If you were so blown away by Top Gear’s triumphant return last night that you lost the ability to process any more information, then you’d be forgiven for missing James May’s awesome space documentary that followed.
James May on the Moon is definitely worth watching just for his childish glee at bouncing around in the infamous Vomit Comet – a plane that recreates zero gravity – and to witness him gob-smacked, 70,000ft above the Earth in a U-2 spy plane.
Yet he wasn’t the only one – seeing the curvature of the Earth as he does is a TV gold moment.
So get on over to BBC iPlayer and have a watch.
The best thing about …on the Moon was that it’s the first part of seven.
But if that’s not enough, you can see more of the U-2 flight by watching the extended stuff, that was shown on BBC Four, May at the Edge of Space.
While you’re there, you might as well top up on May action by taking a look at Oz and James Drink to Britain.
May is certainly taking over…
I thought it was FAB Virgil! His face was priceless in the centrifuge.
simply phenomenal!! .. dare I say it ? better than episode 1 of tg13.. by miles..:D !!
I want to see this so bad! I paid TV licence for 15 years and all I got was crap. now I live abroad and all this awesome stuff is unavailable. If I could get the JM and JC documentaries, like motorworld extreme machines and this thing on DVD I’d suck them all up like a black hole, and full unmolested TG series’ for that matter. If we can get the Simpsons and 24 and Extras, which are all so-so, why not the greatest TV phenomenon ever?
This was an amazing show, JM – I am very jealous, you are a very lucky man. Well done on this great documentary.
Lv.
Lily
@stang428 The DVD with both James May on the Moon & James May at the Edge of Space will be out in about two weeks. Check Amazon!
it was a fabulous show the earth look breath taking i so what to do that
gotta love james may
Without doubt this was one of the best documentaries I have seen in a long time. Well done James! xx
Was a fantastic show. I felt myself properly envying him & the astronauts
The look on James’ face in the spyplane was priceless….. If I ever win the Lottery, I want to do that flight…. James, you lucky sod!!!
I’m just watching this now on your recommendation, will report back shortly..
@LindenChase, thanks, I’ll be sure to have a look.
Also, if anyone has Flight Simulator X you can actually fly the Vomit Comet as a mission in the 737, the guy had me do stuff I never would normally do in a 737. In reality a ticket costs $3000 to ride it, I think.
Going on the moon sounds so fun! I used to want to be an astronaut when I was (a little) younger!!! Yeah it would be great fun
That was possibly one of the greatest documentaries I’ve ever seen, and truly humbling. Mr May really does have vegetables of steel in such unusual situations and yet remains eloquent and composed throughout. Brilliant.
James…. what a star.. Fantastic programme last night, you had me gripped…I was almost experiencing your emotion when on the edge of space… Soooooooo interesting! I love you! (Yes I’m a girl, so don’t worry!)
i dont get it is michale shuemacker really the stig or was it a ploy to get the fxx fezza on the show and if he is will they have him race without the helmet now or will the real stig remain unknown also on the brittish gp on sunday u could see the man himself there at the start and the show was trumendess anyway without that bombshell
Bit like buses, these TV shows. You hang around for ages waiting for a great programme – then three come along at once. An entertaining TG followed by a wonderful 90 minutes in the company of the ever erudite James May.
All that and not an Oz Clark in sight. Marvellous!
Thank you James. You are simply the best.
Saw the moon show and it was brilliant! Hats off to Mr May. Massive amounts of envy, i’d love to do something like that. Didn’t know the U2 could get to 70,000 ft though, why that’s even taller than clarkson. Is he sure he wasn’t in low orbit over Jeremy’s head?
Absolutely wonderful piece of tv, Mr.May – the TG episode which preceded it was a tasty starter but your 1 hour of moon-related antics was spell-binding: Great stuff!!
Top Gear please allow us to watch outtakes outside UK. PLEASE PLEASE…!!!
James i envy you so much that flight to the edge of space, what a jaw-dropping view from that plane, space up above and sky down below. Trully breath-taking. A great piece of tv, well done captain slow.
