ABBA footage previously thought to be lost will be aired as part of the BBC’s celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Swedish pop icons’ Eurovision win.
Fans will be able to tune in for an hour-long documentary, ‘When Abba Came to Britain’, as part of a Saturday night full of ABBA specials on BBC Two.
Another special is called ‘More ABBA at the BBC’, and there will be further programming across the BBC, including BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.
The ‘Dancing Queen’ hitmakers – Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad – made the UK their home from 1974 to 1982, and the film “examines their ground-breaking legacy”, from winning Eurovision with ‘Waterloo’ to ABBA Voyage, their record-breaking, first-of-its-kind avatar show in London.
Viewers can expect “previously un-transmitted interviews with ABBA.”
A press release continues: “It’s the tale of a relationship that started with the band’s fascination with British music, including The Beatles in the 1960s. After winning the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo in 1974, the band would eventually find global stardom, but their relationship with the UK remains unique.”
There will also be “long forgotten news footage, which all show how ABBAmania took hold in the UK in the 1970s and 1980s.”
It will include interviews with the likes of Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie and indie pop group Blossoms, who cite ABBA as an influence.
Rachel Davies, Commissioning Editor, BBC Pop Music TV, said: “When Abba came to Britain is a love letter from this country to the beloved Swedish super-group, celebrating the special relationship we have as a nation with Benny, Björn, Agnetha and Anni-Frid. We focus on the stories of individuals who were lucky to be caught up in their world. A must watch for pop fans of all ages.”
Mark Robinson of production company Wise Owl Films added: “There can be fewer bands, if any, who have straddled generations of British music fans in a more impressive way than ABBA. Their original fans might now be in their fifties and sixties, but their children, and even their grandchildren, will be just as familiar with their biggest hits thanks to the likes of Mamma Mia! and Voyage. This film shows the enduring and often emotional impact that ABBA have left on British fans and musicians across the decades, but we will also chart the key role that Britain played in the band’s history – from the music of groups like The Beatles to playing host to defining moments in their career.”