James May on the Moon, Sunday 9pm, BBC2

Posted by Jane Murphy

Doesn’t time fly when you’re stuck on Planet Earth? It’s 40 years since Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon - and only 11 men have since followed in his much-celebrated footsteps. Still, Top Gear presenter James May got to meet three of them during the making of this documentary, which served as a timely reminder of just how amazing the moon landings really were.

Nowadays, Alan Bean spends his time painting pictures of astronauts, pointing out proudly that he’s the only artist who’s seen our planet from space. Harrison Schmitt says he tends to notice the moon more since he’s been there. “It catches my eye,” he told May, with brilliant understatement. And Charlie Duke revealed that he often watches the moon rise over the Texas plains near his home and comments to his wife, “I’ve been there!”

Rarely seen footage showed Bean skipping across the moon’s surface and throwing rocks high into the dark sky, like an overexcited schoolboy. Another clip depicted two astronauts racing towards a rock, unsure whether it was a small rock nearby or a big one faraway. It was funny, exciting and fascinating to watch - so what must it have been like to actually be there?

Of course, nobody goes to the moon nowadays. But James May did manage to get a tiny taste of how it felt for the Apollo astronauts by taking a passenger ride to the edge of space in the infamous “Vomit Comet” - a U2 spy plane that reaches heights of 70,000ft above the Earth’s surface.

Thankfully, May managed not to vomit as the plane soared above the clouds - and was suitably impressed by his awe-inspiring experience. “I feel slightly emotional,” he said afterwards. “If everybody could do that once, it would completely change the face of global politics.” It was stirring stuff - and just for a moment, I quite fancied going to the moon, too.

Picture: BBC

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Comments

[Dave]

This was an excellent programme which I thoroughly enjoyed watching, and found myself not wanting it to end!
James May is an excellent presenter, with an excellent presentation style.
Nice one!

[peter]

will this be repeated as missed it

[Mike]

Great program thoroughly enjoyed it,and agree with most of the comments in the thread that James May presented the whole thing in a professional and if you pardon the pun,down to earth fashion.

[Paul]

Like James May, I was a child during the Lunar Landings and share his sense of awe and excitement created by these world changing events. Obviously my children are not. What James May acheived was to recreate the excitement, by mixing relaying his own experiences, with the interviews with astronauts and with archive footage. My children were facinated by the programme and they thouroughly enjoyed James May's laid back and accessible style. My own opionion is that the finale, the U2 flight, was ruined by the addition of an inane, overbearing, irrellevant and overloud music track. This unwelcome addition seems to be a growing trend in BBC factual presentations and has been commented about in wildlife programmes. IT MUST STOP!

[Deborah]

I absolutely loved the whole of the programme from start to finish. James May -as always - was superb . He kept me glued to the screen for the whole hour. What a refreshing change to watch a beautifully put together programme, informative ,factual, exciting. I just loved the whole programme content and will watch it again soon.

[Mike]

The Programme was good, and I thught JM was a good choice.
Just was a shame that the SR-71 wasnt mentioned at all. That flew 15,000ft further into space than the U-2, and was a far more technologically affair. Faster too. Sadly there arent any flying examples left

[Graham]

if the universe is infinate ten all possibilities are played out. therefore somewhere on some planet mattresses grow on trees and james may is a really good presenter!

[Paul]

I like James May, he presents well. Has a relaxed attitude.
Unlike a lot of people on this site.

What's the point in getting upset.. over a tv program

[Tom]

I thought it was great, really did make you feel inadequate and wishing you were up there!

[Ray Buckler]

Great programme, however to have only a four minute (or less) showing James in flight was a disappointment. If it was determined that there was not enough "angles" to make it interesting for longer, then producer should have given this more thought before a once in a lifetime opportunity to get James at 70,000 feet with cameras and a microphone!! The buildup, tests, ground pieces to camera you can get almost anytime.

[Steve Vod]

I thought the programme was great and James May presented it very well.
Why do some people use these threads to attack each other?

[Leni]

I think James May was the right presenter for this programme. He is interested in what he was presenting and it came across. It was amazing to see the earth from the U2. Sad to say though if everyone got to experience the earth from where he did it wouldn't change the moronic war mongering gits we have. Nothing would.

[Mike]

Echoing other contributors here - did you watch the show?

[Paul]

I cannot accept Mike's comment that James May is a 'crap presenter', his programmes and participaton on Top Gear always underline that he understands and appreciates cutting-edge technology from whatever era and is able to communicate that to the majority of his audience in language which they will understand, even if you don't. He may aspire to go into space but still comes across as a really down-to-earth guy; perhaps that is why so many women apparently like him....

[AL]

stop bickering, besides, james may is a great presenter

[Dave]

C'mon Elaine, pay more attention and get your facts right before defending other people!

[Will]

Sorry Mike and Elaine and Mark and Tara, but everyone knows the U2 spy plane is actually commonly known as "the Barf Craft".

[alan]

The U-2 is nicked named the Dragony Lady and is either a single or twin seater The Vomit Comet is a B-727 which had about 10 people on board.

[Dave]

Sorry Elaine but Mike is correct, the U2 is NOT the vomit comet. The 'Vomit Comet" is a term applied to the stripped out passenger plane used to induce negative "G" by entering a parabolic dive. This was, and indeed still is, used to train astronauts who have never experienced weightlessness. I didn't hear the U2 referred to in this way but then again I might not have been paying enough attention to, what was for me, a fascinating program.

[j]

The 'Vomit Comet' was the airliner where James experianced zero gravity and not the U2 plane.

[Charles]

The zero g practice plane has allways been nicknamed the Vomet - Comet whatever was said on James Mays excellent programme.

[tara]

Actually Elaine, Mike is right. The Vomit Comet was the test plane which allowed astronauts etc to experience zero gravity!
The programme was fascinating, but I think they could have chosen a more dynamic presenter.

[Mark]

Oh come on Elaine you clearly ..etc. The Vomit Comet is a Boeing 727 that is used to simulate weightlessness, not the U2.

[Elaine]

C'mon Mike, it was referred to as the 'Vomit Comet' in the programme so you obviously didn't watch it! Get your own facts right before attacking other people!

[mike]

C'mon Jane Murphy, I know James May is a crap presenter and like me you may have been bored rigid by his ooh's and aah's but at least do us the favour of getting your facts correct. The "Vomit Comet" is NOT the U2 spy plane.