James May on The Moon…. a simply awsome piece of TV. Somehow this production really did communicate the truly humbling experience. Many thanks for sharing. This ought to win awards.
Peter
Everyone always thought “the boys” had the best job in the world. James May took it a step further. If there’s one thing I’d like to do before I die, this would be it.
if this is part one of seven imagine whats to follow!
James May…on drugs?
Anyone remember hammonds review of the maserati quatraporte (sp?) he says about the interior; it’s like a space age tweed, pointless unless james may becomes an astronaut.
It’s a great shame the USAF has finished with the 80,000ft, mach 3.2 SR-71 Blackbird. That would of made May explode his underpants with sheer excitement and Jeremy for that matter.
I loved the show!!
It got me all nostalgic too about my childhood days when i used to dream about becoming an astronaut and working at NASA.
Now those dreams have manifested into something else but i still love everything space related!!!
Especially when its got James May in it!!
Love May’s programs. I loved his Big Ideas too. Not gonna miss the rest of this one…!
let captain slow go 2 space. it wud b fun 2 wach
clarkson jealous much …i was captain slow is fast becoming an icon
I very much like James’ feature programmes, especially the one about his sisters’ toys was good. He’s a natural at this kind of thing. Keep ‘m coming!
I remember the one by Jezza about that special forces operation in WWII, equally good.
Cristi tu esti?
nu ma nu sunt eu e altul …..
care se baga maine la tenis?
Yes, I am. I don’t want to speak romanian, as Mr. May may be exploding in a laugh hysteria, and “may” blow out.
I sat speechless as I watched one of the finest documentary’s in a very long time.
Congratulations to James and the production team on what was a truly great programme.
Azt akartam írni valamit ezen a nyelven
eu nu vin ca am treaba cu niste gagici,le invit la five o`clock tea-baging
Mr May anyja annyira jó, hogy jött lick tits naponta.
Én és a kollégáim akarok állást.
قد الدة جيدة حتى توصلك إلى لعق الثدي في اليوم.
أنا وزملائي يريدون جعل وظيفة.
5月的母親是那麼好 ，你來舔山雀一天
我和我的同事想後
Du är mycket stark. Jag bryter rakning.
Cristi, vad tycker du?
La madre di May o è talmente buono che si è venuto a leccare tette al giorno.
Io e miei colleghi vogliamo fare un post.
Domnu Barbut este?
אמא של מאי כל כך טוב כי אתה בא ללקק ציצים ביממה.
אותי ואת עמיתי רוצה לעשות פוסט.
Please don’t charge us!
WE PAY IN TEA…BAGING ,)
Stunning documentary that left me speechless. It was truly brilliant. It left me with just one question though; how do women wee in space?
wow, i never knew may could fly!
anonymous YOU TIT ! At least get a proper transprog to fill out the aching gap in your miserably empty and meaningless life..:D pleb
WOW lot of foreign languages
..and one very frustrated romanian behind it all.. are they all like him ? ..is it perhaps the sandero they wear ?? or is it really just him ??? what a tit.. ps. i heard they were looking for heardsmen at the sandero factory.. maybe u and your m8 wanna go have a look ?
ps. it was just a bit of good old fashioned infantile fun, a bit immature but..nothing personal I’m sure..and you couldn’t let it slide.. what a pheasant!
Anonymous, didn’t you work out that the laughter was because one of the Romanian words sounded like an English swear word? If you can’t deal with this kind of humour then just don’t watch anything with Jeremy, James or Richard in it. It really is that simple.
it would be a great challenge if a bugatti veyron, ascari a10 and a ferrari enzo have a race crossing 7 european countries
James your moon programmes were fab,entertaining and downright amazing that view of the earths curve….wow. Loved it! and the Drink to britain’s great as well!
Race Veyron and U-2 across Russia.
XD
si mama ta ce zice plebian (taran in rou)
OK OK, thanks for answering me, calling me frustrated, and pheasant…
Maybe I am a little bit frustrated, because the stupid romanian people are trying to copy/spell english words like yards..and the result..is awfull…
Bottom line is: I dont mind to joke, to laugh when smthing is funny, but the guys in that car almost blew up laughing…that was annyoing me…
Or maybe, this is like an ‘old fashion’ english humour which it seems I dont understand…
Plebian…I like ur post..u are a v mature person..how old are ya? 15?
let me put it to you in a way I’m sure you’ll understand..: I sunk to your level. And just for the record, I’m 8.
taliho.. seggfej!
