Three Apollo 11 docs head to U.S. networks

Three Apollo-focused documentaries, produced by Steve Rotfeld Productions (SRP), will be heading to the CW, Roku, National Geographic, and Fox this July. All of the programs mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, which occurred on July 20, 1969. The Apollo Chronicles is a four-hour doc event that spans 12 years, from Sputnik to the moon landing.

The doc will include newly declassified FBI documents and untold stories of CIA operations. It also features participation from astronauts, family members, NASA engineers, and historians. It is set to premiere in most markets on July 20, primarily on the CW and on Roku for the month of July.

Elsewhere, The Armstrong Tapes is a one-hour doc special based on 70 hours of never-before-heard audio interviews with Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. The interviews were conducted by Armstrong’s official biographer, James Hansen, and is a co-production between SRP and National Geographic Channel. The Armstrong Tapes airs on July 8th at 9 p.m. ET/PT on National Geographic U.S.

Countdown to Apollo, meanwhile, will serve as an 8 x 30-minute archive-based format that explores a series of short stories from the Apollo program. It is part of Steve Rotfeld Productions’ syndicated three-hour block of science series Xploration Station airing on Fox stations throughout the U.S. “A few years ago, we decided to go ‘all-in’ on the Apollo anniversary,” said SRP president Rotfeld in a statement. “We’re thrilled with the quality of the programs, and the fact we were able to make each of them a reality for broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms.”

All three docs are represented internationally by Red Arrow Studios International.