Christopher Riley
Encyclopedia
Christopher Riley is a British writer, broadcaster and film maker specialising in the history of science. He has a PhD from Imperial College, University of London
where he pioneered the use of digital elevation models in the study of mountain range geomorphology and evolution. He is a Visiting Professor at the University of Lincoln
and for the last eighteen years he has worked in the field of public engagement in science.
He makes frequent appearances on British television
and radio
, broadcasting mainly on space flight, astronomy
and planetary science
. He is a veteran of two NASA astrobiology
missions (Leonid MAC) from 1998 and 1999 – reporting on their progress for BBC news
. He co-presented the BBC's coverage of the 1999 and 2001
solar eclipses, and fronted their astronomy magazine show Final Frontier, their cosmology series Journeys in Time and Space, and their live All Night Star Party – a co-production with the Open University
. In 2006 he wrote and presented BBC Radio 4
's cosmology series The Cosmic Hunters.
Behind the camera he has written and directed more than 50 films for the BBC's classic science magazine show Tomorrow's World
and was a producer and director on series six of Rough Science
. In 2004 he produced the BBC's two part drama documentary Space Odyssey: Voyage To The Planets
. He was the science consultant on the BBC's remakes of their science fiction cult classics A for Andromeda
(2006) and The Quatermass Experiment
(2005). He directed and produced on the feature documentary film In the Shadow of the Moon
, which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival
, where it won the World Cinema Audience Documentary Award. The film was released in the US and Europe during the autumn of 2007.
At the Cheltenham Science Festival
in 2009 he presented research conducted with forensic linguist John Olsson on the recordings of Neil Armstrong's first words spoken on the surface of the Moon in July 1969. Their study confirmed that the "a" was missing - contradicting previous conclusions presented by Peter Shann Ford in 2006. Olsson and Riley went on to show that the words were spoken spontaneously and were not rehearsed or composed by some ‘wordsmith’ beforehand as many have speculated they might have been.
During the making of In the Shadow of the Moon
he rediscovered the only surviving 35mm print of the complete version of NASA's original Apollo 11 documentary film Moonwalk One
which had been stored under the film's director Theo Kamecke
's desk since it was made. With NASA's blessing the pair worked to restore and remaster the feature film and re-released it in time for the 40th anniversary of the flight of Apollo 11
in July 2009.
for his work producing the BBC's Space Odyssey series. The same year he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society for his endeavours in communicating astronomy to the public. His films and TV series on the history of science have won a nomination from the Royal Television Society and the World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival 2007. He received a second Sir Arthur Clarke Award
in 2008 for In the Shadow of the Moon
and a Grand REMI from the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival in 2009 for his Moon Machines episode on the Command Module.
He has directed, produced, science consulted or hosted on the following films & TV series (incomplete):
called 'Intermission: Films from a Heroic Future', which Riley also helped to curate. Continuing the presentation of overlooked space film archives in public gallery spaces Chris collaborated with the London based creative science agency Super/Collider on his 2011 show Cone Crater - a 40th anniversary celebration of Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell's exploration of the Frau Mauro lunar highlands, which played at The Book Club, London as part of the Apollo's End project.
In April 2011 Chris premiered First Orbit
a film tribute to Yuri Gagarin
which he filmed in collaboration with European Space Agency
Astronaut Paolo Nespoli. The film was recorded by matching the orbit of the International Space Station
to the ground path of Gagarin's Vostok 1
mission, and released for free to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the pioneering human space flight.
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
where he pioneered the use of digital elevation models in the study of mountain range geomorphology and evolution. He is a Visiting Professor at the University of Lincoln
University of Lincoln
The University of Lincoln is an English university founded in 1992, with origins tracing back to the foundation and association with the Hull School of Art 1861....
and for the last eighteen years he has worked in the field of public engagement in science.
