Miller , following his success in the revue '' Beyond the Fringe '' , was hired as a film and television journalist for '' The New Yorker '' . Criticizing the programming he saw as " shuddering fluorescent jelly , " and inspired by Newton Minow 's famous " Wasteland Speech " in 1961 , Miller decided to move from reviewing into television production , hoping to provide innovative and intellectual content for the medium . Because the United States and the Soviet Union were vying to achieve a Moon landing , Miller conceived the idea of a satire based on Jules Verne 's '' From the Earth to the Moon '' , as he explained to the '' New York Times '' : The film was produced for '' Chronicle '' , a CBS documentary series that aired alternately with the '' CBS Reports '' . '' Chronicle '' , broadcast on Wednesday nights from October 1963 through April 1964 and hosted by Charles Collingwood , focused on modern culture and its historical origins , as a counterpoint to the " hard news " slant the '' CBS Reports '' emphasized . Other episodes in the series were devoted to topics such as Edgar Allan Poe , the Constitution of the United States , and the British music hall tradition . The series was nominated for " Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of News Commentary or Public Affairs " at the 16th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1964
16th Primetime Emmy Awards
16th Primetime Emmy Awards
A Trip to the Moon (Chronicle)