The latest documentary offering from HBO is The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. It premieres Saturday, December 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.
If you don’t have HBO and you’ve used your HBO Max free trial, here are some other ways you can watch The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart online for free:
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Amazon Prime’s HBO Channel
Amazon Prime subscribers (Prime comes with a 30-day free trial) can watch all live and on-demand HBO content on the Prime HBO channel. You can try both Amazon Prime and the HBO Channel at no cost with a free trial right here:
Once you’re signed up for the Prime HBO Channel, you can watch The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart live or on-demand on the Amazon Video app on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Nvidia Shield, Xiaomi, Echo Show or Echo Spot, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, various Smart TV’s, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch on your computer via the Amazon website.
Watch HBO on Hulu
Whether you already have Hulu or you want to sign up for a new subscription, HBO is available as an add-on to either Hulu or Hulu with Live TV. If you’re a new subscriber, you can start a free 30-day trial of regular Hulu plus the HBO add-on:
Once signed up, you can watch The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart live or on-demand on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet.
Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
‘The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart’ Preview
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Frank Marshall (Seabiscuit, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart “chronicles the triumphs and hurdles of brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb, otherwise known as the Bee Gees,” according to the description from HBO.
The press release reads, “The iconic trio, who found early fame in the 1960s, went on to write over 1,000 songs, including twenty #1 hits throughout their storied career. This film follows the Bee Gee’s meteoric rise as they rode the highs of fame and fortune, negotiated the vagaries of the ever-shifting music business and navigated the complexities of working so intimately alongside family.”
This documentary was an official selection of the 2020 Telluride Film Festival. It is an “intimate exploration” of the Gibb brothers, featuring revealing interviews with oldest brother Barry and archival footage and interviews with the late brothers Robin and Maurice, who were fraternal twins. Maurice died in January 2003 and Robin died in May 2012.
Included in the documentary are never-before-seen recording sessions, concert performances, TV appearances, and home videos, plus interviews with musicians Eric Clapton, Noel Gallagher, Nick Jonas, Chris Martin, Justin Timberlake, Lulu, music producer Mark Ronson, record company executive Bill Oakes and many more.
The story takes us from their childhood in 1950s Australia to the artistic crucible of 1960s London and to the sundrenched coast of Miami, Florida. The band created a distinct sound with their three-part harmonizing, their melodic voices forming a new kind of instrument.
Influenced by Motown music and harmonizing groups, the Bee Gees first found success in the U.K. with “To Love Somebody” and “Massachusetts” in 1967 and scored their first U.S. chart-topper with “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” in 1971. It wasn’t until they moved to Miami and began working with Atlantic Records’ producer Arif Mardin that their signature sound was born. A confluence of events came together to produce such hits as “Jive Talkin,” “Nights on Broadway” and “You Should be Dancing,” their new sound stemming from the advent of synthesizers, the rise of the disco beat and the almost accidental discovery of Barry’s falsetto.
As the disco scene flourished and gained popularity beyond clubs, the head of RSO Records, Bill Oakes, tasked the Bee Gees to write some songs for the film that would become “Saturday Night Fever.” In a matter of weeks, the Bee Gees delivered “More Than a Woman,” “How Deep is Your Love,” “If I Can’t Have You,” “Night Fever” and “Stayin’ Alive.” The 1977 soundtrack album would become one of the best-selling albums in history, winning prestigious awards with its chart-topping singles, helping to define a culture and an era along the way.
In the 80s, with the decline of disco and waning interest in the Bee Gees, the group pivoted to writing songs for other artists, crafting mega-hits for Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross and Celine Dion, among many others. In 1997 they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and continued to write and perform together until the deaths of Maurice in 2003 and Robin in 2012.
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart premieres Saturday, December 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.
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How to Watch HBO’s Bee Gees Documentary 2020 Online