Kettering Group - BBC Panorama 1968

Prior to the Christmas 1968 Apollo 8 mission to the Moon, the BBC current affairs programme "Panorama" that went out on December 16 interviewed NASA acting Administrator Dr Thomas O Paine. Instead of a straightforward face-to-face session with the reporter, Michael Charlton, the questions were put by pupils of Kettering Grammar School.

The interview was created by the questions and answers being relayed between the School's Lecture Theatre and a Washington studio by a voice link. Camera crews filmed each side separately for later editing into a seamless trans-Atlantic production.

The title of the report is slightly puzzling in that the Earth already had seven continents at the time it was made. Did someone at the BBC drop a clanger?

This contact sheet was created by John Marshall, one of the teachers at the School, from screen shots of the finished programme. It has suffered a little in 40+ years having been on display, unframed, in Bob Christy's parents' house. People discernable in the photos are listed below the image. The time sequence runs left-right and bottom-top.

NOTE - Dr Paine succeeded James Webb in 1968 and was named acting NASA Administrator. The Senate confirmed his permanency during 1969.

Row	Frame	Names
1	1	Graham Coleman
	2	Derek Slater, Geoff Perry, Russell Gladden (teachers) and Vic Rowe
	3	Chris Gregory
	6	Astronauts Frank Borman, Bill Anders, Jim Lovell
2	1	NASA Adminstrator Dr Thomas O Paine, BBC reporter Michael Charlton
	2	Toby Manning
	3	Toby Manning
	4	Brian Dix
	5	Bob Christy
	6	Chris Gregory
3	1	Arthur York
	2	Dr Thomas O Paine, Michael Charlton
	3	the question panel
	4	Mick Boughton
	5	Mick Boughton
	6	Dr Thomas O Paine
4	1	Dr Wernher von Braun
	2	Michael Charlton
	4	Dr Thomas O Paine, unidentified
	5	Dr Thomas O Paine
	6	unidentified, Arthur York
5	1	Jim Lovell
	2	Frank Borman
	3	James Mossman (BBC journalist)
	4	Dr Thomas O Paine
	6	Dr Wernher von Braun
6	1	Dr Wernher von Braun
	4	Bill Anders