Tom Lehrer on "Der Raketenmann"

A video segment of Tom Lehrer is now published in flash video at the web site of the major German broadcaster ZDF.

The posting of the Lehrer songs on The Tom Lehrer Wisdom Channel on YouTube in 2007 lead to "Wernher von Braun" being broadcast nationwide in Germany. The song was requested, and after Lehrer said "OK" the segment was used in the docudrama "Der Raketenmann" ("The Rocket Man"). It aired on ZDF in July of 2009.

Of course they used only parts of the song "Wernher von Braun", and with German subtitles.

You need to understand German if you want to watch all of it.

But here's a shortcut! Find the video clip "Der Raketenmann" and do a buffering and then a fast forward by moving the play head to 1:12:10.

Play the video from there.

Please select "zur ZDF mediathek" after clicking the link HERE.

If you have trouble playing the programme, start with the ZDF mediathek HERE, click the "suchbegriff" and search for "Wernher von Braun".

Select the longest video and click the play button at the bottom of the screen.

No song in the American celebration

Another programme about Wernher von Braun: "The Rocket Man," premiered at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center during the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. The 20-minute documentary was produced and written by Ed Buckbee for Broadview Media and sponsored by the Alabama Tourism Department. Needless to say, it did not include Tom Lehrer's correction to history. The programme is on YouTube, click HERE.

Read another page listing some of Tom Lehrer's later TV-appearances HERE.