A new “Cosmos”, featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson

August 5, 2011 By 30 Comments

This is a guest post by Aaron Friel. He is a freshman at the University of Northern Iowa and member of the UNI Freethinkers and Inquirers (UNIFI).

The Fox network is poised to air a sequel to the critically acclaimed and loved-by-skeptics series, “Cosmos”. The update to the series will be thirteen episodes and—sorry, folks—will be broadcast in 2013. Some unusual names have signed on-board with the series, with Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane on board as an executive producer for “Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey.”

The show will feature Neil deGrasse Tyson as the host, and both he and MacFarlane will have the help of Carl Sagan’s widow and “Cosmos” co-creator Ann Druyan.

Speaking personally, I cannot think of a better successor to Sagan than Dr. Tyson. His accolades in public speaking and science education speak for themselves. And as I mentioned in my last post, I grew up on public television, including programs like “Nova ScienceNow” and have enjoyed watching his panel discussions and speaking engagements online since.

Filed Under: General 30 Comments
About Hemant Mehta

Hemant Mehta is the chair of Foundation Beyond Belief and a high school math teacher in the suburbs of Chicago. He began writing the Friendly Atheist blog in 2006. His latest book is called The Young Atheist's Survival Guide.

  • j. archer

    No, thanks

    • http://www.facebook.com/aaron.friel Aaron Friel

      You’re welcome!

  • Charon

    Broadcast in 2013, huh? Too bad the world will end in 2012  ;)

  • Charon

    Broadcast in 2013, huh? Too bad the world will end in 2012  ;)

  • Charon

    Broadcast in 2013, huh? Too bad the world will end in 2012  ;)

  • Charon

    Broadcast in 2013, huh? Too bad the world will end in 2012  ;)

  • Charon

    Broadcast in 2013, huh? Too bad the world will end in 2012  ;)

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SU3L6O6MNAPXLBIGJGEX5NW5UQ jqb

      If this was ever a funny joke, it no longer is by now.

  • pirmas407

    MacFarlane is my main worry, though I doubt he’ll cock it up too badly. He’s probably just here to smuggly rub it in the face of the religious folk and pretend he is a serious writer/producer.  
    However, I am rather excited for Tyson. That is enough reason for me to watch it (you know, other than it being the sequel to Cosmos). 

  • pirmas407

    MacFarlane is my main worry, though I doubt he’ll cock it up too badly. He’s probably just here to smuggly rub it in the face of the religious folk and pretend he is a serious writer/producer.  
    However, I am rather excited for Tyson. That is enough reason for me to watch it (you know, other than it being the sequel to Cosmos). 

  • pirmas407

    MacFarlane is my main worry, though I doubt he’ll cock it up too badly. He’s probably just here to smuggly rub it in the face of the religious folk and pretend he is a serious writer/producer.  
    However, I am rather excited for Tyson. That is enough reason for me to watch it (you know, other than it being the sequel to Cosmos). 

    • http://www.facebook.com/aaron.friel Aaron Friel

      Supposedly MacFarlane is a huge fan of Cosmos and science in general. I hope this is borne out through the series.

      • pirmas407

        That’s fine. However, it still doesn’t make him qualified to talk about anything other than segues into 80s pop culture. 

        • http://www.facebook.com/aaron.friel Aaron Friel

          He’s listed as a producer, not the host?

          • pirmas407

            But he’s still attached to the show, which is likely to cause people to not take it seriously. 

            • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SU3L6O6MNAPXLBIGJGEX5NW5UQ jqb

              You’re the only people that seems to apply to.

              • Chrissy Jones

                He isn’t the only one.

      • pirmas407

        That’s fine. However, it still doesn’t make him qualified to talk about anything other than segues into 80s pop culture. 

    • Low Flying Pigs

      Well I doubt it. When he appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher on the same episode as Ann Druyan, he seemed to have a genuine affection both for her, for Carl Sagan, and for Cosmos.

  • Alt+3

    Cosmos II: A Bigger Blacker Personal Voyage.

  • Sinfanti

    I’m a big Cosmos fan and when I saw the headline my hopes soared.  I only had to get three words into the article for those hopes to come crashing down.

    • http://twitter.com/rgaltizer R G Altizer

      As Dr. Tyson pointed out on twitter: “Simple Logic: Worried that FOX viewers don’t know, think, or care about science? That’s why COSMOS belongs on FOX.”

      The goal should never be to teach science to people who already know science, but rather to people who don’t but should.

      • Sinfanti

        I understand that point, and even in the article Ann Druyan makes the mentions that they were going after the largest possible audience.

        But I can’t help but worry that Fox might try to have some influence, some guiding hand, that will run counter to what a true science program should be. 

        I guess I can boil my thoughts down to: shown on Fox = good, made by Fox = cause for concern.

        • http://religiouscomics.net/ Jeff P

          Hopefully Fox won’t follow Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey with God Most: A Six thousand year Odyssey by Ken Ham to give a “Fair & Balanced” rebuttal to the preceding show.  On the other hand, perhaps the Cosmos show is Fox’s attempt to give a fair and Balanced rebuttal to the rest of their entire network programming.  
           
          At any rate, it is a very good thing that the Cosmos show is being shown.

          • cipher

            Hopefully Fox won’t follow Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey with God Most: A Six thousand year Odyssey by Ken Ham to give a “Fair & Balanced” rebuttal to the preceding show.

            Heh! Yeah. A very real cause for concern.

  • Rich Wilson

    The original is available on Hulu btw http://www.hulu.com/cosmos
    I’m afraid that’s only good for Yanks, but the rest of you probably know how to find it in Pirate Bays anyhow.

  • http://www.facebook.com/billyup Jesse Jones

    I simply see McFarland’s being part of the show as a people getter. If you love family guy or American Dad but have never heard of Dr Tyson you are likely to watch the show. It seems that simple to me. If anything McFarland had to convince fox to let the show on the air. He kinda holds some clout around there.
    I’m waiting patiently, for no matter what it will be entertaining.

  • Wk633

    I just hope they keep the theme music.

  • cipher

    Tyson is an excellent choice; he has the personality for it (and he has a history with Sagan; tells a marvelous story about meeting him as a high school kid applying to college). MacFarlane will be fine as producer; he’s a thoughtful guy (and I’m not a huge Family Guy fan). Fox’s involvement is legitimate cause for concern.

  • cipher

    Tyson is an excellent choice; he has the personality for it (and he has a history with Sagan; tells a marvelous story about meeting him as a high school kid applying to college). MacFarlane will be fine as producer; he’s a thoughtful guy (and I’m not a huge Family Guy fan). Fox’s involvement is legitimate cause for concern.