A film about ABBA‘s rise to global stardom shows never-before-seen footage of tense encounters between the iconic Swedish band.
Documentary ABBA: Against The Odds will tell the epic story of the band’s domination of the pop charts – as well as the personal relationships that led to its demise.
A new trailer of the upcoming documentary, which drops on BBC iPlayer on May 4, includes previously unseen clips of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
In one clip, Benny and Bjorn are seen rehearsing on stage together before all the lights go out at which point they are left looking concerned.
While another hints at some of the tensions felt within the group, as Agnetha is spotted looking annoyed on stage as she appears to shout at one of her bandmates.
A film about ABBA’s rise to global stardom shows never-before-seen footage of tense encounters between the iconic Swedish band, it was revealed on Thursday
One clip hints at some of the tensions felt within the group, as Agnetha is spotted looking annoyed on stage as she appears to shout at one of her bandmates
The documentary – which was produced by Rogan Productions, who also made the Emmy Award-winning Freddie Mercury: The Final Act – follows the pop stars through their breakout Eurovision with Waterloo to their eventual break up.
What made ABBA unique was not only their beloved sound, but the fact the band was made up of two couples.
When the band formed, Agnetha and Bjorn were already married while Benny and Anni-Frid were dating.
They dominated the music scene throughout the 1970s, but after just 10 years – and two divorces – they called it quits in 1983.
ABBA: Against All Odds looks at how the band succeeded despite adversity, including facing protests in Sweden and radio bans in the UK.
It will also look at how when the band secured the hearts of the world and ABBAmania kicked in, the pressure threatened the relationships at its very heart.
The documentary is told through ABBA’s timeless hit songs and unearthed archive footage, giving fans an insight into their behind-the-scenes goings on through film.
The show was directed by BAFTA and Emmy Award winner James Rogan, distributed by BBC Studios, and co-produced by a host of European broadcasters including the BBC, ARD/WDR, France Télévisions, SVT and DR.
Documentary ABBA: Against The Odds will tell the epic story of the band’s domination of the pop charts – as well as the personal relationships that led to its demise
A new trailer of the upcoming documentary, which drops on BBC iPlayer on May 4, includes previously unseen clips of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad
In one piece of footage, Benny and Bjorn are seen rehearsing on stage together before all the lights go out at which point they are left looking concerned
When the band formed, Agnetha and Bjorn were already married while Benny and Anni-Frid were dating (Pictured are Benny and Ani-Frid
Fans were also treated to footage previously thought to be ‘lost’ in a programme called More ABBA at the BBC – which aired on April 6.
The programme showed some of the Swedish supergroup’s other best UK appearances from shows including Wogan, The Late, Late Breakfast show and The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show.
One of the performances – ABBA’s So Long on Top of the Pops – had not been seen since its broadcast in 1974 as the footage was missing from the BBC Archives and thought to be lost forever, until a Top of the Pops fan unearthed a home recording.
The rare recording was then restored and will be shown for the first time, 50 years on.
Of the recording, a source told The Sun: ‘Finding the lost Top Of The Pops recording was a real coup for the BBC and it will be part of a series of huge programmes to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Abba’s Eurovision triumph.’
Bringing viewers right up to date, the programme also captured the excitement and sounds of their currently-running technology-powered stage shows.
ABBA dominated the music scene throughout the 1970s, but after just 10 years – and two divorces – they called it quits in 1983
ABBA: Against All Odds looks at how the band succeeded despite adversity, including facing protests in Sweden and radio bans in the UK
It will also look at how when the band secured the hearts of the world and ABBAmania kicked in, the pressure threatened the relationships at its very heart
To mark the celebration, BBC Two and BBC Pop Music TV also presented 60-minute documentary When Abba Came to Britain.
The documentary looked at the time Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Benny and Björn spent in the UK from 1974 to 1982 and examines their ground-breaking legacy, from Eurovision to ABBA Voyage.
Featuring previously untransmitted interviews with ABBA, the documentary took a look at the ongoing love affair between the UK and the Swedish supergroup.
It was produced by Wise Owl Films – the Leeds-based team behind BBC Two’s award-winning When X Came To Britain strand (Bob Marley, Nirvana, Motown, Tina Turner and Blondie) and The Hacienda: The Club That Shook Britain.
ABBA: Against the Odds will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer from 6am on the May 4, and on BBC One at 22.40pm on the May 8.