He makes frequent appearances on British television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, broadcasting mainly on space flight, astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and planetary science
Planetary science
Planetary science is the scientific study of planets , moons, and planetary systems, in particular those of the Solar System and the processes that form them. It studies objects ranging in size from micrometeoroids to gas giants, aiming to determine their composition, dynamics, formation,...
. He is a veteran of two NASA astrobiology
NASA Astrobiology Institute
The NASA Astrobiology Institute was established in 1998 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration "to develop the field of astrobiology and provide a scientific framework for flight missions". The NAI is a virtual, distributed organization that integrates astrobiology research and...
missions (Leonid MAC) from 1998 and 1999 – reporting on their progress for BBC news
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
. He co-presented the BBC's coverage of the 1999 and 2001
Solar eclipse of 2001 June 21
A total solar eclipse took place on June 21, 2001, with a magnitude of 1.0495. - Visibility :It was visible from a narrow corridor in the southern Atlantic Ocean and southern Africa. A partial eclipse was seen from the much broader path of the Moon's penumbra, including eastern South America and...
solar eclipses, and fronted their astronomy magazine show Final Frontier, their cosmology series Journeys in Time and Space, and their live All Night Star Party – a co-production with the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
. In 2006 he wrote and presented BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's cosmology series The Cosmic Hunters.
Behind the camera he has written and directed more than 50 films for the BBC's classic science magazine show Tomorrow's World
Tomorrow's World
Tomorrow's World was a long-running BBC television series, showcasing new developments in the world of science and technology. First aired on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003.- Content :...
and was a producer and director on series six of Rough Science
Rough Science
Rough Science is a British documentary reality television series made by the BBC in collaboration with the Open University. Six series were made between 2000 and 2005. It was broadcast in prime time on BBC Two and is considered something of a "break-out hit" for the Open University...
. In 2004 he produced the BBC's two part drama documentary Space Odyssey: Voyage To The Planets
Space Odyssey: Voyage To The Planets
Space Odyssey: Voyage To The Planets is a mockumentary about a manned voyage through the solar system. Space Odyssey premiered in 2004 and was made by the BBC...
. He was the science consultant on the BBC's remakes of their science fiction cult classics A for Andromeda
A for Andromeda
A for Andromeda is a British television science fiction drama serial first made and broadcast by the BBC in seven parts in 1961. Written by the noted cosmologist Fred Hoyle, in conjunction with author and television producer John Elliot, it concerns a group of scientists who detect a radio signal...
(2006) and The Quatermass Experiment
The Quatermass Experiment (2005)
The Quatermass Experiment was a 2005 live remake of the 1953 TV series of the same name by Nigel Kneale.-Production:The remake was commissioned as part of a "TV on Trial" season being run by BBC Four, examining past television trends and productions...
(2005). He directed and produced on the feature documentary film In the Shadow of the Moon
In the Shadow of the Moon
In the Shadow of the Moon is a 2006 British documentary film about the United States' manned missions to the Moon. It premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Audience Award. In March 2008, it was the first film to win the Sir Arthur Clarke Award for Best Film...
, which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival
2007 Sundance Film Festival
The 2007 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 18 until January 28, 2007 in Park City, Utah with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah and Ogden, Utah. It was the 23-rd iteration of the Sundance Film Festival...
, where it won the World Cinema Audience Documentary Award. The film was released in the US and Europe during the autumn of 2007.
At the Cheltenham Science Festival
Cheltenham Science Festival
The Cheltenham Science Festival is one of the UK's leading science festivals, and is part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Jazz, Music and Literature Festivals that run every year.-Introduction and History:...
in 2009 he presented research conducted with forensic linguist John Olsson on the recordings of Neil Armstrong's first words spoken on the surface of the Moon in July 1969. Their study confirmed that the "a" was missing - contradicting previous conclusions presented by Peter Shann Ford in 2006. Olsson and Riley went on to show that the words were spoken spontaneously and were not rehearsed or composed by some ‘wordsmith’ beforehand as many have speculated they might have been.
