posted 02-05-2019 07:47 AM               

8 Days: The Journey of Apollo 11

Eight days, three hours, 18 minutes, 35 seconds. That's the total duration of the most important and celebrated space mission ever flown — Apollo 11 — when we first stepped foot on the moon. Eight days that created some of the most iconic images in human history and changed the way we think about our place in the universe forever. But what was it really like for those three men in that high-tech tin can through each of those extraordinary eight days?

Until now we've only glimpsed inside Apollo 11 with a handful of iconic stills and a few precious minutes of movie footage. But what if we could step inside that Saturn V rocket and for the very first time be on the inside to hear every word they said, from moments of high drama to the constant banter on that long and dangerous journey.

In this feature-length drama documentary to mark the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, "8 Days" will bring the real story of the mission as it really happened. With access to hours of cockpit audio recorded by the astronauts themselves, "8 Days" will use cutting-edge digital effects and dramatized performances to create a stunning 21st century visual journey to bring the original audio to life. This is Apollo 11 as you've never seen or heard it before, the ultimate drama documentary of the ultimate human adventure.

"8 Days" is made by The Science Unit, BBC Studios, co-produced with PBS and NOVA and The Open University. The Executive Producer is Jonathan Renouf. It was commissioned by Patrick Holland, Controller, BBC Two and Tom McDonald, Head of Commissioning, Natural History and Specialist Factual.

posted 06-06-2019 11:47 AM               

PBS Commemorates Apollo 11's 50th Anniversary With '8 Days: To the Moon and Back'

Co-Produced with the BBC, the Film on the Ultimate Human Adventure Premieres Wednesday, July 17 at 9:00 p.m. ET During PBS's "Summer of Space"

PBS is taking viewers on a unique adventure with the crew of Apollo 11 for their eight-day, three-hour, 18-minute and 35-second mission in "8 Days: To the Moon and Back," a new film co-produced with BBC Studios. Premiering Wednesday, July 17 at 9:00 p.m. ET as part of the previously announced "Summer of Space" multiplatform experience, the documentary seamlessly blends authentic rare mission audio featuring candid conversations between Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins with newly shot studio footage, NASA and news archives, and stunning CGI recreation of the historic journey and landing to bring this adventure back to life.

Above: Michael Collins (Patrick Kennedy), Neil Armstrong (Rufus Wright) and Buzz Aldrin (Jack Tarlton) looking out at the horizon. (BBC Studios/Gary Moyes)

"With access to previously classified and little-heard, rare audio recordings and using amazing re-enactment and special effects, '8 Days: To the Moon and Back' captures the story of Apollo 11 as it really happened," said Bill Margol, Senior Director of Programming and Development, PBS. "From these unique audio recordings, we hear, and now can see, the Apollo 11 crew's real fears and excitement from within the spacecraft, offering an intimate look into the breathtaking and awe-inspiring journey of the most important and celebrated mission ever flown."

"8 Days: To the Moon and Back" chronicles the Apollo 11 mission timer, beginning with the countdown (Day 1) and ending with the final splashdown (Day 8). Using a vast library of data and the recently declassified audio recordings, the film tells the entire story as "never seen before" by recreating the scenes that were not filmed. Reenactments featuring Rufus Wright ("Rogue One: A Star Wars Story") as Commander Neil Armstrong, Jack Tarlton ("The Imitation Game") as Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin and Patrick Kennedy ("Mrs. Wilson") as Command Module Pilot Michael Collins use the crew's original audio coupled with archival live television news footage and photographs, allowing viewers to feel as if the mission happened last week, not 50 years ago.

"It's been truly thrilling to use the most innovative production techniques of the 21st century to bring the Apollo 11 story to life like never before," said Andrew Cohen, Executive Producer and Head of Science, BBC Studios. "For the first time, this film takes audiences inside the mission to experience the actual journey of those three astronauts in the most intimate and spectacular of fashions. This is the ultimate documentary of the moon shot; it's as if we've gone back 50 years and made the film we'd always dreamt of."

Viewers can watch "8 Days: To the Moon and Back" and other new space-themed limited series and specials on PBS stations (check local listings) and PBS.org. All "Summer of Space" programs will also be available for streaming on the PBS Video App, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast. PBS station members will be able to view all episodes via Passport (contact your local PBS station for details).

"8 Days: To the Moon and Back," a BBC Studios Science Unit production for BBC and PBS, in association with Canal+, is executive produced by Andrew Cohen and Jonathan Renouf. Commissioned by Tom McDonald, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual and Natural History, BBC and Bill Margol, Senior Director of Programming and Development at PBS. Distributed by BBC Studios, the Commissioning Editor is Craig Hunter.