The Apollo missions, their lasting significance, and our age-old fascination with the moon

One Small Step: A BBC Moon Landing Collection

Collection of BBC Radio programs celebrating 50 years since the moon landing.

A collection of BBC radio documentaries celebrating the lunar landings and their legacy 
 
On July 20th 1969, for the first time in history, man walked on the moon. Over 50 years later, this 'giant leap for mankind' still captures our imagination, and in this 4-part collection, we bring together some of the most fascinating and insightful BBC documentaries about our ever-changing relationship with our only natural satellite. 
 
In Part 1: The Moon Landings, we hear personal accounts of what it was like to be part of some of the defining moments of the 20th Century. Walking on the Moon sees Buzz Aldrin reliving the perilous final moments before touchdown, while in Last Word, Matthew Bannister hears the story of that historic voyage, with contributions from friends, colleagues and old classmates of Neil Armstrong. The History Hour: Exploring Space features recollections of five landmarks in space travel, and in Seriously: Apollo 8, Helen Sharman hears about the first mission which took human beings beyond the earth's orbit. 
 
Part 2: Legacy ranges from 1969 to the present day, and analyses the enduring significance of the moon landings. In James Burke: Our Man on the Moon, the key voice for the BBC coverage of the event revisits that dramatic time in front of a live audience. A Moon Landing Special assesses Apollo 11's impact on politics and culture and ponders the future of space exploration. Give Me the MoonLITE finds Richard Hollingham examining British plans to return to space, and two episodes of The Infinite Monkey Cage - The Infinite Moonkey Cage and Astronaut Special - feature an extraordinary gathering of space explorers. 
 
Part 3: Why the Moon? considers how the moon has long been an object of fascination for humanity. The Why Factor investigates the moon in culture, and how it affects life on Earth. In Discovery: The Making of the Moon, Lucie Green asks 'Where does the Moon come from - and are we going back'? Meanwhile, in The Forum: The Moon from Earth, Rajan Datar and guests contemplate how our understanding of what the moon is and what it means has changed over time. 
 
Part 4: The Future probes the current state of space exploration. In Brainwaves: The Moon, Pennie Latin looks at the race to return to the moon, and in Tulips on the Moon, Richard Hollingham finds out whether it's really possible to grow plants in space. Finally, In The Real Story: The Future of Space Exploration, Celia Hatton and guests discuss where we go next in our quest to understand our place in the universe. 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Richard Hollingham (Reader) 
 Richard Hollingham is a writer, journalist and BBC radio presenter. He has written and presented a number of BBC radio series on science, the environment and international politics. A former senior producer on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Richard is also a frequent contributor to From Our Own Correspondent. His popular science book How to Clone the Perfect Blonde, co-authored with Sue Nelson, was longlisted for the coveted Aventis Science Prize in 2004. 
 
Michael Mosley is an award-winning BBC producer. As the presenter of the highly acclaimed BBC series Medical Mavericks he experimented on himself to demonstrate the revolutionary new techniques of medical pioneers. He is the presenter of Blood and Guts: a History of Surgery. 
 
Mike Walker (Reader) 
 Mike Walker is an award-winning dramatist, documentary writer and author. He has adapted many classic novels for BBC Radio 4, including War and Peace, On the Beach and A Tale of Two Cities, which won him the Bronze Sony Award for Best Drama in 2012. Among his original radio plays are Alpha - winner of the Sony Drama Award (World Service); its companion play Omega; Landfall, The Product and the Plantagenet series of historical dramas. He has also written several novels, including one for young adults, Bad Company. 
 
Hannah Fry (Reader) 
 Hannah Fry is an Associate Professor in the mathematics of cities from University College London.She is also the author of The Mathematics of Love, The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus and Hello World. In her day job she uses mathematical models to study patterns in human behaviour, and has worked with governments, police forces, health analysts and supermarkets. Her TED talks have amassed millions of views and she has fronted television documentaries for the BBC and PBS; she also hosts the long-running science podcast, 'The Curious Cases of Rutherford &amp; Fry' with the BBC. 
 
Adam Rutherford (Reader) 
 Adam Rutherford is an award-winning writer, broadcaster, and geneticist at University College London. His books include A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived, The Book of Humans, and the Sunday Times bestseller How to Argue with a Racist. He has written and presented numerous documentaries for BBC radio and television, including Inside Science and The Cell. Adam has also worked as a science advisor on many films, including the Oscar-winning Ex Machina (2015), Annihilation (2018), and The Marvels (2022).

A collection of BBC radio documentaries celebrating the lunar landings and their legacy 
 
On July 20th 1969, for the first time in history, man walked on the moon. Over 50 years later, this 'giant leap for mankind' still captures our imagination, and in this 4-part collection, we bring together some of the most fascinating and insightful BBC documentaries about our ever-changing relationship with our only natural satellite. 
 
In Part 1: The Moon Landings, we hear personal accounts of what it was like to be part of some of the defining moments of the 20th Century. Walking on the Moon sees Buzz Aldrin reliving the perilous final moments before touchdown, while in Last Word, Matthew Bannister hears the story of that historic voyage, with contributions from friends, colleagues and old classmates of Neil Armstrong. The History Hour: Exploring Space features recollections of five landmarks in space travel, and in Seriously: Apollo 8, Helen Sharman hears about the first mission which took human beings beyond the earth's orbit. 
 
