Kokomo Tribune Entertainment NOW
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/298167
TV Media Weekly
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April 19 - 25, 2014
matter — and his financial in-
vestment — that helped make it
happen.
"I'm at a point in my career
where I have some disposable in-
come, and I'd like to spend it on
something worthwhile," MacFar-
lane told Tyson, as he recalls in a
"Parade" interview. As he said in
a 2012 Library of Congress press
piece: "The work of Carl Sagan
has been a profound influence in
my life and the life of every indi-
vidual who recognizes the impor-
tance of humanity's ongoing
commitment to the exploration
of our universe." With a secure
foothold in the network already,
MacFarlane was able to secure
the green-lighting of the show
when other networks had turned
it down, failing to see its broad
appeal.
If you haven't yet caught
"Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey,"
you're definitely missing out.
Whether you've seen Sagan's
1980 "Cosmos," the updated se-
ries is sure not only to impress,
but make you feel just a little bit
smarter, too. Tune in Sunday, April
20, for the latest episode on Fox.
penned.
Taking up the "Cosmos" torch
now is astrophysicist Neil de-
Grasse Tyson. Tyson's own career
path has been heavily inspired by
Sagan, whom he described in a
2004 interview with Daniel Si-
mon as "very inspirational and a
most powerful influence. Dr. Sa-
gan was as great as the universe,
an effective mentor."
Judging by his résumé, Tyson is
about as apt a replacement for
Sagan as you can find. Currently
the director of the Hayden Plane-
tarium and a research associate
in astrophysics at the American
Museum of Natural History, Ty-
son also hosted PBS's science
program "Nova ScienceNOW"
and has been a frequent guest on
"The Daily Show," "The Colbert
Report" and "Jeopardy!" His in-
terest in astronomy having taken
hold when he was nine, he began
giving lectures on the subject as
young as 15 and was editor-in-
chief of his high school's "Physi-
cal Science Journal."
As a student, Tyson was lucky
enough to meet his idol, who in
turn took him on a tour of Sa-
gan's workplace as they dis-
cussed science — that conversa-
tion affected the younger man in
more ways the one. A heavy
snow fell as Tyson was heading
for the last bus home, and Sagan
offered that, should the storm
keep the bus from arriving, Tyson
was welcome to spend the night
at his home. "It was then that I
realized," Tyson recalls in the
Canada.com interview, "not only
did I know I wanted to become
an astronomer, but I now knew
the kind of man I wanted to be."
Little did he know back then just
how much like his mentor he
would turn out to be.
It's not hard to see how Tyson
and Druyan's names are linked to
"A Spacetime Odyssey," but
some might be surprised to see
funny man Seth MacFarlane's
name crop up as an executive
producer for the series. The man
behind "Family Guy," "American
Dad" and "Ted" (2012) was, in
fact, instrumental in bringing "A
Spacetime Odyssey" to broad-
cast. Though the series is a nota-
ble departure for MacFarlane, it
was his passion for the subject
By Jacqueline Spendlove
TV Media
W
ith so many movies
and TV shows being
rebooted these days,
one wonders if origi-
nality is dwindling in the enter-
tainment industry.
Fox, however, is currently air-
ing a follow-up that definitely
warrants its second time in the
sun. "Cosmos: A Spacetime Od-
yssey" is a scientific documenta-
ry offshoot of the 1980 Emmy-
winning series "Cosmos: A Per-
sonal Voyage," which was pre-
sented by astronomer, astrophys-
icist and cosmologist Carl Sagan.
The new series premiered March
9, with a new episode airing Sun-
day, April 20, on Fox.
"Cosmos: A Spacetime Odys-
sey" got off to a strong start with
roughly 8.5 million viewers tun-
ing in for the premiere. No doubt
this is largely due to the immense
popularity of its predecessor. The
original "Cosmos," which aired
on PBS, is widely recognized as a
major milestone for science-
based television, with its use of
cutting-edge special effects and
its appeal to all audiences — not
just those with scientific lean-
ings. Seen by more than 500 mil-
lion people across more than 60
countries, it remains one of the
network's highest-rated pro-
grams.
Fox's version will loosely fol-
low the format of "A Personal
Voyage," with 13 episodes, a
similar storytelling approach and
certain recognizable elements,
such as the "Spaceship of the
Imagination" and the "Cosmic
Calendar." It explores the foun-
dation of science, covering such
topics as the scope of time, be-
ginning with the Big Bang; natu-
ral selection and evolution; as-
tronomy and astrology; the na-
ture of the speed of light, gravity,
black holes and more.
Science-based content aside,
the series aims to interest just
about anyone. As Ann Druyan,
Sagan's widow and a co-creator
of both series, explains in an in-
terview with Canada.com: "We
weren't trying to preach to the
converted. We wanted to evoke
in people, even those people who
might be hostile to science, a
sense of wonder. ... If you have a
beating heart, you will respond
to 'Cosmos.' "
While the two series do share
certain aspects, "A Spacetime
Odyssey" also contains many
unique and revamped elements,
including spectacular computer-
generated graphics and updated
information that includes the
past 34 years' scientific discover-
ies and advancements. "The am-
bition and scope of 'A Spacetime
Odyssey' is unlike anything seen
before," writes Alex Strachan for
Canada.com, "including the orig-
inal Cosmos, which Druyan and
[host Neil deGrasse] Tyson have
vowed not to emulate or repeat."
As for the man presenting the
program, Sagan left behind some
very large shoes to fill. His contri-
butions to the world of science
are extensive and include more
than 600 published scientific pa-
pers and more than 20 books
Neil deGrasse Tyson as seen in "Cosmos: A Spacetime
Odyssey"
It's in the stars
Fox revamps 'Cosmos' for a new generation
2
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