That's The Way It Was

On November 16th, 1963, with Beatlemania inescapable throughout Great Britain, all three US television networks sent camera crews to cover the Fab Four's concert in Bournemouth. Why this day was chosen for such saturation coverage is unknown, other than a willingness on the part of the Winter Gardens' management to put up with the spectacle.

In any case, ABC News's report has vanished, while the NBC footage was repurposed for The Jack Paar Program on January 3rd, 1964. CBS aired a surprisingly lengthy report on their Evening News on the night of November 21st, 1963. Given the events of the following day, whatever impact the package had was instantly forgotten, and it's the Paar appearance two months later that most people remember. CBS's report included a patronizing introduction by London anchor Alexander Kendrick, and a short interview backstage conducted by Josh Darsa, possibly the band's first with an American reporter. It would not be their last.