New BBC documentary to mark 50 years since Beatles' Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Out-takes and previously unheard material from the recording of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band will feature in a new documentary marking 50 years since the Beatles’ landmark album was released.

The documentary, presented by composer Howard Goodall, will show how the band made one of the most influential albums of all time and include alternative versions of its famous songs.

It is part of a new season of programmes on BBC2 which also includes a drama documentary on the recent Conservative Party leadership campaign and an in-depth examination of the murder of MP Jo Cox and the subsequent police investigation.

There is also a second series of the US show American Crime Story starring Annette Bening and Matthew Broderick, set in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

Spies old and new also come under the spotlight with a series about the creation of Elizabeth I’s 16th-century secret service and an interview with John le Carré ahead of the publication of his new novel.

BBC2 channel editor Patrick Holland said the new shows would “shine fresh light on contemporary life”.