A concept by John Lennon and Yoko Ono where communicating from inside a bag prevented judgement based on appearance, race or gender.

Television: John Lennon and Yoko Ono on Parkinson – 17 July 1971

Q: What did John Lennon say about The Beatles on Parkinson?

Lennon told Parkinson he would need to climb into a black bag before any Beatles questions would be answered — a reference to bagism.

Q: When did John Lennon appear on Parkinson?

17 July 1971, broadcast at 10.25pm from BBC Television Centre, White City, London.

July 15, 2026

Saturday 17 July 1971 | BBC Television Centre, White City, London

On 17 July 1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono appeared on BBC television's Parkinson show. The filming took place at BBC Television Centre in White City, London, and the pre-recorded interview with host Michael Parkinson was broadcast at 10.25pm that night.

What Was Discussed

Lennon and Ono discussed their film projects, their treatment by the British media, and Yoko Ono's book Grapefruit, which had recently been republished as a paperback.

When asked about The Beatles, Lennon told Parkinson that the host would need to climb into a black bag before any questions about the band would be answered — a reference to Lennon and Ono's bagism concept, which they had used as a form of performance art and protest against prejudice.

About Bagism

Bagism was a concept developed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969 as part of their peace campaign. The idea was that if people communicated from inside a bag, they could not be judged on their appearance, race, or gender — only on what they said. Lennon and Ono famously appeared in bags at press conferences and events, and the concept became one of the more memorable aspects of their public activism.

About Parkinson

Parkinson was one of the BBC's most prestigious chat shows, hosted by Michael Parkinson. First broadcast in 1971, it ran until 1982 and was revived from 1998 to 2007. Parkinson was known for his in-depth, wide-ranging interviews with major cultural figures. The appearance by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in July 1971 — just months before the release of the Imagine album — was one of the show's most memorable early broadcasts.

Key Facts

Date filmed	Saturday 17 July 1971
Location	BBC Television Centre, White City, London
Show	Parkinson (BBC)
Host	Michael Parkinson
Broadcast time	10.25pm, 17 July 1971
Topics discussed	Film projects, British media, Grapefruit, The Beatles (via bagism)

BBC Television Centre, White City, London — where John Lennon and Yoko Ono filmed their Parkinson appearance on 17 July 1971.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What did John Lennon say about The Beatles on Parkinson?

When Michael Parkinson asked about The Beatles, John Lennon told him he would need to climb into a black bag before any questions about the band would be answered — a reference to Lennon and Ono's bagism concept.

When did John Lennon appear on Parkinson?

John Lennon and Yoko Ono appeared on BBC's Parkinson show on 17 July 1971. The pre-recorded interview was broadcast at 10.25pm that night from BBC Television Centre in White City, London.

What is bagism?

Bagism was a concept developed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969. The idea was that communicating from inside a bag prevented people from being judged on their appearance, race or gender. It was used as a form of performance art and protest against prejudice.