Best Show on Television

Planet of the Skeptics

Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey

What makes a good television show? Is it the beauty of the cinematography? The show's premise? Good writing? The characters? That we feel we are learning something new, or gaining a new understanding of something we thought we knew? 

Is it the combination of these elements that leaves us fascinated and tuning in for more?

CNN, states "Experts say that sometimes, a hot show expresses something percolating at the surface of the culture's subconscious -- and hits the air at the golden moment the mainstream is poised to accept an element of the encroaching fringe."1

Well I have found just that TV show, and I am currently fascinated by it. Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey, hosted by Dr Neil DeGrasse Tyson. In my humble opinion, this is the best and most important show on television.

Before I explore and pour too much adulation on this show, lets look at how this show came about. 

Cosmos originally aired in September 1980 with 13 episodes. It was hosted by Dr Carl Sagan.

IMDB summarizes the show as:

"Dr. Sagan describes the universe in a way that appeals to a mass audience, by using Earth as a reference point, by speaking in terms intelligible to non-scientific people, by relating the exploration of space to that of the Earth by pioneers of old, and by citing such Earth legends as the Library of Alexandria as metaphors for space-related future events. Among Dr. Sagan's favorite topics are the origins of life, the search for life on Mars, the infernal composition of the atmosphere of Venus and a warning about a similar effect taking place on Earth due to global pollution and the "greenhouse effect", the lives of stars, interstellar travel and the effects of attaining the speed of light, the danger of mankind technologically self-destructing, and the search, using radio technology, for intelligent life in deep space."

Dr Sagan sparked the imagination of a generation and fanned the flames of scientific curiosity. But Dr Sagan did more than just spark this interest for one individual. Upon hearing that Neil DeGrasse Tyson, a high school student from the Bronx, was considering pursuing a career in Astronomy, Dr Sagan sent this letter:

And their communication and mutual admiration would continue for years. It should then come as no surprise that Dr Tyson, would end up on a board of the Planetary Society, the organization that Sagan co-founded. On this board was Ann Druyan (widow of the late Dr Carl Sagan). Ms Druyan had been thinking of resurrecting the show shortly after Dr Sagan died. With Dr Tyson's 

Another notable name attached to the show as an executive producer is Seth MacFarlane (of Family Guy fame).

Some may consider Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey, as a sequel to the original series by Dr Sagan, but I would lean more towards calling this a re-visitation of the ideas and inspiration that the original show generated. 

Here are some mind-blowing quotes and images from the new series - and only 2 episodes have aired so far (images and quotes courtesy of website The Frisky2):

“This adventure is made possible by generations of searchers strictly adherent to a simple set of rules. Test ideas by experiments and observations. Build on those ideas that pass the test. Reject the ones that fail. Follow the evidence wherever it leads, and question everything. Accept these terms, and the cosmos is yours.”

 “Science works on the frontier of knowledge and ignorance. We’re not afraid to admit what we don’t know. There’s no shame in that. The only shame is to pretend that we have all the answers. Maybe someone watching this, will be the first to solve the mystery of how life on Earth began.” 

  

“The Earth took one hell of a beating in its first billion years, fragments of orbiting debris collided and coalesced, until they snowballed to form our Moon.”

“Some claim evolution is just a theory. As if it were merely an opinion. The theory of evolution, like the theory of gravity, is a scientific fact. Evolution really happened. Accepting our kinship with all life on Earth is not only solid science. In my view, it’s also a soaring spiritual experience.”

“Every person you’ve ever heard of lies right in there. All those kings and battles, migrations and inventions, wars and loves, every thing in the history books happened here in the last 14 seconds of the cosmic calendar.”

There's a very simple reason the original series scored 9.3/10 on imdb.com and this new version has scored even better at 9.6/10... It's that good!!!

*If you are interested in watching the show, check it out here or at www.cosmosontv.com

Footnotes

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1. CNN. What makes a TV show a lasting hit?
Retrieved from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/06/sprj.caf03.staying.power/
Retrieved 22 March 2014

2. The Frisky. 16 Mind-Blowing Quotes From “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey” (So Far)

Retrieved from: http://www.thefrisky.com/2014-03-19/16-mind-blowing-quotes-from-cosmos-a-spacetime-odyssey-so-far/

Retrieved 22 March 2014

Additional Resources

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Moyers and Company. Neil deGrasse Tyson on Religion in Science Class.

Retrieved from: http://billmoyers.com/2014/01/16/neil-degrasse-tyson-on-religion-in-science-class/

Retrieved 22 March 2014

The Raw Story. Creationists demand equal airtime on Neil deGrasse Tyson’s ‘Cosmos’ to provide ‘balance’

Retrieved from: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/03/21/creationists-demand-equal-airtime-on-neil-degrasse-tysons-cosmos-to-provide-balance/

Retrieved 22 March 2014