# The Right Stuff (2020)

> Seven military test pilots are chosen as NASA's first astronauts and compete to be first into space during the Cold War.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/79326

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 8
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: drama, history
- Created by: Mark Lafferty
- Network: Disney+
- Cast: Jake McDorman, Patrick J. Adams, Colin O'Donoghue, Eloise Mumford, James Lafferty, Nora Zehetner, Eric Ladin, Patrick Fischler
- TMDB rating: 6.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7423322/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: earnest, inspirational, patriotic, nostalgic, tense

## What critics say

Reviewers found the period recreation and ensemble performances handsome and engaging, though the series is a mixed affair that leans on familiar heroic-biography beats.

## Synopsis

The Right Stuff (2020) is a United States historical drama series created by Mark Lafferty for Disney+. Adapted from the novel by Tom Wolfe, it follows the seven military test pilots newly selected as NASA's first astronauts at the height of the Cold War. Alan Shephard (Jake McDorman) and John Glenn (Patrick J. Adams) lead the group, with Gordon Cooper (Colin O'Donoghue) and Scott Carpenter (James Lafferty) among the rivals and friends competing to be the first American into orbit. Their wives, including Trudy Cooper (Eloise Mumford) and Annie Glenn (Nora Zehetner), carry the domestic side of the pressure, while flight director Chris Kraft (Eric Ladin) and Bob Gilruth (Patrick Fischler) manage the program. Each episode mixes launch preparations, training grind and press scrutiny with the personal strain of living in the spotlight. The show runs eight episodes in a single season, a serialized period piece set in 1960s America. Its tone is earnest and inspirational, with a hopeful, patriotic register and a nostalgic glow. Fans of From the Earth to the Moon and Apollo 13 will find resonance in its blend of technical detail, rivalry and national ambition.

## Shows like The Right Stuff

- [The First (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/64483)
- [Strange Angel (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/66214)
- [Missions (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/62788)
- [The Ark (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/42933)
- [The Signal (2024)](https://ember.film/tv/157801)
- [Lost in Space (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/65677)
- [Away (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/75712)
- [Pan Am (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/36076)
- [Challenger: The Final Flight (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/90442)
- [Halt and Catch Fire (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/53340)

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