Apollo 11

This documentary looks at the Apollo 11 space mission and how behind-the-scenes there were several instances of technology and human failure and errors that ... all » nearly led to disaster. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin and flight director Gene Kranz give their accounts of the first manned moon landing in 1969. Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. It was the fifth human spaceflight of the Apollo program, and the third human voyage to the moon. Launched on July 16, 1969, it carried Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin became the first humans to land on the Moon, while Collins orbited above.

Five's Controller of Science, Justine Kershaw, has ordered a second series of Stranger than Fiction, it was announced today. The 4 x 60 minute Science series, due to air in the spring, kicks off with Apollo 11 � the Untold Story which reveals what really happened on the first voyage to the moon in 1969. Everyone thinks they know about Apollo 11 � Neil Armstrong's 'One small step for man', the Stars and Stripes planted firmly on the moon rock and a triumphant return to earth, but this film reveals just how complicated that mission really was. Drawing on first hand testimonies from Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 flight director Gene Kranz and key personnel from the mission this film tells how, for a group of pioneering men armed with experimental 1960s technology, Apollo 11 was a triumph against the odds that came close to ending in disaster.

The series also includes The Dog Suicide Bridge which deals with the bizarre events at Overtoun Bridge near Dumbarton in Scotland. Since the 1950's over fifty dogs have jumped to their deaths from the bridge for seemingly no reason, horrifying local dog owners. Individual cases of dogs leaping from tall buildings and bridges have been chronicled in the past, but never before like this � over a sustained period of time, in such numbers and at the exact same spot. This programme follows the efforts of a team of investigators, led by noted canine behaviourist Dr David Sands, to find an answer to this mystery. Also airing as part of the series is The British UFO Mystery. On March 31, 1993, a craft of unknown origin penetrated the UK's air defences. Military personnel, police officers and members of the public witnessed the event en masse. This incident caused both the UK and US Governments to break with protocol leading to some of the most explosive and uncompromising testimony ever to be written by official sources on the subject of UFO's and, in doing so, lifted the lid on a little known British Government Defence Department.

In this documentary, the man who ran the MOD's X-files in the 1990's reveals all about the workings of this department and talks about the case that changed the face of official UFO investigations. And Paranormal Pigeons attempts to explain the mystery of how animals navigate over thousands of miles - something that has baffled scientists since ancient times. In the race to solve this last great mystery of the natural world, the humble homing pigeon is key. This documentary talks to scientists who study the pigeon's reliance on sight, smell and magnetism for navigation and also tests one of the most outlandish theories of all - that pigeons, and other animals, have a form of telepathic link between themselves and their homes.

The first series of Stranger than Fiction aired in summer 2004. The Real Story of Apollo 11: Stranger than Fiction is an Atlantic Production for Five and Discovery Science Channel. The Executive Producer is Anthony Geffen and the Writer and Director is Tom Whitter. The Dog Suicide Bridge: Stranger than Fiction is a Making Time production for Five. The Executive Producer are Ben Devlin and Gerry Easter. The producer is Matthew Burgess and Director is Peter Cohen. The British UFO Mystery: Stranger than Fiction is a Steel Spyda production for Five. The Executive Producer is Kay Hill. The Director is David Haynes and the Producer is Gareth Harvey. Paranormal Pigeons: Stranger than Fiction is an Icon Films co-production for Five and Animal Planet. The Executive Producer is Laura Marshall, Director is Harry Marshall and the Producer is Andie Clare.

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