With a staggering $65 million production budget, this limited series sets a new standard for musical storytelling. Netflix has secured never-before-seen archival footage, long-lost recordings, restored home movies, and exclusive interviews with family, bandmates, producers, and global superstars inspired by Paul’s work. The platform spared no expense — every frame is crafted to immerse viewers in the atmosphere of each era: the smoky clubs of Liverpool, the pandemonium of Beatlemania, the quiet heartbreak after the band’s split, the rebirth with Wings, and the soulful, reflective chapters of Paul’s later life.

Producers describe the series as “a journey through the soul of a man who refused to stop creating,” and that journey begins in a modest home on Forthlin Road. Here, a young Paul McCartney learned the power of melody, scribbling lyrics at the kitchen table, experimenting with chords in tiny, echoing rooms. From those simple beginnings, the documentary follows his meteoric rise — the nights spent playing for handfuls of people in Hamburg, the formation of one of the most influential songwriting partnerships in history, and the explosion of global fame that would forever alter music culture.

Yet, Berlinger is quick to emphasize that this series is not a sanitized tribute, but a raw and emotionally fearless portrait. The narrative digs deep into Paul’s moments of devastating grief — losing his mother at fourteen, saying goodbye to John Lennon in the most heartbreaking way imaginable, and eventually losing Linda McCartney, the love of his life, whose presence is felt throughout the project. Through rare personal footage and journal entries, viewers witness how these losses shaped Paul’s worldview and influenced some of the most beloved songs ever written.

But the series refuses to dwell only on sorrow. It shines brightest when exploring Paul’s endless creativity — his ability to reinvent himself, to experiment, to evolve. Whether composing orchestral works, collaborating with younger artists, or stepping onto the biggest stages in the world at 80 years old, Paul is presented not merely as a legend, but as a man driven by an almost childlike curiosity. “It’s never been just about songs,” McCartney reflects in the first episode. “It’s about love, partnership, and finding the courage to keep going — even when the world thinks you’ve already given it everything.”

Filmed across Liverpool, New York, London, Abbey Road Studios, and Paul’s private archives, The Long and Winding Road captures the intimate and the epic in equal measure. Slow-motion re-creations of iconic moments blend seamlessly with pristine remastered footage of concerts, interviews, and rehearsals spanning over sixty years. Each of the six episodes is structured like an emotional movement in a symphony — rising, falling, shifting through time — mirroring Paul’s own artistic rhythm.

One episode is entirely dedicated to the creation of “Hey Jude,” revealing never-shared conversations between Paul and Julian Lennon. Another focuses on Paul and Linda’s extraordinary love, grounding the series in a profound tenderness. And perhaps most anticipated is the episode exploring Paul’s creative rebirth in the 2000s, when critics claimed his best work was behind him — only to witness him deliver new masterpieces.

Netflix executives say this is more than a documentary. It is a global cultural event, a love letter to the power of music, to reinvention, to resilience, and to the humanity of a man whose melodies have become woven into the emotional fabric of the world.

When Paul McCartney appears on camera, eyes gentle yet fierce with memory, he says the words that define the entire series:

“I’m still on the road. Still walking. Still writing. The song isn’t over.”

And with that, viewers know:
The Long and Winding Road isn’t just telling Paul McCartney’s story —
It’s letting the world finally feel it.