What are some great documentary series about the early space programs (Mercury/Gemini/Apollo)?
I would like something with good stock footage, old interviews of astronauts and controllers, along with recent interviews. Is there a good "The World at War" for the space program?
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I think "In the Shadow of the Moon" may be the definitive Apollo documentary. With the exception of Neil Armstrong, ALL the surviving moon-walkers, plus Mike Collins and Jim Lovell, are interviewed in depth.
They also have some incredible footage scoured from long-forgotten vaults and attics showing events from astronaut selection to landing.
They even have the amazing footage from the old game show "I've Got a Secret" upon which Armstrong's parents appeared in 1962 and were actually asked by the host how they would feel if their son ended up being the first man to land on the moon, seven years before it actually happened.
Definately worth the $ for any TRUE Apollo buff!
Definitely the best and most comprehensive I've seen is "Rocket Science", a 13 part series that was produced in 2002 for Discovery Channel Canada. It sounds exactly what you are looking for and covers everything going back to the days of Goddard and the German WWII program, the test pilot years, the Right Stuff period, and on through Apollo. It also covers the Soviet efforts. It's difficult to find, but new DVD sets pop up on eBay quite often.
Here's a review from its IMDB page. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0428153
This is the best history of the space race to the moon on TV. Completely fact based with many interviews to substantiate it's claims. It starts with the beginning of rocket building to Apollo 17. No historical recreations here. That's the strength of the series. It uses a mix of historical footage, modern interviews and some computer animations to illustrate the story. It lets the facts of the story impress themselves onto the viewer. A far more convincing way to tell this story considering how well documented and how impressive the facts of the matter are.
It starts with the X plane programs and the high altitude balloon experiments. It then goes into the infancy of the NASA programs followed by the Mercury and Gemini programs. It demonstrates why all were important to the ultimate success of the Apollo program and how much work and risk was part of each program. It spends 3 episodes on the Apollo landings and the various experiments.
A really good watch and a reality check for any space exploration buff.
A rather different Documetary is
For All Mankind.