28 December 1967 The Guardian’s television reviewer finds himself almost alone in praising the Fab Four’s latest film
My feelings on finding myself almost alone in praising the Beatles television film Magical Mystery Tour are amazement, and the sad conviction that as a mass the public is more stupid and ignorant than it is as individuals, and does not like to be told so. It particularly does not like something which it cannot understand but dimly feels to be a depiction of its qualities and its romantical view of show business. In deference to this the film should no doubt have gone out under some late-night banner like Omnibus or Contrasts – a bureaucrat’s device which says switch over to the wrestling, this programme does not concern you or your life in any way at all. My amazement is for the way in which the film has been dismissed as pretentious rubbish without any attempt to analyse its content.
Related: Fab furore: Is it time to re-evaluate the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour?
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