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Nova ScienceNow


FieldValue
imageNovaScienceNow.jpg
presenterRobert Krulwich (2005–2006)
Neil deGrasse Tyson (2006–2011)
David Pogue (2012)
theme_music_composerRob Morsberger
countryUnited States
languageEnglish
num_seasons6
num_episodes36
executive_producerPaula S. Apsell
Samuel Fine
runtime55 minutes
companyWGBH
networkPBS
first_aired
last_aired

Samuel Fine

Nova ScienceNow (styled NOVΛ scienceNOW) was a spinoff of the long-running and venerable PBS science program Nova that ran from 2005 to 2012.

Premiering on January 25, 2005, the series was originally hosted by Robert Krulwich, who described it as an experiment in coverage of "breaking science, science that's right out of the lab, science that sometimes bumps up against politics, art, culture". At the beginning of season two, Neil deGrasse Tyson replaced Krulwich as the show's host. Tyson announced he would leave the show and was replaced by David Pogue in season 6.

The show was intended to return with more new episodes in 2015.

Production

Nova ScienceNow was developed by WGBH Boston as a faster-paced, magazine-style alternative to the traditional documentary format of its parent series, Nova. While the original series typically focused on a single topic for an hour, ScienceNow episodes were generally composed of four shorter segments, including a "profile" of a contemporary scientist.

The production utilized distinctive visual elements, including computer-generated imagery (CGI) and fast-cut editing to appeal to younger audiences. During Neil deGrasse Tyson's tenure, segments often featured him in front of a green screen or interacting with physical props to explain complex astrophysical concepts. The show was funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Cast

Host Robert Krulwich left the program at the end of the first season. He was replaced by astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium. In addition to the host, several correspondents report on many of the individual stories including Peter Standring, Chad Cohen, Ziya Tong, Carla Wohl, Rebecca Skloot, and David Duncan. David Pogue is the host of the show's sixth season.

Seasons

SeasonEpisodesPremiereFinaleSummaryNotes
15Hosted by Robert Krulwich
25Tyson becomes host
36
48
56Single-theme episodes
66Hosted by David Pogue

Episodes

Season 1 (2005–06)

Season 1

No. in
seriesNo. in
seasonTitleOriginal air dateProduction
code
EpisodeNumber = 1EpisodeNumber2 = 1Mirror Neurons]], Hurricanes, Profile: James McLurkin, Booming Sands, Kinetic Sculptor and Conundrum20050125}}Aux4 = 3204

Season 2 (2006–07)

Season 2

No. in
seriesNo. in
seasonTitleOriginal air dateProduction
code
EpisodeNumber = 6EpisodeNumber2 = 1Island of Stability]], Obesity and Profile: Karl Iagnemma20061003}}Aux4 = 3313

Season 3 (2008)

Season 3

No. in
seriesNo. in
seasonTitleOriginal air dateProduction
code
EpisodeNumber = 11EpisodeNumber2 = 1Title = Dark Matter, Of Mice and Memory, Profile: Hany Farid and Wisdom of the Crowds20080625}}Aux4 = 301

Season 4 (2009)

Season 4

No. in
seriesNo. in
seasonTitleOriginal air dateProduction
code
EpisodeNumber = 17EpisodeNumber2 = 1Anthrax Investigation]], Auto-Tune and Profile: Luis von Ahn20090630}}Aux4 = 401

Season 5 (2011)

Season 5

No. in
seriesNo. in
seasonTitleOriginal air dateProduction
code
EpisodeNumber = 25EpisodeNumber2 = 1Title = Can We Make It to Mars?20110119}}Aux4 = 501

Season 6 (2012)

Season 6

No. in
seriesNo. in
seasonTitleOriginal air dateProduction
code
EpisodeNumber = 31EpisodeNumber2 = 1Title = What Makes Us Human?20121010}}Aux4 =601

Reception

NOVΛ scienceNOW has received generally positive reviews from television critics and parents of young children. New York Daily News wrote, "★★★★ Lightyears from the norm."

References

References

  1. "Transcripts – NOVA scienceNOW: January 25, 2005". PBS.
  2. "NOVA scienceNOW Sponsorship". PBS.
  3. "About the Series Host".
  4. (June 25, 2008). "Science show is light years from the norm".
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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