This is really the only HBO mini series I missed. I didn’t get cable or HBO until BAND OF BROTHERS, which was also produced by Tom Hanks came on the air. I have wanted to see this for a long time, but just didn’t get around to buying it or watching it. And then I saw MAGNIFICENT DESOLATION: WALKING ON THE MOON at the IMAX, and realized just how much I wanted to see this. Well I have to say I was not disappointed. This is an excellent series that goes very in depth into the whole of the Apollo space flights and the United States manned missions to the moon. This is a great series and well worth checking out.

This series, which is hosted by executive producer Tom Hanks, covers the whole history of the Apollo mission from JFK’s fiery speech where he calls for manned space flight in 10 years, through the Apollo 1 accident, and the all the missions to the moon, including the ill fated Apollo 13, from the side of the journalist covering it, to the cancellation of Apollo 18 and 19. It also covers the addition of new inspirational teachers before Apollo 15, and the lives of the wives who are left at home, and barely see their husbands. A personal favorite is on the construction of the Lunar Module, or LEM, which allowed astronauts to land on the moon, and a second is on Apollo 12 and the real camaraderie and true friendship of that crew.

This is an amazing series with a great cast, that features different actors in each episode. Really worth seeing. My only complaint is the audio doesn’t seem well mixed., and often makes my speakers on my tv vibrate, even when played at low volume.

The discs also include a behind the scenes documentary and a featurette on the special effects, the effects doc is way too short, and while the main doc is decent, it is too short at 30 minutes, and is too much of an HBO making of EPK. I could watch a whole doc on the sets on the use of Helium balloons used to simulate moon walking.