New Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey 2014 TV Series

AI Thread Summary
The new Cosmos series, "A Spacetime Odyssey," hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, is set to premiere soon, with the original series being re-broadcast in a marathon beforehand. Viewers are excited about the updated CGI and educational content, although some express concerns about the show's depth and accuracy compared to the original. The series aims to introduce basic scientific concepts to a broad audience, including children and those unfamiliar with science. It will be available on multiple networks, including Fox and National Geographic, and is expected to reach a global audience. Overall, the series is anticipated to inspire curiosity about science, despite mixed initial reactions.
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Looks like the new Cosmos TV series is about to start. We'd like to keep discussions about the series in a single thread, so feel free to post your thoughts and reactions and questions in this thread.

I really enjoyed the original Cosmos TV series with Carl Sagan. It was a bit over-done at times, but often I learned new things from it, and was impressed by the educational computer animations. So many years later, I'm guessing that the CGI will be pretty awesome, especially in HD.

And it looks like they will repeat the original Cosmos TV series in a marathon this weekend before starting to air the new series:

Looks, they will repeat the complete original Cosmos before the new series starts.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/20...ampaign=Feed:+Tvbythenumbers+(TVbytheNumbers)
 
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Astronomy news on Phys.org
Just read an interview with NGT about the show in Popular Science. Really stoked to watch this!
 
Greg Bernhardt said:
Really stoked to watch this!
Yeah, same here!

EDIT: Trailer as a teaser.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBTd9--9VMI
 
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Funny thing is, back when I was a teenager I watched a series called Kosmos 1999 (which was originally titled Space 1999). In effect each time I hear about the Cosmos series I think about something completely different than most of you do.
 
Borek said:
Funny thing is, back when I was a teenager I watched a series called Kosmos 1999 (which was originally titled Space 1999). In effect each time I hear about the Cosmos series I think about something completely different than most of you do.
That series apparently is getting a reboot as well as Space 2099. But no, Space 1999 ≠ Cosmos, and Space 2099 ≠ Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.
 
Very bizarre trailer.

Will this be on free public TV? If not I hope netflix picks it up quick!
 
Greg Bernhardt said:
Very bizarre trailer.

Not really, Greg. You have to remember that this is being put on primarily as ENTERTAINMENT, not science and I'm sure FOX thinks this is a killer trailer. Let's hope the science is not up to Fox's usual standard of gross inaccuracy.

Will this be on free public TV? If not I hope netflix picks it up quick!

I have basic cable and I'll get it. On the other hand, my wife, who doesn't have a $5/month cable box on her TV won't get it. She only gets < 100 channels from our basic subscription but for the $5/mo I get another couple of hundred. SO ... is it on public TV? I'm not sure. Probably depends on your service. Of course, I think of basic cable as "public TV" and the pay channels like HBO as not "public TV".
 
Greg Bernhardt said:
Very bizarre trailer.

Will this be on free public TV? If not I hope netflix picks it up quick!
It appears that it will be re-broadcast online on Fox after the tv airing according to their episode rules.

http://www.cosmosontv.com/
 
  • #11
FOX is a surprising place to have a program like this. I thought it was quite good - a worthy successor to the original. I wonder if NdGT and AD wanted it on fox so that they could reach an audience that does not normally watch PBS or the science channel. If so, then having Obama at the beginning may have scared off the people they wanted to reach.
 
  • #12
Algr said:
FOX is a surprising place to have a program like this. I thought it was quite good - a worthy successor to the original. I wonder if NdGT and AD wanted it on fox so that they could reach an audience that does not normally watch PBS or the science channel. If so, then having Obama at the beginning may have scared off the people they wanted to reach.

I wouldn't rate it that highly just yet.

This first episode was probably watched by a lot of people who don't usually watch PBS. It was obvious that the creationists were clubbed over the head.:devil: That is certainly an oddity for FOX.

