Time capsule for Beatles fans

NEW YORK (AP) — A DVD about the Beatles’ (photo) initial appearances in The Ed Sullivan Show is like cracking open a time capsule.

Almost as interesting as the band making its musical introduction to America in 1964 is the context in which it is placed. The DVD presents the programs exactly as they appeared that night — complete with hapless magicians or comedians, commercials that would shame Mad Men and illustrations of how the pace of television has changed.

The first night, Feb. 9, 1964, is a landmark in television. An estimated 73 million Americans tuned in, the largest ever for a TV show at the time, or three times the amount of people who watched the latest American Idol finale, according to the Nielsen Co.

A generation of musicians can trace their career choices to that night. One was Dennis DeYoung, former Styx lead singer, who told the Montreal Gazette that he watched it while at a high school dance.

“I looked at that and I went, ’Oh, my God! What is that? And how do I apply for that job?’’ he recalled. “That was it. There was never any doubt in my mind what I wanted in my life.”

The DVD is similar to one made available in 2003 and another from 2006, but with punched-up video and sound quality. The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring the Beatles, as well as the earlier releases, are from SOFA Entertainment, which owns the archive of

Sullivan shows (a staple on CBS’ Sunday-night schedule from 1948 to 1971).

Even if not quite new, there’s a willing audience of Beatles fans eager to see almost anything about their heroes that lands on the market.