TV Review : Not Quite a Magical Mystery Tour : ‘Beatles Anthology’ Is Touching but Lacks Outside Voice

The Beatles could have used a little help from at least one of their friends in putting together the long-awaited and heavily promoted documentary series that begins airing at 9 p.m. Sunday on ABC-TV.

Namely, Richard Lester.

He was the young director who, in 1964, captured so wonderfully the energy and electricity of the Beatles in “A Hard Day’s Night,” which is still widely considered to be the greatest of all rock movies.

“The Beatles Anthology” sorely needs more of that energy and electricity. It hascharm, but little command--and a very leisurely pace.

Given the sociocultural impact of the most popular and acclaimed rock band ever, the series--which continues with two-hour episodes on Wednesday and Thursday--should have been a flat-out knockout, six hours of irresistible nostalgia and insight.

After all, this is the authorized history of the Beatles, produced by the Beatles’ own company. It comes complete with reflections by the three surviving members, and reels of rare or previously unseen performance footage--much of it marvelous.

For anyone who lived through Beatlemania, it’s impossible not to be touched by parts of “Anthology,” which follows the band in the early ‘60s from the shelter of its hometown of Liverpool, England, to its sexual and musical seasoning in Hamburg, Germany, clubs and on to London and fame.

Besides John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, we are reintroduced to the co-stars in the band’s saga--manager Brian Epstein, record producer George Martin and, last but not least, the millions of screaming, fainting fans.

“Anthology” takes off emotionally midway through Sunday’s installment when the Beatles finally arrive in the United States to perform on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” It hits another high when we see footage from “A Hard Day’s Night,” which combined the vitality of rock and the zaniness of a Marx Brothers comedy.

But the innocence of the Beatles was short-lived.

Within two years of the Sullivan show, the pressures of touring were so great that the Beatles abandoned the road. Four years later, the band quit altogether.

There had been talk about an official Beatles retrospective since the early ‘70s, but tensions between the surviving band members made it impossible until now. Yoko Ono, Lennon’s widow, gave the project her blessing, but refused to appear in it.

Even once they agreed to the documentary, McCartney, Harrison and Starr didn’t trust anyone else to tell their story. Their reluctance is understandable when you hear them frequently disagree in the program on their own experiences.

But their decision to control “Anthology” undercuts much of its power. What’s ultimately missing is an outside point of view--someone like Lester, or his ‘90s equivalent, who could put the story into a more dramatic and provocative context. An outsider would also have been free to explore more aggressively the rise and fall of the band, in terms of both artistry and the personal relationships.

As it is, watching the show is a bit like sitting around the fire with the three Beatles while they respond--pleasantly, but generally briefly--to the gentlest of questions. Think of Larry King, not Ted Koppel, raising the issues. (The interviewer was, in fact, a fellow musician: Jools Holland, a founding member of the British band Squeeze).

As a special lure, “Anthology” will premiere two new Beatles songs, based on tapes left behind by Lennon. The songs, “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love,” weren’t contained in press preview tapes, so everyone will hear them together.

* “The Beatles Anthology” airs Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday at 9 p.m. on ABC. * ‘FAN’S’ TICKET TO RIDE

A Traveling Wilbury jumps at the opportunity to produce new Beatles songs. F4