sam Mendes’s unrelated 2028 cinematic event, comprised of four feature films (one for each member of the band).
A co-production with German broadcaster ZDF, the series comes from the minds of developer Benjamin Benedict (Generation War), writer Jamie Carragher (Succession) and director/executive producer Christian Schwochow (Munich – The Edge of War).
Hamburg Days is coming soon to BBC One and iPlayer.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.

