Imagine being handed a film canister that nobody has seen in more than 60 years, then realizing it contains The Beatles at the height of Beatlemania!
The Beatles on ToTPs
Film is Fabulous! is delighted to confirm the 35mm negative presented to John Franklin at the recent film convention in Oxted, contains the The Beatles first appearance on Top of the Tops. pic.twitter.com/hPvOjqPR8u
— filmisfabulous (@filmisfabulous) June 18, 2026
That’s exactly what may have happened. Check this out…
Long-lost footage of The Beatles performing on the BBC’s Top Of The Pops has reportedly resurfaced and is now set for restoration.
The band recorded performances of “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “You Can’t Do That” on March 19, 1964, one day before the single was released. Both songs helped propel the group to another UK Number One, but like many early episodes of Top Of The Pops, the footage was believed lost after the BBC failed to preserve it.
Now, film preservation group Film Is Fabulous says it has been given a 35mm BBC negative of the performance after it surfaced at the British Film Collectors’ Convention in Surrey.
According to the group, the film came from the family of a deceased former industry professional. Their plan is to restore the footage and return it to the BBC archives, while discussions are expected to take place about making the material available to the public.
The footage reportedly offers more than just the performances themselves.
Recorded at the BBC Television Theatre in London, now known as the Shepherd’s Bush Empire, the film captures behind-the-scenes moments from the recording session.
Film Is Fabulous described the footage as showing technicians, makeup artists and the band between takes. There were reportedly four attempts at “Can’t Buy Me Love,” with two abandoned because of technical issues.
During the breaks, the group could be seen joking around and dancing to entertain themselves.
“You Can’t Do That” was recorded twice, and one moment reportedly captures John Lennon pulling a funny face as a camera moved in for a close-up.
The preservation group called it “an amusing piece of Beatle history.”
Because the BBC routinely wiped and reused tapes throughout the 1960s, countless broadcasts from the era disappeared forever. If this footage is successfully restored, it would become the oldest surviving Top Of The Pops film featuring The Beatles.
The discovery arrives as fans prepare for Global Beatles Day on June 25, marking the anniversary of the band’s 1967 worldwide satellite broadcast of “All You Need Is Love.” Celebrations are planned both online and in person, with a newly colourized version of the historic broadcast also set to be released.
The Beatles’ story is also heading back to the big screen through a four-film project from Sam Mendes, scheduled for release in 2028. The series will reportedly star Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr.
After decades of being considered lost, could this rediscovered film become one of the most important Beatles finds ever?