Part 2: Legacy ranges from 1969 to the present day, and analyses the enduring significance of the moon landings. In James Burke: Our Man on the Moon, the key voice for the BBC coverage of the event revisits that dramatic time in front of a live audience. Give Me the MoonLITE finds Richard Hollingham examining British plans to return to space, and two episodes of The Infinite Monkey Cage - The Infinite Moonkey Cage and Astronaut Special - feature an extraordinary gathering of space explorers. 
 
Part 3: Why the Moon? considers how the moon has long been an object of fascination for humanity. The Why Factor investigates the moon in culture, and how it affects life on Earth. In Discovery: The Making of the Moon, Lucie Green asks 'Where does the Moon come from - and are we going back'? Meanwhile, in The Forum: The Moon from Earth, Rajan Datar and guests contemplate how our understanding of what the moon is and what it means has changed over time. 
 
Part 4: The Future probes the current state of space exploration. In Brainwaves: The Moon, Pennie Latin looks at the race to return to the moon, and in Tulips on the Moon, Richard Hollingham finds out whether it's really possible to grow plants in space. Finally, In The Real Story: The Future of Space Exploration, Celia Hatton and guests discuss where we go next in our quest to understand our place in the universe. 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Complete Series 1-5

Infinite Monkey Cage

The complete  series 1-5 of the Sony Award Winning BBC Radio 4 show, The Infinite Monkey Cage, presented by physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince.

Brian Cox is a physicist and television presenter. His broadcasting credits include the BBC Two series Wonders of the Solar System, Wonders of the Universe and Wonders of Life. Robin Ince is a writer, actor and comedy performer. His radio credits include Steve Lamcq’s BBC Radio 6 music show and BBC Radio 4 Extra’s Serious About Comedy

The complete series 1-5 of the Sony Award Winning BBC Radio 4 show, The Infinite Monkey Cage, presented by physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince. 
 
Described by Judges of the Sony Award as; 'A brilliant way of being both innovative and instructive, bringing humour to what some will see as a dull subject. It's listenable, educational and brings a whole new audience to both the subject and the station'. 
 
The duo, assisted by a panel of experts and entertainers, tackle subjects such as biology, cosmology, physics and why Brian’s hair is always so perfect. Guest include Dara O'Brian, Jon Ronson, Stephen Fry and Dave Gorman, amongst many more. The Infinite Monkey Cage is an engaging, entertaining and educational show that puts the fun back into science.

Series 6, 7, 8 and 9

The Infinite Monkey Cage

Comedy meets Science in this very successful series, starring Brian Cox and Robin Ince.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince present a witty, irreverent look at the world according to science. 
 
The Infinite Monkey Cage has become one of BBC Radio 4’s most popular science based programmes. In each episode physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince delve into a particular field of science, with the help of guests from the worlds of science, academia and entertainment. 
 
In these 24 episodes the programme looks at topics as diverse as Oceans, Science Mavericks, Parallel Universes, Science v Art, Space Exploration, Brain Science, Creating Life, The Science of Christmas Behaviour, Space Tourism, Death and Risk. 
 
Helping them to discover more are guests including Dave Gorman, Marcus Brigstocke, Andy Hamilton, Alan Moore, Dr Marcus Du Sautoy, Patrick Stewart, Ben Miller, Katy Brand, Professor Matthew Cobb, Simon Singh, Dr Sue Black, Ed Byrne, Mark Gatiss, Steve Jones, Ross Noble, Eric Idle and Graeme Garden.

Brian Cox

Robin Ince

Four more series of the multi-award-winning science/comedy show 
 
Celebrating the wonders of the universe since 2009, The Infinite Monkey Cage combines wit and wisdom to explore scientific concepts in an entertaining, accessible way. In these four series, physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince are back to 'put a smile on the face of science' (The Independent). They're joined by a wealth of boffins, brainiacs and celebrity science enthusiasts, all keen to share their hard facts, soft theories and bold comic deviations. 
 
Beginning with the end of the universe, they tackle topics including black holes, the human brain, Neanderthals and the science of cooking - and attempt to answer profound philosophical questions such as 'What is life, and how did it start?', 'Is time an illusion?' and ''What is reality?' There's also an astronaut's guide to isolation, featuring Helen Sharman, Chris Hadfield, Nicole Stott and Apollo 9's Rusty Schweickart; a look back at 60 years of chimpanzee research with Jane Goodall; and a history of rock (not in the Rolling Stones sense, but actual rolling stones). 
 
Plus, the duo play Animal Top Trumps to find out whether we should prefer beautiful bats to much-maligned flies; travel deep below the ocean waves to see what lies beneath; discover how trees communicate using the Wood Wide Web; and learn why two brains are definitely better than one... 
 
Among their special guests are Eric Idle, Steve Martin, Matt Lucas, Tim Minchin, Bill Bailey, Mark Gatiss, Steve Jones, Ross Noble, Sara Pascoe, Prof Alice Roberts, Carlo Rovelli, Harold McGee, Dr Janna Levin, Dave Gorman, Brendan Hunt and Katy Brand. 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Brian Cox and Robin Ince 
Producer: Alexandra Feachem 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Brian Cox

The Infinite Monkey Cage: Series 22-25

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