Locally it was aired on FOX Sports 2. :confused:
 
  • #13
I was not all that impressed. I love NdGT but this show was long on hot graphics and short on any actual explanations of the physics. BUT ... given that it IS a pop-sci show, it's sure better than crap like Through the Wormhole.

Yeah, edward, I was also struck by the fact that he was clobbering the creationists. That's a good thing and bodes well for the scientific integrity of the show even if it doesn't get into details as much as I'd like.
 
  • #14
Well that was largely disappointing. The onslaught of statuses on my Facebook newsfeed praising the episode only makes matters worse. How in the world do people tolerate let alone enjoy this stuff?

I wish there was a David Attenborough of physics. That man was the god of educational scientific documentaries.
 
  • #15
Enjoyed it very much. Graphics were beautiful, and of course, it brings science back into the livingrooms, to inspire the average person to wonder.
 
  • #16
I recall the first episode of the original was also very much a brief overview of things that would be revisited in detail in later episodes.

Two things though: They use the Star Wars image of what an asteroid field looks like. Can a real field ever look like that? And a pity about the music - it's very generic TV cinema stuff. The original soundtrack was so striking.
 
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  • #17
I would rather have Tyson on an armchair rather than on a spaceship...
The first part was a CGI overkill, second part as an overview was better than most other pop-sci shows.
I liked the frequent stress on scientific method and the calendar analogy though.
 
  • #18
I can't make heads or tails of the trailer(s) - what is this series about?
 
  • #19
Watched the trailer, but have no idea what it's about (or whether I'd like to watch it).

According to imdb it's a documentary that "explores how we discovered the laws of nature and found our coordinates in space and time"? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2395695/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
 
  • #20
For all I know it could have been an introduction to some very advanced cooking techniques :rolleyes:
 
  • #22
The original Cosmos was hosted by Carl Sagan and aired in 1980. It was titled "A Personal Voyage"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmos:_A_Personal_Voyage

It's a popular science show and deals with a very wide range of subjects from Astronomy, Biology to Geology. The focus was more on physics but it introduced the scientific method in a very friendly, easy to understand manner to the uninitiated. Cosmos was considered by many to be the finest science show ever.

The new Cosmos is a reboot of the original series and is hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson and is titled A Spacetime Odyssey. Updated for new information that we have learned in the last 30 years and better special effects.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmos:_A_Spacetime_Odyssey
 
  • #23
Here is the link for Episode 1 online. It may not be accessible from outside the US, it seems they are allowing viewing for all instead of the 8 day wait.

http://www.fox.com/watch/183733315515
 
  • #24
I've just seen the first episode, and I think it was ok. It seems to me that the scope will be "basic" science (i.e. not going so much into depth and detail) and covering a WIDE area of topics, and also including history to get it in perspective (like the original series). I think it is definitely aimed at a wide audience. I do agree with

phinds said:
I was not all that impressed. I love NdGT but this show was long on hot graphics and short on any actual explanations of the physics. BUT ... given that it IS a pop-sci show, it's sure better than crap like Through the Wormhole.

This was just the first episode. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the episodes turn out.
 
  • #25
We'll probably watch the first episode tonight. Carl Sagan set the bar pretty high, in my opinion, so I'm going into this as objectively as I can.
 
  • #26
Just watched the first episode now. I really liked it. One of the better pop-sci programs out there. It did have a very introductory feel to it, so I expect them to go deeper into the science in the next few episodes. I'm looking forward to it!
 
  • #27
Yeah, if it's anything like the original Cosmos, this is definitely meant solely to be an introduction.
Maybe my memory is wrong but I just remember episode 1 of the original Cosmos to be Carl's comforting voice stringing together poetry while flying me around in a spaceship eventually telling me what a quasar is.
 
  • #28
I enjoyed it, yes this episode is stuff PF members all know, but I think it's a great show for children, teenagers and people that know nothing about science. That was their target audience, so I think they have met their objective.
 