BECAREFUL!! a warning to most tguk fans there’s his commentor on the aussie website who is full on bagging tguk saying it sucks and all… That is all & James May on the moon that’s crazy! heheh but cool,might become a lesser version of david attenbrough
Anonymous, I can totally understand why you could have got the wrong impression and be annoyed. However, you have to remember that James May finds farts and driving past a place called “Cocking” very funny. It is infantile humour but it doesn’t demonstrate lack of intelligence just an ability to not take oneself so seriously. Something that many people could learn from.
I must admit out of the three boys James does seem to be carving a half decent career path .
If my world did end and TG was no more Richard would continue to do his Blast Lab with his illegal immigrant co host Oliver.
And promote Northern Supermarkets.
And Jeremy would be able to grow beans in Devon as his want .
But I am SO dissapointed in S13 pt 1 as I had heard on the grapevine that JC was to confess his love for the Stig , the Stig was to storm in take off his helmet and JC was supposed to have SNOGGED him man o mano style .
Now that would have been a better way to kick it all off and make Will Young jealous .
But both were excellent ***** rating all round
lol http://www.autocar.co.uk/ blogs/stillatthewheel/arc hive/2009/06/19/taking-th e-eco-driving-challenge.a spx#comments
Thanks Vicky for making it clear for me! I wish u best luck in your life.
As it concerns Plebian, I cant understand right, you said ‘i suck to your level’..of maybe I dont know english that well…
U even spell the name wrong..correct is plebeian not plebian…just for the records…
.
I would like to know if james May can believe his life the last few years? North Pole, edge of space, channel crossing, desert adventure, I fully expect to see him atop Everest on a spacehopper some time soon.
Great programme! Saturn V is just awesome! Lots more information about the Apollo spacecraft here:
http://www.spacekids.co.u k/apollo
dude.. feel free to correct any spelling you might see fit.. your grammar def. indicates you know your stuff.. I wrote..suNK.. and not suCK you make of it what you will.. I simply thought it was bad taste on your part to go calling ppl prick, even if that is your opinion to which you’re4 entitled.. I also think it a bit peculiar and out of place to go on with this meaningless @dumb and dumber@ argument thing we have going.. wish you the best of luck in the job hunt and apologies for pointing out the obvious. Remember life is so much more fun if a laugh.. hope you get it.. hugz, pleb
An absolutely superb program, definitely one for all of us who spent our childhood gluing together plastic kits of planes and spacecraft, and dreaming of being a fighter pilot.
However, I too have just about seen the curvature of the earth. But I wasn’t wearing a spacesuit and eating through a tube. I was sipping champagne and standing on the flightdeck chatting to the Concorde pilot.
james is every were i look i try to get away after 3 shows in a row with him & then of bbc 4 there he is again
May has gone faster, higher than any other TG member. Looks like he has the right stuff.
What a speach by James when got off the u2 spy plane.
“If every person in the world had just one chance to do that then the world would be a diffwerent place, politics, religeon everything would be different.
Not bad considering he was supoosed to be speachless haha
when he got into space i was just gobsmacked… i’ve said this before and i trully mean it, james is just brilliant!
a fantastic journalist..
he conveyed his fellings amazingly there
Hope to see this soon., thank goodness for the science fraternity and the geeks that live and breath within it’s walls.
since weird languages seem tobe a trend…
nojah, james may kuul, raisk miks kuradi kuradi kurat ma kuskil pommiaugus pean elama !!!???ma tahan näha seda kurat küll!
ok, that, my freinds, was estonian. i want to see may on moon!!!arrrggghhh . torrents forever, cause i’m gonna download a lot next few weeks .
just caught the rerun on BBC2 last night.Fantastic – when is James May on Mars on?!!
