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What to Watch on Friday: Netflix doc 'Mercury 13' looks at the women blocked from space race

By Brooke Cain

April 20, 2018 07:30 AM

The Netflix original documentary "Mercury 13" looks at the women who trained for spaceflight as part of the Mercury Project in 1961, but were the wrong gender to actually go into space.
The Netflix original documentary "Mercury 13" looks at the women who trained for spaceflight as part of the Mercury Project in 1961, but were the wrong gender to actually go into space. Courtesy of Netflix
The Netflix original documentary "Mercury 13" looks at the women who trained for spaceflight as part of the Mercury Project in 1961, but were the wrong gender to actually go into space. Courtesy of Netflix

Mercury 13 (Netflix) — A Netflix original documentary about the women who were tested for spaceflight in 1961 before their dreams of being the first to make the trip beyond Earth were dashed. Thirteen female pilots were screened as part of Project Mercury, but in private. Some of them even performed better than the men, who were known as The Mercury 7, but were the wrong gender. Directed by David Sington.

Sutton Foster in Concert (9 p.m., UNC-TV) — Two-time Tony Award-winner (and star of TV shows “Bunheads” and “Younger”) Sutton Foster performs in the Appel Room with guest Jonathan Groff.

Meghan Markle: American Princess (10 p.m., CBS) — Gayle King hosts a look at the relationship between Markle and Prince Harry, telling Markle’s story from being a child activist to becoming an international star.

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