Disney+

Get ready to blast back in time to the days of the space race, when the US was struggling to play catch-up to the Russians when it came to putting men in space.  ‘The Right Stuff’ is the first scripted series that will be offered on Disney+ as part of its collaboration with National Geographic.  (It was originally supposed to air on NatGeo.)

The series stars Patrick J. Adams as John Glenn, James Lafferty as Scott Carpenter, Jake McDorman as Alan Shepard, Colin O’Donoghue as Gordon Cooper, Aaron Staton as Wally Schirra, Micah Stock as Deke Slayton, and Michael Trotter as Gus Grissom, plus Laura Ault, David Bolinger, Jordan Blair Brown, Avery Burns, Taegan Burns, Rachel Burttram, Lucy Capri, Christopher Cassarino, Josh Cooke, Patrick Fischler, Mamie Gummer, Chandler Head, Travis Herald, Kyra Johnson, Eric Ladin, Shannon Lucio, Eloise Mumford, Jade Albany Pietrantonio, Jackson Pace, Kaley Ronayne, Sacha Seberg, Danny Strong, Victoria White, Jordan Woods-Robinson, and Nora Zehetner.

McDorman’s Alan Shepard is the focus of this first clip from ‘The Right Stuff’.  The scene is light, as Shepard realizes he might be too late for the opportunity of a lifetime.  At the very least, the show looks great, in a ‘Mad Men’ kind of way.  The clip also includes glimpses at most of the lead cast.  (Adams’ blond hair is going to take some getting used to.)

Check it out for yourself below:

Here is the show’s official synopsis:

Based on the iconic bestseller by Tom Wolfe, The Right Stuff is an inspirational look at the early days of the U.S. Space Program and the incredible story of America’s first astronauts, the Mercury Seven. At the height of the Cold War in 1959, the Soviet Union dominates the space race, and America fears it is a nation in decline. Newly-formed NASA has the monumental task of sending a man into space, and its engineers estimate they need decades to accomplish the feat. They are given two years.

Dubbed Project Mercury, the program recruits and trains just seven astronauts from a handful of the military’s best pilots. Within days of being presented to the world, the Mercury Seven become instant celebrities, forged into heroes before they achieve a single heroic act. At a time when many wondered if America’s glory days were behind it, The Right Stuff is an aspirational story about how ordinary human beings can achieve the extraordinary. As much about who we are today as it is about historic achievements, the series evokes the wonder of this singular era, when the free world looked towards a new horizon of hope as we first stepped off the bounds of our only home to venture into the vast unknown.

‘The Right Stuff’ will be released on Disney+ this fall.  Check back for updates!

 

Source: CBR