Its mundane title may put potential viewers off of "Ringo Starr: Off The Record." Big mistake. The HBO show, which premiered this week, is a great sentimental journey and one of the best interviews with Ringo we've even seen.

Part of it, certainly, is the fact that his buddy, Dave Stewart, who worked on Ringo's latest record, "Liverpool 8," hosts the interview. It puts Ringo in a comfort zone from the very beginning.

But really the credit goes to the fact that the interview seriously explores Ringo's creative vision of the Beatles and how he saw his role in the band and that the show doesn't just rehash Beatle history. Ringo shows pride at his role in the band, as well he should, and it's evident in his comments.

Of course, there are the usual questions about the early days and how he came into the band without an audition. Then the discussion turns to Beatlemania, which Ringo actually looks fondly on, a contrast to George's thoughts in the Anthology that "Everybody went mad."

The absolute must-see moments in this show, however, are when Ringo goes actually behind his drum kit and plays riffs from several Beatle songs. Not all are songs he has played with the All-Starr Band publicly -- perhaps in some time, but nonetheless still manages to play effortlessly. The instructive moments pass all too quickly. We wish it could have been a lot longer.

Another charming segment is when Stewart pulls out a box of LPs (remember those?) and plays a flash card game with Ringo, asking him for improvisational comments on the records. A few of the comments are quite unique, especially the ones on a couple of Beatle-related albums. (You'll need to watch to see which ones.)

The show is also dotted with rare film clips from Shea Stadium, Japan, the films "A Hard Day's Night" and "Let It Be," and several Beatle videos, all looking, for the most part, simply marvelous. If only the Fabs would release some of this stuff in complete form.

The 51 minutes passes much too quickly. In contrast to some of the negative press he's received of late, the Ringo on view in "Off the Record" is the drummer at his warm, charming best. Don't miss it. (Additional playdates: 5 p.m. ET/PT May 11, 10 p.m. ET/PT May 15. Check your local listings for times in other time zones.)

Update (5/3/08)

Update (5/2/08)

Announcing "Ringo Starr: Off the Record" on HBO