Klaus Voormann’s autobiography about The Beatles’ early days is being developed into a drama series by W&B Television (a LEONINE company) and Turbine Studios for the BBC and ZDF.
AGC Television, ZDF and the BBC are co-financing Hamburg Days, which will begin production in the spring in Hamburg and Liverpool. Benjamin Benedict, Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann of W&B Television; Andrew Eaton and Justin Thomson of Turbine Studios; and AGC’s Stuart Ford, Lourdes Diaz and Miguel A. Palos Jr. will EP. Isabel Haug of W&B Television serves as a creative producer. The series was developed by Benedict, and Jamie Carragher serves as the head writer for the six-part series. Christian Schwochow is attached as the showrunner. Voormann is an exclusive consultant on the show. AGC International will handle worldwide sales outside the U.K. and Germany.
Benjamin Benedict, Quirin Berg, and Max Wiedemann at W&B Television commented: “Hamburg Days is not only a series about the cradle of pop culture, the transformative power of art, and a German-British friendship that made international history. It brings together everything that makes for great serialized storytelling: a universal coming-of-age story about love, friendship, failure, and triumph. At the same time, it is the origin story of the most influential band in the history of music—a subject of timeless relevance, perfectly suited to episodic storytelling. The early days of the band offer a story that will resonate with international audiences when brought to the screen. We are thrilled to embark on this series with such outstanding creative talent and to launch it together with our wonderful partners at Turbine and AGC, as well as ZDF, the BBC and the help of MOIN Film Fund.”
Andrew Eaton at Turbine Studios said: “We are extremely excited to be working alongside W&B Television and with such impressive partners. It is a proper U.K,/Germany co-production, with ZDF, the BBC and AGC working together to create the perfect team. Now we have to live up to all of our expectations and make an amazing show.”
Voormann said: “I was born in Berlin, but my heart belongs to Hamburg. Both my career as a bassist and my work in graphic design have their roots in this city. Therefore, it is deeply moving for me that, in a series with ample narrative space, my formative and exciting days in Hamburg—and those of my friends—are being brought back to life.”