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  • #29
Evo said:
I enjoyed it, yes this episode is stuff PF members all know, but I think it's a great show for children, teenagers and people that know nothing about science. That was their target audience, so I think they have met their objective.

Agreed. We just finished watching it. We really appreciated how much it focused on the scientific method and its role in helping us distinguish fact from fiction. Certainly looking forward to more episodes.
 
  • #30
Evo said:
It may not be accessible from outside the US
It's not. Guess I'll have to wait for it to come out in DVD...
 
  • #31
Not sure how well this link works for everybody, but it worked for me.

http://www.fox.com/watch/183733315515

(There's commercials to sit through, but it's worth it.)

I loved it! :!) :thumbs:

[Edit: I see Evo already posted the link a few posts ago. I got so excited, I didn't notice. Nevermind.]
 
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  • #32
The video you are attempting to watch is only available to viewers within the US, US territories, and military bases.
 
  • #33
collinsmark said:
Not sure how well this link works for everybody, but it worked for me.

http://www.fox.com/watch/183733315515

Works for me, thanks!
 
  • #34
For those of you having issues watching via Fox's website, try Hulu's site. Not sure if it will remove the international restrictions, but I figured it's worth a try. Here is the link to the first episode of the series:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/604551
 
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  • #35
Dembadon said:
For those of you having issues watching via Fox's website, try Hulu's site. Not sure if it will remove the international restrictions, but I figured it's worth a try. Here is the link to the first episode of the series:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/604551

Blocked, says only accessible from the US. I'd be surprised if there's any legal ways to view this outside the US without jumping through hoops.

<ducks under swinging ban hammer>There's always US proxy servers!</ducks under swinging ban hammer>
 
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  • #36
It's available in 180 countries.

Fox Networks Group today announced its first ever cross-network global premiere event — for Seth MacFarlane‘s passion project, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, on Sunday, March 9, 9-10 PM ET/PT. In addition to premiering on the 10 U.S. networks simulcasting the premiere episode — Fox Broadcasting Company, National Geographic Channel, FX, FXX, FXM, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo and FOX Life — and on the Fox International Channels and National Geographic Channels International, as previously announced, Cosmos will premiere on all 90 National Geographic Channels in 180 countries, as well as 120 Fox-branded channels in 125 countries, making this the largest global launch ever for a television series. Rolling out immediately after the U.S. premiere, international markets will begin airing the premiere episode day and date on both Fox-branded and National Geographic Channels, concluding within one week of the domestic premiere event. The additional 12 episodes will air exclusively on National Geographic Channels outside the U.S.
So you'll need access to either one of Fox or Nat Geo's international stations.

http://www.deadline.com/2014/02/fox...cetime-odyssey-in-181-countries-220-channels/
 
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  • #37
Anyone know what the deal is with the cosmo calendar of events in the final 2/3 of the show? Neil says something like the birth of the Earth was on March 15th, life walked out of the sea on June 19th and the first flower bloomed on June 20th etc etc. What is all that about?
 
  • #38
Greg Bernhardt said:
Anyone know what the deal is with the calendar of events in the final 2/3 of the show? Neil says something like the birth of the Earth was on March 15th, life walked out of the sea on June 19th and the first flower bloomed on June 20th etc etc. What is all that about?

He assumed that the time from the start of the universe to now is one full year. So the big bang happened at january first, and now is december 31th midnight.
 
  • #39
micromass said:
He assumed that the time from the start of the universe to now is one full year. So the big bang happened at january first, and now is december 31th midnight.

Got it, thanks! :)
 
  • #40
Seth MacFarlane says Cosmos is "Entertainment with a goal". A lot of people will instantly have a problem with that. However, for the general public it's exactly what they need to be inspired and have their minds opened. I trust the talent behind the show and the first episode was quite good. Science needs this general audience exposure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua5xqQpZp8Q
 
  • #41
TV already has the like of Kaku and Morgan Freeman on the science channel to name the planets with a nice light show to interest the young or those otherwise completely ignorant of science On prime-time TV I understand the networks would not forgo that audience in pursuit of narrower demographic.

