posted April 02, 2006 11:40 AM            

Apollo aficionados have been spoilt in recent years by the availability of Spacecraftfilms' Apollo sets, but for those of us who spent long hours during our youth crouched in front of the TV watching Patrick Moore and James Burke presenting coverage of the Apollo missions, there would be a real nostalgic interest in getting hold of even a representative sample of those transmissions on DVD, if they still exist.

If no search of the BBC archives has been made, could I prevail upon any of you living in the London area to get together, make some enquiries, and seek permission to search the BBC archives for surviving video? I think it would be an enormously rewarding experience even if draws a blank.

posted April 02, 2006 02:22 PM               

I recorded a two-hour program shown on BBC4 a few weeks back called 'moon-night'. Screened at 2am in the Morning.

There was a few sections with James Burke, wearing the space suit, climbing into the cm, and on the zerog flight. Other footage shows the launch, flight transmissions, lunar landing, and eva.

First time I had seen most of this footage, excellent programme. Particulary about the space suit, where Burke took off and described all the different components and layers.

The source of the footage looked like video tape, fairly good quality too. Just wondering if this was source from BBC footage, or edited from other source.

posted April 02, 2006 06:19 PM               

has a forum thread with discussion on the missing tapes. The BBC4 doco you watched is all that is remains and could be reconstructed of the footage.

Paul V. (the BBC4 producer) is currently actively involved with searching for missing material, although the possible hiding places are became more and more scarce.

posted April 05, 2006 10:08 AM               

I consider those tapes MINE. They didn't have the foresight to preserve them, so that's their problem.

posted April 05, 2006 04:29 PM               

I can remember it all in great detail,James Burke and his ITN counterpart Peter Fairly were masters of their game and knew those "Moonships" (as Fairly loved to call them) inside out

The final BBC 1 Apollo 17 broadcast on Dec 19 1972 carried 50 minutes of live Splashdown coverage at seven PM on a tuesday evening!! no Eastenders in those days guys!!!
I listened to that recording last year and was pleased to hear that it included Apollo Mission Control Houston 'signing off' the entire programme with the crew safely aboard the carrier

great days,great coverage

posted April 05, 2006 06:32 PM               

Please go to the website I listed and talk directly to Paul. He fully understands where you are coming from and will forgo any beauracratic red tape from BBC boofheads. If you get wierd vibes...just say the tapes were wiped. If BBC want to be prats...

posted April 05, 2006 06:46 PM               

Cheers,
Matt

posted April 10, 2006 06:30 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by paulj:
I recorded a two-hour program shown on BBC4 a few weeks back called 'moon-night'. Screened at 2am in the Morning.

---

posted May 07, 2006 06:56 AM               

For example, here is their information on the coverage of the Apollo 11 landing:

"MOON LANDING

A television programme
BBC Programme Number: D:LCA2413L
First broadcast on 1969-07-20
Media: VT
Next in series: 21 July 1969
Previous in series: 19 July 1969
See more APOLLO 11 programmes (10)

Description
(hide extra detail)
VT compilation of coverage of Apollo 11's lunar landing with additional material of Bernard LOVELL, Dr Charles BERRY & Virgil GRISSOM.

Virgil GRISSOM memorial(CBS News rept)July '61:var s Mercury 3(Redstone) rocket on pad, GRISSOM into capsule, launch Gemini 3, recovery GRISSOM & John YOUNG after splashdown(53.28-55.06)Jan '67: var s burnt-out Apollo 1 capsule (in which GRISSOM, Edward WHITE & Roger CHAFFEE died)(55.29-55.51)var s GRISSOM's state funeral with Pres JOHNSON(55.51-56.27) June '65: var s Edward WHITE's Gemini 4 spacewalk (1st American)(56.56-58.04) Sept '66: s Richard GORDON's Gemini 11 spacewalk (58.04-58.55) Nov '66: s Buzz ALDRIN's Gemini 12 sp/walk(58.55-59.19)March '69: s Russell SCHWEICKART's Apollo 9 sp/walk (try- ing out now lunar spacesuit) (59.19-59.38) var s Neil ARMSTRONG & Buzz ALDRIN in full spacesuits, practice collecting rock samples in training(59.38-60.05)

Moon landing - var s Italian commentator recording piece on Apollo 11 for Italian TV i/cut s fellow reporters around USA (0-8.58) S Mission Control, Houston during descent & landing of Lunar Module on the moon, Cap-Com sound thruout (9.34-19.55; 20.14-21.44; 22.06-38.57; 40.39-43.50) at 27.00 Neil ARMSTRONG repts 'The Eagle has landed' immediately after touchdown, at 37.07 Buzz ALDRIN describes the sight from the LM window. s simulation descent of LM (19.55-20.14) ms crowds in New York st wait for news of landing (21.44- 22.06) ms ext suburban house (belongs to 1 of Apollo 11 crew?) (38.57-43.39). Sir Bernard LOVELL - mls radio telescopes at Jodrell Bank (44.30-44.38)

Live pictures from the Command module shortly before the astronauts descended to the moon. Report by James BURKE and Patrick MOORE in the Apollo Space Studio and Michael CHARLTON at Houston Mission Control

INTVS: Dr Charles BERRY (ph), astronauts' doctor, re four hour rest period before moon walk (45.00-51.00); Sir Bernard LOVELL, re USSR probe Luna 15, in orbit round moon (38.00-45.00) (Note: The USSR later admitted that Luna 15 had been an unsuccessful attempt to obtain soil samples before the American lunar landing). ACTY: vs Mission Control, with acty sound of moon approach & landing (10.00-38.00); acty sound "The Eagle has landed" (22.00). Note: spool also includes Italian(?) & CBS rep .
VT compilation of coverage of Apollo II's lunar landing with additional material of Bernard LOVELL, Dr Charles BERRY & Virgil GRISSOM.

Intv: Dr Charles BERRY (NASA Medical Director) - intvd by Michael CHARLTON - Apollo 11 crew had good sleep so far may go ahead with 1st lunar EVA without the planned rest period - be hard to sleep anyway. Will monitor their heart/ breathing rates while on EVA in 1/6 G - their own adrenalin should keep them alert. Crew been trained to moved carefully to reduce risk of accidents while on moon (45.50-51.34)"