The Space Within US Review

By Gloria Goodale
BILL BERNSTEIN/A&E Paul McCartney: The Space Within Us (A&E Networks, Saturday, 10 p.m. EST): Beatlemaniac alert! Take a Magical Mystery detour from the divorce headlines dogging Sir Paul and experience the sheer fun and listening pleasure of classic Lennon/McCartney songs, as well as a sprinkling of Wings and solo McCartney material. While it provides plenty of music, this hour-long documentary based on McCartney's 2005 US tour is more of a concept film than a traditional concert flick. It opens with the former Beatle musing about the nature of creativity, outer space, and the scientific underpinnings of music. This cosmic perspective plays out in McCartney's live, onstage musical wake-up call of "Good Day Sunshine" to the International Space Station during a California concert. The hour includes an eclectic mix of notables reminiscing (including President Clinton and Tony Bennett) as well as numerous surprisingly sweet meet-and-greets with McCartney and his starstruck fans. This is the best sort of family entertainment, one that allows multiple generations to bond over a genuine cultural icon. Watch it and sing along with the ecstatic crowds filmed by more than 25 HD cameras. Even if you can remember a time when this music didn't exist, why would you want to? (This program will be released in an enhanced, two-hour DVD format on Nov. 14). Grade: A