Fantastic programmes and I can’t wait to be able to get the DVD (anyone know of the exact date because like with 20th Century there are two dates). I was entertained, watching James shocking himself in the vomit comet and in hysterics was so funny to watch. That also reminded me of when I was at school and kids would enjoy shocking each other via the old type computer moniters and also a Van der graf generator too. I was also very moved such as watching James all uncomfortable and looking panicky and upset when he got all claustrophobic, especially when he didn’t want to be filmed and also in the centrifuge too. There’s no way that I could’ve gone through most of that stuff.
On Twitter I saw that there have been suggestions that this could be in the running for a BAFTA nomination and I think it will have a great chance of winning one. I certainly hope so.
If I could ask James anything related to the documentaries it would include what it felt like to be weightless in the vomit comet, if it was as fun as it looked and also if what we saw did the view he saw in space any justice (this is definitely an HD programme).
Lastly I think this programme has proved even more how brilliant a presenter of sole documentaries James is. I love how he puts so much enthusiasm and enjoyment into what he does.
‘Moon’ and ‘Space’ both utterly fantastic. The sheer, unselfconcious joy of JM made it even more spectacular than the concept. it was like hearing about the greatest ever adventure from your best mate – sharing their excitement…
… and yet he manages to do it so quietly and calmly that noe of the awesome beauty of our planet or the brilliance and brvaery of the ’space’ teams was overshadowed.
Fab.
Thanks James (and those other guys and girls who helped a bit)
‘Course – I’m not at all jealous of some bloke getting to do all the stuff on my wish list!
TG seems rather repetitive these days, luckily we have James May around for another geek series. Great episode, thanks!
more of Capt Slow’s documentaries. . . very informative. . . should or must be shown in school. . . incidentally in some shots he has some similarities to Benjamin Franklin. . . don’t you think he’s a descendant? he cold play the role of the Benjamin perfectly. . . if anyone is interested in making a movie of his life. . .
What a fabulous documentary! Excellent work Mr May – more programmes like this would make the licence fee worth paying. Quite literally out of this world.
I’ve dreamed of going up in one of those Eurofighter’s for ages, however I’m now thinking “sod that!”. I just wanna ride on that plane to the edge of space.
How are you going to top that, James?
Just a thought…how would a lady astronaut take a pee? Does the space suit have a special “she-pee” attachment, or does a girl just have to cross her legs and clench?
May On The Moon is an AMAZING documentary! Very nice! Keep it up James!
When James said he was gonna get emotional, i was gonna start crying aswell lol, god i’m so sad.. James is just proper awesome guy, thats why we all love him, he takes all Jezza’s and Rich’s jokes about him either being gay or something like that. He is just a pure and true gentleman, he does Britain proud!!
i agree with hamster distruction very much!
such a cool show, keep it up Captain Slow!
Who ever put there name as Richard Hammond, are you really our Hammond or what.. hmmm i wonder.
I’m loving both of the shows, bless James!
I live in South Africa. We get all the re-runs of TG every day Thanks to our s****y DSTV service, on BBC knowledge.
It sucks big time that I cant watch the Multimedia content on this website either.
How come Its OK that you can give me a website with Blogs, Images, text and other content but no video??
COME ON!!
Cameron
cm@limpopo.co.za
I have watched the James May on the moon documentary many of time. I have to say it is a very good documentary. I fly the Boeing 747 for a international freight carrier. And I would have given anything to do this. James May did a fine job here. I can say after watching this, I am proud of what the United States and our Allies have achieved. If it were not for the many countries involved, none of us would be where we are today. So my thanks goes out to the UK for being a great friend. And Mr. May, keep up the great work.
I have only now seen this episode(documentary) and I must say it has been the best. Yes I have seen all the episodes with the fantastic cars and hilarious jokes the guys have given but to see James face been totally “gobsmacked” really brought it home. The way James came across, I felt like I was there at 70k ft. And I agree with Him… if everyone could do that just once, the entire view of politics, war, religion, and appreciation for life would change completely. Well done to the Space Program for all these years of hard work, and Well Done to James May and to the rest of his crew. And to everyone; Respect one another, respect life around you, and most of all respect yourself. Peace.
christopherweeks@hotmail. com