The Right Stuff - 2020

[Jim Klag]

Premiering on October 9, 2020 on Disney+ a new multi-episode series based on Tom Wolfe's book is a joint production by National Geographic, Appian Way Productions and Warner Horizon Television. Leonardo DiCaprio is an executive producer.
https://disneyplusoriginals.disney.com/show/the-right-stuff

 

[Bornin1980something]

Might it be more historically accurate than the film?

 

[Jim Klag]

Might it be more historically accurate than the film?

Good question. Although I did not find too much wrong with the 1983 film. It is Hollywood after all and they will never play it totally straight.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

My question, ever since I first heard of it, is "Why?"

My only other observation is that in my experience, if the National Geographic Society is involved, the result is either prurient, or boring, or usually both. Consider Cousteau, for example. David Wolper's The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau was far better than anything Cousteau did with the National Geographic Society.

(When I was a child, a well-meaning, well-heeled relative [the same one who gave me three years of Highlights for Children when I would have been much happier with Popular Science] gave me a gift membership in the National Geographic Society for a year or two. The magazines sat ignored. By contrast, I read Smithsonian cover-to-cover every month, and have been for decades.)

 

[J.T.B.]

Might it be more historically accurate than the film?

If it's based on the book, I would expect it to have the same historical take as the film.

My question, ever since I first heard of it, is "Why?"

There's a lot more material there, like the Scott Carpenter and Wally Schirra flights and the X-15.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

There's a lot more material there, like the Scott Carpenter and Wally Schirra flights and the X-15.

True. I've read the book. And my copy, although purchased after I saw the movie, is from before the "movie tie-in" cover art.

 

[Push The Button]

Leave poor Gus Grissom alone this time.

 

[Gaith]

One show about 1950s/60s boys and their rockets wasn't enough?

I liked First Man, and have been meaning to see Apollo 13 again, but how much of this space race nostalgia do we really need?!

 

[Jim Klag]

One show about 1950s/60s boys and their rockets wasn't enough?

I liked First Man, and have been meaning to see Apollo 13 again, but how much of this space race nostalgia do we really need?!

Some of us old farts enjoy the nostalgia. We lived through it. It is our history. Besides, the movie couldn't cover all of Wolfe's book. There are more stories than were shown in the movie, about a third of which was devoted to Chuck Yeager.

 

[Gaith]

Fair enough.

 

[KennyB]

I watched episode 1 last night. It is OK. Has not grabbed me like the film did right away. No mention of Chuck Yeager yet lol. Was that even in the book? Or was the Yeager part added for screenplay?

 

[Marc]

I watched episode 1 last night. It is OK. Has not grabbed me like the film did right away. No mention of Chuck Yeager yet lol. Was that even in the book? Or was the Yeager part added for screenplay?

Yeager was definitely in the book - pretty much opened and closed with him (from the X-1 to the F-104?).

 

[Jim Klag]

I watched episode 1 last night. It is OK. Has not grabbed me like the film did right away. No mention of Chuck Yeager yet lol. Was that even in the book? Or was the Yeager part added for screenplay?

I watched the first episodes and the movie had much more of a sense of swashbuckling high adventure. So far the series seems like a prime time TV family drama set on a space program background.

 

[KennyB]

Finished episode 2. I’ll continue, but it’s not something I’m counting down the minutes for.

 

[Marc]

I watched the first episodes and the movie had much more of a sense of swashbuckling high adventure. So far the series seems like a prime time TV family drama set on a space program background.

so they could have called it "Away" if the name hadn't been taken at already.

 

[Jim Klag]

Episode #3 more of the same. No real space stuff yet except blowing up an Atlas rocket.

 

[publiusr]

I did not like how engineers came off in Tom’s novel.

I would rather see a series on Soviet Chief Designers. To steal a a quote:

RED GIANTS
Korolev’s time in Kolyma, the Nedelin disaster...so much to work with.

 

[N-121973]

Yeager was definitely in the book - pretty much opened and closed with him (from the X-1 to the F-104?).

I think the producers said in interviews that they're not covering the X-programme out at Edwards and if the show is successful enough they plan to go all the way to the Apollo era, well past the scope of Wolfe's book.

 

[arch101]

I think the producers said in interviews that they're not covering the X-programme out at Edwards and if the show is successful enough they plan to go all the way to the Apollo era, well past the scope of Wolfe's book.

From the Earth to the Moon is THE Apollo tv show, bit if they want to cover everything up to that (x planes and Gemini) I’m in!

 

[diankra]

For most astronauts, it's at most two weeks of flight after years of training and office politics.