One of the most impressive miniseries of all time is 2001’s Band of Brothers. Created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, the series is a compelling war drama that portrays the true story of a WWII battalion named Easy Company. Taking home 20 Emmy nominations and seven wins (including one for Outstanding Miniseries), Band of Brothers still holds up as being an authentic and powerful depiction of extraordinary historical events. But this wasn’t the first time that Hanks had a hand in producing a show revolving around a true story. Just three years before, Hanks would also produce an HBO miniseries that is a must-watch today, especially for sci-fi fans who love the great beyond.

What Is HBO’s ‘From the Earth to the Moon’ About?

In 1865, science fiction writer Jules Verne penned a novel called From the Earth to the Moon. More than a century later, a team of Hollywood heavyweights would borrow the title for a 12-part television series depicting some of our country’s most famous astronauts. The 1998 series was produced by Hanks, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and Michael Bostick — figures that created some of the most influential films of the 1990s. The miniseries tells the story of the Apollo program, which NASA ran during the 1960s and 1970s.

Although the episodes are dramatized, with stunning visuals and special effects by Ernest D. Farino, each episode explores one of the risky missions these astronauts undertook. Hanks introduces each episode, and then the viewer gets to dive into each mission, which are all told from different perspectives. This allows every episode to showcase a variety of themes. A particularly brilliant installment is “The Original Wives Club” in Episode 11, which was directed by Oscar winner Sally Field. This episode shows how the wives of these astronauts lived through the Apollo program, leading to a behind-the-scenes look at the stress they endured while their husbands were put in danger, as well as the pressure they experienced in such public-facing positions.

‘From the Earth to the Moon’ Is a Captivating Look at Real-Life Events

From the beginning stages of the Space Race with the Soviet Union to a pseudo-documentary-style narrative in Episode 12 of the final lunar Mission (Apollo 17), every hour is as gripping as the last. While we’re able to celebrate the triumphs of these astronauts as they travel where no man has before, From the Earth to the Moon never shies away from also depicting the tragedies that befell these men. We get to witness the horrific fire onboard Apollo 1 and the infamous Apollo 13 disaster, which ensures that the series is always honest in showing how truly dangerous these missions were. Although it’s horrible to think of these traumas occurring to real people, the authentic storytelling makes the series even more harrowing and fascinating to watch.

The writers of From the Earth to the Moon were also intent on not just rehashing events that had already been depicted in movies prior to its release. For example, the 1983 film The Right Stuff portrayed the events of Project Mercury, so it’s just briefly summarized in Episode 1. And then there’s 1995’s Apollo 13 movie, which was also directed by Howard and starring Hanks. To avoid any repetition, and to ensure viewers still felt invested in the storytelling, From the Earth to the Moon tells the story of the mission from the eyes of the media covering the event. This type of creative storytelling allows the miniseries to feel fresh. While there were a few characters invented for the series, enough famous real-life figures, including Jim Lovell (Tim Daly), Buzz Aldrin (Bryan Cranston), Neil Armstrong (Tony Goldwyn), and Alan Shepard (Ted Levine), allow the show to fall into a familiar, yet captivating authenticity.

At the time of its release, From the Earth to the Moon was a critical darling, bringing home 17 Emmy nominations and three wins, including Outstanding Miniseries (just like Band of Brothers would do a few years later). It would also cement Hanks as someone who could tell historical stories in a respectful and intriguing way (paving the way for future projects such as The Pacific and Masters of the Air). Along with its elite pedigree, From the Earth to the Moon is an incredible masterpiece because it illustrates the fascination we all have with space and with the astronauts who are brave enough to venture up there.

From the Earth to the Moon is available to stream on HBO Max in the U.S.