During the making of In the Shadow of the Moon
In the Shadow of the Moon
In the Shadow of the Moon is a 2006 British documentary film about the United States' manned missions to the Moon. It premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Audience Award. In March 2008, it was the first film to win the Sir Arthur Clarke Award for Best Film...
he rediscovered the only surviving 35mm print of the complete version of NASA's original Apollo 11 documentary film Moonwalk One
Moonwalk One
Moonwalk One is a feature-length documentary film about the flight of Apollo 11, which landed the first humans on the moon. Besides portraying the massive technological achievement of that event, the film places it in some historical context, and tries to capture the mood and feel of the people on...
which had been stored under the film's director Theo Kamecke
Theo Kamecke
Theo Kamecke is a sculptor, who previously worked as a film director during the 1960s and 1970s. Kamecke's best known film is Moonwalk One - a NASA commissioned documentary feature film to cover their Apollo 11 mission in the summer of 1969...
's desk since it was made. With NASA's blessing the pair worked to restore and remaster the feature film and re-released it in time for the 40th anniversary of the flight of Apollo 11
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
in July 2009.
Awards & Honours
In 2005 he was given a Sir Arthur Clarke AwardSir Arthur Clarke Award
The Sir Arthur Clarke Award is a British award given in recognition of notable contributions to space exploration, particularly British achievements. It is owned by the Space Education Trust and is independent of and separate from . Founded in 2005, the awards are an annual event. They take place...
for his work producing the BBC's Space Odyssey series. The same year he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society for his endeavours in communicating astronomy to the public. His films and TV series on the history of science have won a nomination from the Royal Television Society and the World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival 2007. He received a second Sir Arthur Clarke Award
Sir Arthur Clarke Award
The Sir Arthur Clarke Award is a British award given in recognition of notable contributions to space exploration, particularly British achievements. It is owned by the Space Education Trust and is independent of and separate from . Founded in 2005, the awards are an annual event. They take place...
in 2008 for In the Shadow of the Moon
In the Shadow of the Moon
In the Shadow of the Moon is a 2006 British documentary film about the United States' manned missions to the Moon. It premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Audience Award. In March 2008, it was the first film to win the Sir Arthur Clarke Award for Best Film...
and a Grand REMI from the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival in 2009 for his Moon Machines episode on the Command Module.
Films
He has directed, produced, science consulted or hosted on the following films & TV series (incomplete):
- 2011 Space Shuttle - the final mission, Ricochet Television, BBC TV
- 2011 First OrbitFirst OrbitFirst Orbit is a feature-length, experimental documentary film about Vostok 1, the first manned space flight around the Earth. By matching the orbit of the International Space Station to that of Vostok 1 as closely as possible, in terms of ground path and time of day, documentary filmmaker...
, The Attic Room, YouTube, BBC Big Screens
- 2011 Destination Titan, BBC TV
- 2011 OutcastsOutcasts (TV series)Outcasts is an eight-part 2011 British television science-fiction drama serial, starring Liam Cunningham, Hermione Norris, Amy Manson, Daniel Mays, Jamie Bamber, Eric Mabius and Ashley Walters. It originally aired on BBC One, and BBC HD.-Plot:...
, Kudos, BBC TV
- 2010 Dust, Stylus Films, The Attic Room, Shorts International
- 2009 One Small Step - The Australian Story, Freehand, BBC Worldwide
- 2009 James May on the MoonJames May on the MoonJames May on the Moon is a British documentary in which James May commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moon landings. It was first aired on BBC Two on 21 June 2009 and on 10 November 2009 on BBC America in the United States....
, BBC TV
- 2009 Moonwalk OneMoonwalk OneMoonwalk One is a feature-length documentary film about the flight of Apollo 11, which landed the first humans on the moon. Besides portraying the massive technological achievement of that event, the film places it in some historical context, and tries to capture the mood and feel of the people on...
