Tenzing Norgay was intimately familiar with Mount Everest for decades before he ever stood on its summit. The Nepalese-Indian Sherpa started participating in Everest expeditions in 1935, first carrying supplies and later leading climbing teams. By 1953, he’d already tried to reach the top six times and had climbed higher than anyone else on that year’s British expedition.

The seventh attempt took him all the way.

At 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953, Norgay and New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary completed the first confirmed summit of Mount Everest. The historic climb of the 29,032-foot peak made both men global stars, but their roles weren’t always remembered equally. Popular accounts portrayed Norgay as Hillary’s guide, never mentioning his vast experience as one of the most experienced mountaineers of the Himalayas.

That changes in Apple TV’s Tenzing , which spotlights the Sherpa’s accomplishments and journey to the summit.…