But here, in this particular case, we have Tyson who has the rare gift of being a superb communicator *of* science, is also in fact a quality scientist, like his predecessor Sagan. So I was expecting, or hoping, for more depth beyond the light show.
 
  • #42
Greg Bernhardt said:
... Science needs this general audience exposure.
Right, but what science was exposed? Sun plus eight planets, plus Pluto, plus the Oort cloud, makes a solar system; so many SS make a galaxy, so many galaxies a cluster, so many clusters make, etc.

I did like the history. When the narration intro to the astronomical history started I expected the cliche ... Copernicus, Galileo, not Bruno who, given what's know today, had the more interesting vision to my mind. I expect that choice (by Tyson, Druyan?) was making a point.
 
  • #43
Hi mheslep,

I'm not seeing how this:
mheslep said:
...I was expecting, or hoping, for more depth...
follows from this:
mheslep said:
... On prime-time TV I understand the networks would not forgo that audience in pursuit of narrower demographic.

If you knew the major networks would prefer accessibility to depth, were you hoping Fox would be the exception?
 
  • #44
mheslep said:
Right, but what science was exposed? Sun plus eight planets, plus Pluto, plus the Oort cloud, makes a solar system; so many SS make a galaxy, so many galaxies a cluster, so many clusters make, etc.

Too much and you lose people. You start talking technical and the general public changes the channel to The Simpsons. The show is meant to capture attention and inspire.
 
  • #45
Greg Bernhardt said:
Seth MacFarlane says Cosmos is "Entertainment with a goal". A lot of people will instantly have a problem with that. However, for the general public it's exactly what they need to be inspired and have their minds opened. I trust the talent behind the show and the first episode was quite good. Science needs this general audience exposure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua5xqQpZp8Q

Nurturing the world's interest at large is beneficial to science. People at large have influence in the budget that is given to NASA,NSF, and other organizations.

I just wish that some other physics would get some airtime. The public at large seems to display these two equalities

Physics = Space
Science Funding = NASA funding
 
  • #46
jesse73 said:
I just wish that some other physics would get some airtime. The public at large seems to display these two equalities

Physics = Space
Science Funding = NASA funding

Try pitching a documentary on hydrodynamics to Fox. This is about as good as it gets for major network. It still only got a 2.9 rating with 8.5 million viewers. My guess is that even this broad and flashy series will be seen by the networks as a moderate failure.
 
  • #47
Greg Bernhardt said:
Try pitching a documentary on hydrodynamics to Fox. This is about as good as it gets for major network. It still only got a 2.9 rating with 8.5 million viewers. My guess is that even this broad and flashy series will be seen by the networks as a moderate failure.

It depends on demographics but beautiful images arent restricted to space.

http://vimeo.com/87342468

There is also an interested public because you do see these type of videos get popular. The reason it is not on TV has less to presentation/content and more to do with it not being an existing formula.

Cosmos wouldn't be on TV if it wasnt an established formula because of Carl Sagan.
 
  • #48
mheslep said:
Right, but what science was exposed? Sun plus eight planets, plus Pluto, plus the Oort cloud, makes a solar system; so many SS make a galaxy, so many galaxies a cluster, so many clusters make, etc.

He also mentioned the biggie bangie (and hinted at the multiverse hypothese(s)). But I do agree, it was a little thin. Yet it felt like an introduction to the cosmos. Hopefully it will go a little bit deeper in the upcoming episodes. But I am picky - however it turns out, there will likely be something I will criticise. :biggrin:
 
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  • #49
  • #50
lisab said:
1 In 4 Americans Thinks The Sun Goes Around The Earth, Survey Says
Excellent point :thumbs:. It makes you think about the importance of the spreading of basic science, actually. (again, with "basic" I mean, not too deep and detailed - but it surely isn't easy to "hit the right note", I suppose.
 
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