- the director's cut, BHP Group, DVD, Discovery Channel (UK)
- 2009 Music for Astronauts and CosmonautsMusic for Astronauts and CosmonautsA real time soundtrack for take off and a round trip in Earth's orbit in a space vehicle. Howie B and Húbert Nói were composing this soundtrack from 1998 to 2002 and in late 2006 it was published by the Austrian label Laton...
, BFI, DVD
- 2008 When We Left Earth: The NASA MissionsWhen We Left Earth: The NASA MissionsWhen We Left Earth: The NASA Missions or NASA's Greatest Missions: When We Left Earth in the UK is a Discovery Channel HD documentary miniseries consisting of six episodes documenting American human spaceflight, spanning from the first Mercury flights through the Gemini program to the Apollo moon...
, Discovery Channel
- 2008 Moon machinesMoon MachinesMoon Machines in the US and UK is a Science Channel HD documentary miniseries consisting of six episodes documenting the engineering challenges of the Apollo Program to land a man on the Moon. It covers everything from the iconic Saturn V to the Command Module, the Lunar Module, the Space Suits,...
, Discovery Science Channel
- 2007 In the Shadow of the MoonIn the Shadow of the MoonIn the Shadow of the Moon is a 2006 British documentary film about the United States' manned missions to the Moon. It premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Audience Award. In March 2008, it was the first film to win the Sir Arthur Clarke Award for Best Film...
, Film 4, THINK Film, Discovery Films
- 2006 A for AndromedaA for Andromeda (2006)A for Andromeda is a 2006 remake of the 1961 TV series of the same name by Fred Hoyle and John Elliot.-Production:The series was produced by Richard Fell, who the previous year had overseen The Quatermass Experiment, a live remake of the 1953]TV series of the same name also largely absent from the...
- 2005 Rough ScienceRough ScienceRough Science is a British documentary reality television series made by the BBC in collaboration with the Open University. Six series were made between 2000 and 2005. It was broadcast in prime time on BBC Two and is considered something of a "break-out hit" for the Open University...
, Series 6, BBC TV
- 2005 The Quatermass ExperimentThe Quatermass Experiment (2005)The Quatermass Experiment was a 2005 live remake of the 1953 TV series of the same name by Nigel Kneale.-Production:The remake was commissioned as part of a "TV on Trial" season being run by BBC Four, examining past television trends and productions...
- 2004 Space Odyssey: Voyage To The PlanetsSpace Odyssey: Voyage To The PlanetsSpace Odyssey: Voyage To The Planets is a mockumentary about a manned voyage through the solar system. Space Odyssey premiered in 2004 and was made by the BBC...
, BBC TV, Discovery Channel
- 2004 Space Odyssey: the robot pioneers, BBC TV, Discovery Channel
- 2003 All Night Star Party, BBC TV
- 2002 Can't Get Enough, BBC TV
- 2002 Tomorrow's WorldTomorrow's WorldTomorrow's World was a long-running BBC television series, showcasing new developments in the world of science and technology. First aired on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003.- Content :...
, Series 38, BBC TV
- 2001 Secret Life of Ghosts and Werewolves, BBC TV
- 2001 Tomorrow's WorldTomorrow's WorldTomorrow's World was a long-running BBC television series, showcasing new developments in the world of science and technology. First aired on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003.- Content :...
, Series 37, BBC TV
- 2001 Final Frontier, BBC TV
- 2001 Journeys in Time and Space, BBC TV
- 2000 Tomorrow's WorldTomorrow's WorldTomorrow's World was a long-running BBC television series, showcasing new developments in the world of science and technology. First aired on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003.- Content :...
, Series 36, BBC TV
- 2000 2000 Today2000 TodayThe Millennium Event - 2000 Today was an internationally-broadcast television special commemorating the beginning of the Year 2000. This program included New Year's Eve celebrations, musical performances, and other features from participating nations....
