Carl Sagan's Cosmos returns to television

speeds · Aug 6, 2011

Carl Sagan's Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, first broadcast in 1980, is set for a remake to air on Fox in 2012 or 2013. The original 13-part series focused on the origin of life and a perspective of our place in the universe and has been broadcast to half a billion people. The new version is likely to revisit the same topics with information 30 years more current. Sagan, who wrote and hosted the show, passed in 1996. The new show, to be developed by Seth McFarlane (who has parodied the series on his show, Family Guy), will be hosted by American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, an award-winning scientist and author who was hugely influenced by Sagan. Tyson currently hosts PBS's Nova ScienceNOW. Stoked. Gives me a nerd-on.

jlprk · Aug 6, 2011

I saw that news. On many slow, slow PBS Nova shows, Tyson is a big bore. No one before or since has had Carl Sagan's charisma.

I started watching Sagan in local Los Angeles broadcasts coming from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory when Mariner 9 orbited Mars. The camera gravitated to him. He and I and all smart males had long hair then and were somewhere on the left.

In the early 80s, Sagan shared with the Soviet Union his computer program showing that forest fires would spread worldwide after a nuclear war. I knew he wouldn't live long after that. Then he caught cancer. Relations with Russia are different now. It takes more now to get killed.

Cosmos, even with Sagan, was a bore compared to the quicker PBS series it imitated, Connections, starring James Burke. Probably my favorite series of all time. Watch it if you like science. It had a couple of sequel series which were almost as good. Watch Connections I before II and III.

SlyPokerDog · Aug 6, 2011

jlprk said:
I saw that news. On many slow, slow PBS Nova shows, Tyson is a big bore. No one before or since has had Carl Sagan's charisma.

I started watching Sagan in local Los Angeles broadcasts coming from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory when Mariner 9 orbited Mars. The camera gravitated to him. He and I and all smart males had long hair then and were somewhere on the left.

In the early 80s, Sagan shared with the Soviet Union his computer program showing that forest fires would spread worldwide after a nuclear war. I knew he wouldn't live long after that. Then he caught cancer. Relations with Russia are different now. It takes more now to get killed.

Cosmos, even with Sagan, was a bore compared to the quicker PBS series it imitated, Connections, starring James Burke. Probably my favorite series of all time. Watch it if you like science. It had a couple of sequel series which were almost as good. Watch Connections I before II and III.

I like Neil. He's actually pretty entertaining and does a great job of explaining things. Have you ever listened to his radio show?

http://startalkradio.net/

jlprk · Aug 6, 2011

No, I'll try it. On TV he seems artificial. Of course, so did Carl Sagan, but with that voice he could still carry it off. A unique sound, like Karen Carpenter or John Fogerty or Janis Joplin. When you hear a couple of notes, you know who it is. Carl Sagan had a speaking style like that and Tyson doesn't. But I'll try your link.

SlyPokerDog · Aug 6, 2011

jlprk said:
No, I'll try it. On TV he seems artificial. Of course, so did Carl Sagan, but with that voice he could still carry it off. A unique sound, like Karen Carpenter or John Fogerty or Janis Joplin. When you hear a couple of notes, you know who it is. Carl Sagan had a speaking style like that and Tyson doesn't. But I'll try your link.

Warning, it's a strange show. He co-hosts it with a comedian. Last year the woman was really annoying and didn't know shit about science but the guests and Tyson make it worth listening to.

SlyPokerDog · Mar 9, 2014

Cosmos tonight!

Watch it tonight! This is the type of programming we want out of Fox.

SlyPokerDog · Mar 9, 2014

[video=youtube;kBTd9--9VMI]

SlyPokerDog · Mar 9, 2014

Re: Cosmos tonight!

[video=youtube;xb5tdqplTqQ]

SlyPokerDog · Mar 9, 2014

NASA ‏@NASA

Join us tonight as #Cosmos premieres. We'll be sharing more about our images & missions that appear on the show. Follow along.

santeesioux · Mar 9, 2014

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friend...ng-about-cosmos-on-twitter-youve-been-warned/

speeds · Mar 9, 2014

That was a fun ride. Should've watched it in IMAX. Looking forward to more.

speeds · Mar 9, 2014

santeesioux said:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friend...ng-about-cosmos-on-twitter-youve-been-warned/

I thought the show was pretty inclusive.

Denny Crane · Mar 9, 2014

Got it on the DVR. Will watch it tomorrow.

It's not just on Fox. It's on National Geographic channel and a couple others.

SlyPokerDog · Mar 9, 2014

Denny Crane said:
Got it on the DVR. Will watch it tomorrow.

It's not just on Fox. It's on National Geographic channel and a couple others.

It's on all channels owned by Fox which includes NG.

NatGeo channel is owned by Fox and the name is licensed. That's why you get some questionable content including lots of shows about prisons in foreign countries.

Denny Crane · Mar 9, 2014

I haven't seen the show yet. I'd expect it to begin with with a big bang.

tlongII · Mar 9, 2014

Can you post a link in the scripture thread?

Fez Hammersticks · Mar 9, 2014

That was awesome.

BlazerCaravan · Mar 9, 2014

Been watching the old Cosmos on NatGeo in preperation. What an amazing, last burst of optimism for science in the face of humanity's impending failure to be awesome.

SlyPokerDog · Mar 9, 2014

TradeNurkicNow · Mar 9, 2014

wasn't very impressed. it was mostly beginners stuff, and the semi-religious heavy-handed cartoon was groan worthy

jlprk · Mar 10, 2014

Re: Cosmos tonight!

SlyPokerDog said:
Watch it tonight! This is the type of programming we want out of Fox.

Is it one of these episodes?

http://www.startalkradio.net/shows-archive/

SlyPokerDog · Mar 10, 2014

Re: Cosmos tonight!

SlyPokerDog said:
I like Neil. He's actually pretty entertaining and does a great job of explaining things. Have you ever listened to his radio show?

http://startalkradio.net/

jlprk said:
Is it one of these episodes?

http://www.startalkradio.net/shows-archive/

I already told you about startalk radio. You worry me sometimes.

HomerLovesKoolAid · Mar 10, 2014

This is still my favorite version:

[video=youtube;v91m_F2NhfU]

jlprk · Mar 10, 2014

Re: Cosmos tonight!

SlyPokerDog said:
Watch it tonight! This is the type of programming we want out of Fox.

I was responding to that. Too late to watch anything live, so I looked up a list of episodes, hoped it would be there, and asked you whether it was.

But I'm glad someone worries, Mom. Got any cookies?

SlyPokerDog · Mar 10, 2014

Re: Cosmos tonight!

jlprk said:
I was responding to that. Too late to watch anything live, so I looked up a list of episodes, hoped it would be there, and asked you whether it was.

But I'm glad someone worries, Mom. Got any cookies?

It will be on NatGeo tomorrow.

jlprk · Mar 10, 2014

I found more previews at the source.

http://www.cosmosontv.com/

Since I dumped Comcast 2 or 3 years ago, maybe I'll find the program on a foreign free site, same way I watch the Blazers.