, BBC TV
- 1999 Eclipse Live, BBC TV
- 1999 The Planets, BBC TV
Video Installations
In 2009, to coincide with the 40th Anniversary of the flight of Apollo 11, he collaborated with the London Science Museum on a novel video installation called "Apollo Raw and Uncut" which projected all 23 hours of NASA's 16mm Apollo flight film, shot on Apollo missions AS-501 (Apollo 4) to AS-512 (Apollo 17). Much of this footage, including an almost 8 minute sequence documenting a long drive across the rugged Descartes Highlands had never been screened in its entirety in public before. The aim of the installation was to present the story of Apollo in as unedited and unfiltered form as possible. The work was screened again in Montreal, Quebec, in November 2009, as part of an exhibition at the Canadian Centre for ArchitectureCanadian Centre for Architecture
The Canadian Centre for Architecture is a museum of architecture and research centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Phyllis Lambert is the Founding Director and Chair of the Board of Trustees, and Mirko Zardini is the Director and Chief Curator....
called 'Intermission: Films from a Heroic Future', which Riley also helped to curate. Continuing the presentation of overlooked space film archives in public gallery spaces Chris collaborated with the London based creative science agency Super/Collider on his 2011 show Cone Crater - a 40th anniversary celebration of Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell's exploration of the Frau Mauro lunar highlands, which played at The Book Club, London as part of the Apollo's End project.
In April 2011 Chris premiered First Orbit
First Orbit
First Orbit is a feature-length, experimental documentary film about Vostok 1, the first manned space flight around the Earth. By matching the orbit of the International Space Station to that of Vostok 1 as closely as possible, in terms of ground path and time of day, documentary filmmaker...
a film tribute to Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He was the first human to journey into outer space, when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961....
which he filmed in collaboration with European Space Agency
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
Astronaut Paolo Nespoli. The film was recorded by matching the orbit of the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
to the ground path of Gagarin's Vostok 1
Vostok 1
Vostok 1 was the first spaceflight in the Vostok program and the first human spaceflight in history. The Vostok 3KA spacecraft was launched on April 12, 1961. The flight took Yuri Gagarin, a cosmonaut from the Soviet Union, into space. The flight marked the first time that a human entered outer...
mission, and released for free to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the pioneering human space flight.
See also
- First OrbitFirst OrbitFirst Orbit is a feature-length, experimental documentary film about Vostok 1, the first manned space flight around the Earth. By matching the orbit of the International Space Station to that of Vostok 1 as closely as possible, in terms of ground path and time of day, documentary filmmaker...
- Moonwalk OneMoonwalk OneMoonwalk One is a feature-length documentary film about the flight of Apollo 11, which landed the first humans on the moon. Besides portraying the massive technological achievement of that event, the film places it in some historical context, and tries to capture the mood and feel of the people on...
- In the Shadow of the MoonIn the Shadow of the MoonIn the Shadow of the Moon is a 2006 British documentary film about the United States' manned missions to the Moon. It premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Audience Award. In March 2008, it was the first film to win the Sir Arthur Clarke Award for Best Film...
- Space Odyssey: Voyage To The PlanetsSpace Odyssey: Voyage To The PlanetsSpace Odyssey: Voyage To The Planets is a mockumentary about a manned voyage through the solar system. Space Odyssey premiered in 2004 and was made by the BBC...
- The Quatermass ExperimentThe Quatermass ExperimentThe Quatermass Experiment is a British science-fiction serial broadcast by BBC Television in the summer of 1953 and re-staged by BBC Four in 2005. Set in the near future against the background of a British space programme, it tells the story of the first manned flight into space, overseen by...
- A for AndromedaA for AndromedaA for Andromeda is a British television science fiction drama serial first made and broadcast by the BBC in seven parts in 1961. Written by the noted cosmologist Fred Hoyle, in conjunction with author and television producer John Elliot, it concerns a group of scientists who detect a radio signal...
- Tomorrow's WorldTomorrow's WorldTomorrow's World was a long-running BBC television series, showcasing new developments in the world of science and technology. First aired on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003.- Content :...